London Festival Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The London Festival Orchestra was established in the 1950s as the 'house orchestra' for Decca Records
. In 1980 it was incorporated as an independent performing orchestra under Ross Pople
.
The orchestra stages a summer festival of music in cathedrals, under the title Cathedral Classics, sponsored by American Express
and British Gas
. In 1994 Pople's vision of artistic independence inspired the creation of The Warehouse making LFO the first British orchestra to own a permanent, independent home. The Warehouse, situated in the heart of the South Bank, is a state of the art rehearsal, recording and concert venue and a significant focal point for UK and international artists and orchestras where they rehearse, perform and record. This is also where the LFO musicians are showcased in various collaborations as The Warehouse Ensemble with innovative, often cutting-edge, in-house performances.
The orchestra came to wider public notice after an episode of Grand Designs was aired in which the orchestra objected to the renovation of the adjacent Violin Factory.
BMG
's new classical music label Arte Nova contracted LFO to record the bulk of its new classical music label in the late 90's. The LFO's enviable discography also includes recordings for Deutsche Grammophon
, Hyperion
and ASV
.
Additional to the LFO’s London concert seasons at the Southbank Centre and the Barbican Centre
, and more recently the Cadogan Hall
, the Orchestra has a long history of touring in the Far East
, the Middle East
and the Americas; at the Seoul Olympics; as cultural ambassadors to Argentina
at the resolution of the Falkland Conflict; with annual tours to Germany
, France
and the Netherlands
.
The London Festival Orchestra is featured on The Moody Blues
' LP Days of Future Passed
(1967 Deram Records
).
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
. In 1980 it was incorporated as an independent performing orchestra under Ross Pople
Ross Pople
Ross Pople is a New Zealand-born British conductor. He is the principal conductor of the. He has worked with Yehudi Menuhin, Clifford Curzon, David Oistrakh, Kentner, George Malcolm, Sir Adrian Boult, Rudolf Kempe, Benjamin Britten, Witold Lutosławski, Krzysztof Penderecki, Michael Tippett, George...
.
The orchestra stages a summer festival of music in cathedrals, under the title Cathedral Classics, sponsored by American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
and British Gas
Centrica
Centrica plc is a multinational utility company, based in the United Kingdom but also with interests in North America. Centrica is the largest supplier of gas to domestic customers in the UK, and one of the largest suppliers of electricity, operating under the trading names "Scottish Gas" in...
. In 1994 Pople's vision of artistic independence inspired the creation of The Warehouse making LFO the first British orchestra to own a permanent, independent home. The Warehouse, situated in the heart of the South Bank, is a state of the art rehearsal, recording and concert venue and a significant focal point for UK and international artists and orchestras where they rehearse, perform and record. This is also where the LFO musicians are showcased in various collaborations as The Warehouse Ensemble with innovative, often cutting-edge, in-house performances.
The orchestra came to wider public notice after an episode of Grand Designs was aired in which the orchestra objected to the renovation of the adjacent Violin Factory.
BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
's new classical music label Arte Nova contracted LFO to record the bulk of its new classical music label in the late 90's. The LFO's enviable discography also includes recordings for Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label which was the foundation of the future corporation to be known as PolyGram. It is now part of Universal Music Group since its acquisition and absorption of PolyGram in 1999, and it is also UMG's oldest active label...
, Hyperion
Hyperion Records
Hyperion Records is an independent British classical record label.-History:The company was named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology. It was founded by George Edward Perry, widely known as "Ted", in 1980. Early LP releases included rarely recorded 20th century British music by...
and ASV
ASV Records
ASV Records is a London-based record label set up by Harley Usill, founder of Argo Records, Decca producer and former Argo General Manager, Kevin Daly, and producer Jack Boyce, after Argo's parent company Decca was bought by Polygram in 1980. ASV stands for "Academy Sound and Vision"...
.
Additional to the LFO’s London concert seasons at the Southbank Centre and the Barbican Centre
Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the City of London, England, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory...
, and more recently the Cadogan Hall
Cadogan Hall
Cadogan Hall is a 900-seat capacity concert hall on Sloane Terrace in Chelsea / Belgravia in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, United Kingdom...
, the Orchestra has a long history of touring in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and the Americas; at the Seoul Olympics; as cultural ambassadors to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
at the resolution of the Falkland Conflict; with annual tours to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
The London Festival Orchestra is featured on The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
' LP Days of Future Passed
Days of Future Passed
Days of Future Passed is the second album and first concept album by The Moody Blues, released in 1967. It was also their first album to feature Justin Hayward and John Lodge, who would play a very strong role in directing the band's sound in the decades to come...
(1967 Deram Records
Deram Records
Deram Records was a subsidiary record label established in 1966 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom. At this time U.K. Decca was a completely different company than the Decca label in the United States, which was then owned by MCA Inc. Deram recordings were also distributed in the U.S. through...
).