"UK Theme" - BBC Radio 4 sign-on
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- Опубликовано: 9 авг 2017
- Along with many others of my generation, I adored this medley when awakening in the morning. Regrettably, the BBC pulled it after 28 years, allegedly because they wanted to substitute "a pacier news briefing" - of which more below:
Background
"The BBC Radio 4 UK Theme is an orchestral arrangement of traditional British and Irish airs compiled by Fritz Spiegl and arranged by Manfred Arlan. It was played every morning on BBC Radio 4 between 23 November 1978 and 23 April 2006.
The piece was used as the signature theme to introduce the daily beginning of Radio 4's broadcasting following the early morning handover from the BBC World Service. The theme was immediately followed by the Shipping Forecast.
In 2006, the decision by Mark Damazer (Controller of Radio 4 at the time) to drop the Radio 4 UK Theme to make way for a "pacy news briefing" caused much controversy in the United Kingdom, including extensive discussion in the British media and even in Parliament".
The Music
The Theme is a collection of traditional British and Irish folk tunes representing the four home countries of the United Kingdom and the national maritime tradition.
The piece opens with the first few bars of "Early One Morning" (English, horns and trombones), before the main theme of "Rule, Britannia!" (British, woodwind and strings) is played.
In the second section, the mood changes as "A Londonderry Air" (Northern Irish, cor anglais and harp) combined with "Annie Laurie" (Scottish, violin) are played at a slower tempo.
The faster third section begins with "What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor?" (Royal Navy, piccolo) combined with "Greensleeves" (English, strings), then "Men of Harlech" (Welsh, brass and percussion) combined with "Scotland the Brave" (Scottish, woodwind).
The finale of the piece, after alluding again to "Early One Morning", ends with a full orchestral version of "Rule Britannia" over which a solo trumpet plays the "Trumpet Voluntary".
Courtesy of Wikipedia.
Images
Most are not my own in this case - I just don't have decent pictures taken by me of the whole of the UK. I'll try to credit them, where possible.
Performance
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Paul Murphy
A Naxos Recording 
Видеоклипы
This needs to be reinstated, a shocking decision to drop this wonderful music. Regardless of politics or any other nonsense, some things need to be kept.
Many NHS workers getting up at 5am still miss this.
@@charlottefoxell7599 I complained at the time as did many of us, but BBC ignored us. I loved it.
sorry, but that's how things work.
I'm an American who had the good fortune to be a guest of the UK for three years, back in the 90s. I loved waking up to this beautiful, evocative piece. I sorely lament its passing.
Wish R4 would bring this back. Needed now more than ever. Forget the politics, it's just a lovely, heartening piece.
When this was played each morning this music made you feel " at home" wherever you were. I had a good friend who lived opposite and we knew all was well because our lights came on after the theme ended. We always thought of each other by this and by " sailing by" at night . They are both gone how things change!
Sailing By still gets played each night and so does the National Anthem just before 1am.
Jonathan Brook When you say you friend is gone, do you mean he moved or did something bad happen?
Pending a reply by Jonathan himself.... I think he meant that both this work and the wonderful "Sailing By" have gone from Radio 4. :-(
Dommage que ce fût supprimé. Je me levais adolescent le matin à Strasbourg avec cette musique qui traversait, par les ondes hertziennes, la Manche, le Bassin Parisien et les Vosges. 🇫🇷❤️🇬🇧
Un joli compte rendu. Je vous remercie!
This is an aggressively British tune that, to be honest, as a Brit, we need to hear more of.
Prayers have been 'half' answered, Penny Mordaunt has sent a letter to BBC boss Tim Davie to bring this tune back to our air.
WASTE OF TIME. UNLESS IT FITS IN WITH BBC MINDSET THEY IGNORE
Has a really from the BBC arrived yet? A year seems an acceptable time in which to answer .
This is the first time I’ve re-heard this in years since returning to the States after several years living in the UK. Fortunately I can still listen to “Sailing By” on BBC Sounds.
Some young upstart will soon decide Sailing By has been on too long and needs to be removed.
I find Sailing By to be very relaxing after a hard evening's shift.
What a fabulous way to end a long night watch or start the first. Happy memories of twisting an old radio dial with cold wet hands trying to find this at 04:46 just before the first shipping forecast of the day.
Thank you so much for keeping this!!!
I’ve been searching for it not knowing its name and then somehow found your precious recording. 🙌🙌🙌
My pleasure Paul.
Dear Mr.AntPDC, Nostalgia is a very good thing. I live in San Francisco presently and still listen to Radio4 but remember fondly "UK Theme". Many thanks.
Used to listen to this as we checked the time for synchronisation of watches / clocks when serving overseas, we could just about get it in Northern Italy. If we couldn't get this it was over to the World Service
I have really missed this. I suppose it's considered completely anachronistic by the same critics who abhor the Last Night of the Proms, instead of appreciating a musical celebration of our identity..
That is not a very "inclusive" statement Jane; shame indeed. And for that matter, the Last Night of the Proms' bellicose spectacle is next on our list of the unacceptably non-inclusive. Going forward, we are arranging a number of compulsory, publicly-funded programmes, with the goal of re-educating those who harbour any kind of patriotism. Internet entities consonant with our position have agreed to share with us the data necessary to help better to identify the offenders, going forward...
