Sinfonia of London
Encyclopedia
The Sinfonia of London is a session orchestra based in London
, England
. Muir Mathieson
, the director of music for Rank Films, founded the ensemble in 1955 specifically for the recording of film music. Over the next 25 years, the Sinfonia of London appeared on the musical credits of many British and American films.
Among the ensemble's most celebrated commercial classical recordings is its 1963 recordings with John Barbirolli
conducting the Serenade for Strings
of Edward Elgar
and the Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis
of Ralph Vaughan Williams
for EMI Classics
and the 1958 soundtrack album from the Alfred Hitchcock
thriller Vertigo
with Bernard Herrmann
's score conducted by Mathieson (Mercury Records
).
In February 1998, Bruce Broughton was named the orchestra's musical director.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Muir Mathieson
Muir Mathieson
James Muir Mathieson was a Scottish conductor and composer. Mathieson was almost always described as a "Musical Director" on a large number of British films.-Career:...
, the director of music for Rank Films, founded the ensemble in 1955 specifically for the recording of film music. Over the next 25 years, the Sinfonia of London appeared on the musical credits of many British and American films.
Among the ensemble's most celebrated commercial classical recordings is its 1963 recordings with John Barbirolli
John Barbirolli
Sir John Barbirolli, CH was an English conductor and cellist. Born in London, of Italian and French parentage, he grew up in a family of professional musicians. His father and grandfather were violinists...
conducting the Serenade for Strings
Serenade for Strings (Elgar)
Serenade for Strings in E minor, Op. 20, is a piece for string orchestra in three short movements, by Edward Elgar.It was written in March 1892 and first performed in private in that year, by the Worcester Ladies' Orchestral Class, with the composer conducting. It received its first public...
of Edward Elgar
Edward Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos...
and the Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis
Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, also known as the Tallis Fantasia, is a work for string orchestra by the British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. It was composed in 1910, and performed for the first time in September of that year at Gloucester Cathedral for the Three Choirs Festival...
of Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
for EMI Classics
EMI Classics
EMI Classics is a record label of EMI, formed in 1990 in order to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogs for internationally distributed classical music releases....
and the 1958 soundtrack album from the Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
thriller Vertigo
Vertigo (film)
Vertigo is a 1958 psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes. The screenplay was written by Alec Coppel and Samuel A...
with Bernard Herrmann
Bernard Herrmann
Bernard Herrmann was an American composer noted for his work in motion pictures.An Academy Award-winner , Herrmann is particularly known for his collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock, most famously Psycho, North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Vertigo...
's score conducted by Mathieson (Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
).
In February 1998, Bruce Broughton was named the orchestra's musical director.