Music Time (BBC)
Encyclopedia
Music Time was a BBC
schools television series which ran from autumn 1970 to spring 1991, with repeats airing until summer 1994. It was presented initially by Mari Griffith and Ian Humphris, from 1977 by Kathryn Harries and Peter Coombe and then from 1983 by Jonathan Cohen
and Helen Speirs. From its inception until summer 1983 it was transmitted on BBC1
; subsequently it was on BBC2
, and for most of its run it was transmitted on Mondays and Thursdays.
and performance through simple, easily-understandable songs. These often formed part of a production intended to be performed by schools, and usually performed at the end of the series (though in later years, as with Tarfa and the Trolls, the full performance was sometimes at the beginning of the series). This would often be a pantomime
in the autumn term. The series also included animated films (usually produced by Bura and Hardwick based on familiar classical works such as Coppelia
, Lieutenant Kije
and Hary Janos
. These were sometimes shown in their own right on BBC2
in the early evening.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
schools television series which ran from autumn 1970 to spring 1991, with repeats airing until summer 1994. It was presented initially by Mari Griffith and Ian Humphris, from 1977 by Kathryn Harries and Peter Coombe and then from 1983 by Jonathan Cohen
Jonathan Cohen (Musician)
Jonathan Cohen is an pianist, composer and musical director.He is particularly well known for his work on many BBC children's programmes from the 1960s to the 1990s, including Play School, Play Away, Rentaghost and Jackanory...
and Helen Speirs. From its inception until summer 1983 it was transmitted on BBC1
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
; subsequently it was on BBC2
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
, and for most of its run it was transmitted on Mondays and Thursdays.
Format
The series was aimed at primary school children aged between 7 and 9. It taught singing, instrumentation, and basic elements of music theoryMusic theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
and performance through simple, easily-understandable songs. These often formed part of a production intended to be performed by schools, and usually performed at the end of the series (though in later years, as with Tarfa and the Trolls, the full performance was sometimes at the beginning of the series). This would often be a pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
in the autumn term. The series also included animated films (usually produced by Bura and Hardwick based on familiar classical works such as Coppelia
Coppélia
Coppélia is a sentimental comic ballet with original choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon to a ballet libretto by Saint-Léon and Charles Nuitter and music by Léo Delibes. It was based upon two macabre stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, Der Sandmann , and Die Puppe...
, Lieutenant Kije
Lieutenant Kije (Prokofiev)
Lieutenant Kijé or Kizhe , originally Kizh , is the protagonist of an anecdote going back to the time of Emperor Paul I of Russia; the story was used as the basis of a novella by Yury Tynyanov published in 1927 and filmed in 1934 with music by Sergei Prokofiev...
and Hary Janos
Háry János
Háry János is a "Hungarian folk opera" in four acts by Zoltán Kodály to a Hungarian libretto by Béla Paulini and Zsolt Harsányi, based on the comic epic The Veteran by János Garay. The first performance was at the Royal Hungarian Opera House, Budapest, 1926...
. These were sometimes shown in their own right on BBC2
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
in the early evening.
Individual series
Individual series included:- Spring 1979: Lieutenant KijeLieutenant Kije (Prokofiev)Lieutenant Kijé or Kizhe , originally Kizh , is the protagonist of an anecdote going back to the time of Emperor Paul I of Russia; the story was used as the basis of a novella by Yury Tynyanov published in 1927 and filmed in 1934 with music by Sergei Prokofiev...
(repeated spring 1981 and spring 1983) - Autumn 1983: A Gift for the Baby (repeated autumn 1985 and autumn 1987)
- Spring 1984: The Sleeping Beauty (repeated spring 1986 and spring 1988)
- Autumn 1984: Dick Whittington (repeated autumn 1986 and autumn 1988)
- Spring 1985: Hary JanosHáry JánosHáry János is a "Hungarian folk opera" in four acts by Zoltán Kodály to a Hungarian libretto by Béla Paulini and Zsolt Harsányi, based on the comic epic The Veteran by János Garay. The first performance was at the Royal Hungarian Opera House, Budapest, 1926...
(repeated spring 1987 and spring 1989) - Summer 1985: Anansi and the Sky God (repeated summer 1987 and summer 1989)
- Summer 1986: Panji and the Buffalo (repeated summer 1988, summer 1991 and summer 1993)
- Autumn 1989: Tarfa and the Trolls (repeated autumn 1991 and autumn 1993)
- Spring 1990: Pictures at an ExhibitionPictures at an ExhibitionPictures at an Exhibition is a suite in ten movements composed for piano by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874.The suite is Mussorgsky's most famous piano composition, and has become a showpiece for virtuoso pianists...
(repeated spring 1992 and spring 1994) - Summer 1990: The Emperor and the Nightingale (repeated summer 1992 and summer 1994)
- Autumn 1990: CinderellaCinderella"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
(repeated autumn 1992) - Spring 1991: The Planets (repeated spring 1993)
Links
- YouTube channel featuring clips from the series' later years
- part of an episode from 1970, recovered from a 1976 offair
- part one of an episode from 1980
- part two of this episode
- part one of an episode from 1990
- part two of this episode
- part of an episode from the autumn 1984 series
- channel including full episodes from the spring 1985 and spring 1991 series
- channel including the 'Sleeping Beauty' and 'Hary Janos' films from 1984 and 1985