;)
I blame you, Antony, I haven't been the same since listening to the Welcoming Land!
@@AntPDC you thought that you were writing in jest but fast forward three years to the Proms of 2020....
@@nottmjas No kidding.
It was the same with ITV regions before we had 24 hour TV.. Each region had its own start-up tune eg Southern played Southern Rhapsody, Anglia played its own tune each morning - think it was Sea Songs followed by a longer version of its Knight on horseback logo, showing it close up whilst it was spinning round.
presumably Hereward the Wake
I remember that. Did the horse and knight wobble a bit, or the turntable it was on juddered a bit halfway round?
Tyne-Tees region here, we had 'Bobby Shaftoe' orchestral arrangement, as a medley with 'The Blaydon Races', bracing stuff.
We had the ATV trumpet fanfare here in the Midlands.
I remember this! I’m going to make this my alarm ring tone.
It needs bringing back.
And now its time for the shipping forecast issued by the meteorological office at 05:55 Thursday the 21 st May 1987, bring it back memories of another day at sea, fantastic
Thanks Antony,
This has brought back distant memories of my early drives to work in my Austin Healey Sprite during mid 60's, your images are truly stunning and really add to the musical themes. Back then I recall also hearing, as part of the intro, Handel's Water Music woven into the Hornpipe and of course, followed by the maritime Shipping weather forecast at 0555hrs......Pip...Pip...Pip... Big Ben...dong..!
Fun memories :)
Early starts and misty mornings......and certainly not so much traffic, hardly anything at that time of day..!
Utter beauty!
Yes please, play this before the 5:15 shipping forecast - it will help me to wake up! And I love it!
Like so much that made the bbc great - it has to be removed by the despoilers, those who care not for tradition and heritage
There probably wasn't enough Reggae in it!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing this memorable pieces of music.
Marvellous!
after listening to close approximations I believe this to be the one albeit youtube paced a little slow!! thanks and now to find "as ships go sailing by"
I've listened to this a few times since I heard on R4 news this morning that the old tune may be making a comeback, and, if so, it will be a fitting symbol to send the message that the beeb wants to leave behind, and to move on from the present, stinking era of Savile, Stuart Hall, Bashir, The Hairy Cornflake, etc, etc..
SO, EVERYBODY, SHOUT;
'hip, hip, HOORAY..!'
No kidding jon!
Imagine listening to this every morning! Fire up the Spitfire!
Oh I used to.
0:46 The moment everyone was watching for.
What a way to start the day. You've got both the English and Irish here. Does my heart good...
... and the Welsh and Scots ... why miss them out?
I still miss this!
Delightful. So sad when the beautiful and familiar is replaced by something you don't enjoy. For decades NPR - National Public Radio in America- played interludes of the finest C20 music in between news stories. Now replaced by monotonous pop rhythms to appeal to a broader audience I suppose.
Thank you Marc. NPR was my radio saviour and comfort during the many years I lived in the US. It is a major cultural asset to the US, and thank goodness for it. I understand forces are abroad which threaten its existence.
That's why I long ago dispensed with radio 4
I remember waking up to this music, what joy. Now we get some black "poet" wrapping away with some nonsense.
Lovely! It's actually by Fritz Spiegl, orchestrated by Manfred Arlan, and played by the BBC Northern (BBC Philharmonic as it now is) - if it's the original, that is.
pabmusic1 Please see my Description.
Fair enough. It's just that a friend is playing on this recording and it "set me off" on nostalgia.
proper radio
Like many other commentators, I really enjoy this medley of traditional, sentimental and really robust British tunes. The BBC’s excuse for ending it was pathetic; it’s a pity that the many questions in parliament at the time, re the abandonment of this great medley we’re not listened to by the BBC, but when did the BBC ever listen!?
Something tells me the BBC are now in the mood to listen very closely. That something is Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
So, the 'pacy news briefing', has it added anything to the station?, do we get value from it?, Do we learn anything that we won't hear another 30 times during the day?
Mr Damazer, no, it doesn't, a quick summary of the news, brief weather, what happened in years gone by. I'm not exactly gripping the piping on the edge of my bed.
The UK theme was the starting pistol for the day, stirring stuff that gets you out of bed.
Dead true Andrew, thank you. One day, reason will return.
Not really..Mr R..but I'm giving you the chance to reconsider your wall-eyed view of the classic melange of British favourites you seem to despise. 200 years of musical heritage would disappear overnight if you had your way.
This is so cute! I love British music so much.
Bring it ALL back ! Yes all of it! I'm not being patriotic I just think it is part of BBC and British life ! Will someone just get their backbone plugged back in and recognise this is what we need? Plese BBC or whoever claims to be in charge?
I believe this is not the broadcast version, which I have recorded from Radio 4, but one that was recorded for public release.
Yes, you are right John. Regardless, I want to wake up to this again!
We all can. Use it as an alarm.
Be a mensch why don't you upload it here? I miss the nuanced original and can't find a release on Discogs :)
Provided RUclips don't remove it, I have now uploaded the original version here: ruclips.net/video/6NnA9PLcT2w/видео.html
@@philt4346 Provided RUclips don't remove it, I have now uploaded the original version here: ruclips.net/video/6NnA9PLcT2w/видео.html
Am I going mad, or does this version have an extra little few second melody at around 3:15 ?
Sadly not the original version. It sounds diferent and is 5:26 long. Original was exactly 5 mins and recorded by BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra is I remember correctly. This is I think the more recent version which BBC Symphony Orchestra recorded for a CD release - but was never actually broadcast.
Provided RUclips don't remove it, I have now uploaded the original version here: ruclips.net/video/6NnA9PLcT2w/видео.html
Andy R would probably like a version of Stop your tickling Jock on a Jew's Harp
Bring it back if you don't like it don't listen.
Or don't bother, and if you like it listen to it in your own time.
This is great but can anyone come up with the late night shipping forecast jingle? It lifted the hearts of many at sea facing wind and rain.
At your service, as the dwarves of Tolkien's world often declared: ruclips.net/video/K55j0PE-D9s/видео.html
Mr Complainer..Andy R is obviously miffed the proportion of Scottish tunes is not in accordance with the Barnett formula..why not throw in an eightsome reel or Jacobean lament? That should keep him happy!!
Chuckle...
I am so very proud to be a Brit and am saddened beyond words at the new Woke and cancel-culture climate that appears to be seeking to undermine what the vast majority of this wonderful United Kingdom respects and loves. Yes, let's bring this theme back and return to a balance which realistically and accurately reflects the majority and the minority of this, our nation.
It's been off air for 15 years. "Woke" and "Cancel culture" are somewhat anachronistic to this decision. My main problem with this is that it's not very good. It's a hotch-potch meddly - the sort of thing played by a school orchestra.
@@davidwolff4853 Here's my earlier comment rewritten with spelling bad enough for it to be comparable to the quality of the UK theme:
Itz bin ov are 4 fivftene yeers. "Wowke" end "Cancal culchure" our sumwhat anakronitistic too this decizion. Mi mane problem wiv thiz iz itz knot verry gud. Itz a hotche-potche medley - ve sawt ov fing plaid bye a skool orkestra.
Fuck the spelling police.
@@davidwolff4853 Anachronistic means of a time other than that being portrayed. It does not imply any direction of time. Or to put it another way you have got it wit about dim. Consult a dictionary of you don't believe me.
not sure what point you are trying to make, yet falling at the first hurdle. please define for us 'woke' and 'cancel culture'. no? thought not. meaningless, thoughtless platitudes. hope that this helps🤣🤣🤣
What is that theme at 3:11 ? A familiar melody, but don't know what it is. Is it part of what began at 2:56 ? Looking at your notes it must be "Men of Harlech".
+Marc Scotland the Brave.
ok, I hear it now: 2:56, Men of Harlech ; 3:11, Scotland the Brave (woodwind). Thanks.
Hey, nice!
Provided RUclips don't remove it, I have now uploaded the original version, as played at the start of Radio 4 each morning, here: ruclips.net/video/6NnA9PLcT2w/видео.html
Superb! Thanks for that.
GB News ought to have taken this on for the morning programme opening in preference to the National Anthem.
Don't be ridiculous. This is far too inclusive (ie "leftie") for GB News.
An act of vandalism
This sounds like the not-half-bad Philharmonic bash at it, bit syrupy/twee for me. I've searched in vain for any BBC Records release of the original, more stirring rendition presumably by in-house artists; it's a yearning.
This is pretty bad - perhaps the UK could adopt the theme tune from the TV show The Munsters instead, that's a legitimate banger
Chauncey you are a prat!
@@wiliammound7942 and you failed to capitalise your surname
Reinstate this.
Too British for multicultural Britain >:-(
Sadly, I agree; i think that's the real reason it was pulled.
@@philipwilliams5429 Agreed. According to the BBC, we should now be ashamed of our cultural heritage, notwithstanding the fact that they coercively tax the British people.
@@AntPDC At least the BBC didn't remove God Save the Queen from Radio 4's airwaves, otherwise that'd be simply maddening!
@@PriddhasPengu I wouldn't put it past them, the way they are behaving these days. One could almost say that they hate Britain itself.
They shouldn’t have deleted it, but added to it to celebrate our increasing diversity... our strength, not our weakness!
Thank God they got rid of this. It's such a depressing durge to wake up to. It's just weirdly anachronistic to anyone born after about 1970. Just like the bloody last night of the proms. I don't trust anyone who is passionately supportive about the last night of the proms.
Nice try Troll
@@nottmjas I'm not trolling; I genuinely and passionately believe this. People are allowed to have different views you know.
@@andyr4941 I don’t agree with you as my grandfather loved the last night at the proms and he was a very kind man. However, you are correct. You are entitled to your opinion.
Who is this Andy Guy? He would probably like some sitar music or LA rap to get him into the mood first thing in the morning. A great blend of UK favourites to get the UNITED Kingdom working together.
Ps..it's dirge.