Author Topic: A topic about some things I found about The Brussels New Concert Orchestra  (Read 888 times)

WSBG Returns Yet Again!

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Ah... The Brussels New Concert Orchestra... What a wonderful orchestra it is...
This orchestra was a kinda prolific Belgian orchestra that was only seen in two music libraries, Synchro-Fox, and Southern Library of Recorded Music (unfortunately, their last label they appeared in). But this post isn't a post on how much I love this orchestra, I have some (possibly unconfirmed) info about them to talk about as well. I found out just a while ago that they (possibly) may have done some non-library work for a Dutch label named "Tivoli" (It's not a library label for those wondering).

Here's the website where I first found this info:
rateyourmusic.com/release/single/brussels_new_concert_orchestra/valse_en_noir_et_rose___first_summerday/

This record (numbered 42.003) has not been archived anywhere yet and I also may have found some conflicting info about this too. I found one of the tracks on this record, named "Valse En Noir Et Rose" on another label, this time from Belgium itself (the home of the BNCO), being named "Hebra Records" (also a non-library label) on another 45, and the orchestra that is credited there is named "The Brussels Concert Orchestra", without the word "New" in the name. I doubt it's the Tivoli version, as the composer for that record is different than the composer for the Tivoli version, but more on that in a little bit.

Here's the website where I found the Hebra record:
dada-records.de/records-vinyl-records/vinyl-single-45rpm-jazz-free-jazz-swing-be-bop-dixie-etc/the-brussels-concert-orchestra-directed-by-carl-steinmetz-valse-en-noir-et-rose-carl-steinmetz-karilei-rumba-carl-steinmetz-35617/

And they didn't just stop with Valse En Noir Et Rose, and the other track on the Tivoli 45, named "First Summerday". On another website on a page about BBC trade test tapes, I found some more compositions that they possibly have played. Unfortunately, I can't find what labels these tracks are from. Valse En Noir Et Rose is also listed on the page I found the other tracks in, but the composer is credited as "Dupriey", and the Hebra 45 has Carl Steinmetz composing it instead of whoever Dupriey is. Here's the list of tracks they might've played (Note: All of the composers for these tracks only show their last name, and not both first and last names, so info on these composers would be kinda scarce):
  • Don Quichotte by Vetsy
  • Exotico, Sambo by Donet
  • Une Melodie by Haylbrock
These tracks might be from Tivoli as well, but it's unknown where they were in the label. The page also lists three Synchro Fox tracks played by the same orchestra, which we've heard about before, being Funny Guitar by Jo Van Wetter and Tandem Promenade by Victor Reynaers (both from FM 187), and Reve Bleu by Benny Couroyer (from FM 194). Here's the BBC Trade Test page I found this info from:
testcardcircle.org.uk/PASREEL.HTML

So that's all of the info I have I found for this orchestra. If I find more info about this, I'll post new updates on this thread as I go.
« Last Edit: April 24, 2023, 03:27:56 AM by WSBG Returns Yet Again! »
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Mr

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This is, of course, if you assume that "The Brussels New Concert Orchestra" was the actual name of the orchestra - and considering it only appears for recordings on these two labels, I don't really think it was.

Considering Fernand Terby's involvement, I would wager a guess that it's one of BRT's orchestras hiding behind the name.

WSBG Returns Yet Again!

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I respect your opinion, but I personally think that the Brussels New Concert Orchestra recordings from 1958 to 1961 are played by a different orchestra that actually uses the name, and since 1961, they switched to one of the BRT Orchestras and used that name as an alias. I found some possible evidence for my theory on some programs I found on some BBC Light Programme schedule listings from 1957 to 1958 that have the Brussels New Concert Orchestra in them. I probably assume that the introducers for the programs said the orchestra's name when the program broadcasted. Here they are:
genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?q=%22brussels+new+concert+orchestra%22#top

Plus, some instruments from earlier BNCO recordings from Synchro and Southern don't appear on F. G. Terby's Brussels New Concert Orchestra recordings from what I've heard. This is just my opinion (no offense).
« Last Edit: July 24, 2023, 11:12:08 AM by WSBG Returns Yet Again! »
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Lord Thames

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The BBC broadcasts are interesting, and an avenue I'd not thought of exploring before - it indicates to me that the BNCO is a creation of Belgian radio, as there was quite a bit of sharing going on between European radio stations at that time.   

The BBC Written Archives Centre should have details about what was played on these programmes and where they were sourced from, I'll see If one of my researcher friends can get the info at some point.

If Discogs is to be believed, the last BNCO library recordings were released in 1962 - Fernand Terby took over the BRT Variety and Festival Orchestra in 1963.  I am wildly speculating here, but could the BNCO have been disbanded at this point?

WSBG Returns Yet Again!

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Re: A topic about some things I found about The Brussels New Concert Orchestra
« Reply #4 on: November 02, 2023, 01:59:43 AM »
I just found the composers for the tracks from the Tivoli 45 I saw on Rate Your Music a while ago via the SABAM repetoire (SABAM is a Belgian music publishing company). I also realized that Don Quichotte, Exotico Sambo and Une Melodie are likely Tivoli songs too. Here are the composers for all these tracks, including most of the other tracks I've mentioned.
  • Don Quichotte (Composed by Alfred Vetsy)
  • Une Melodie (Composed by Rene Heylbroeck)
  • Valse En Noir Et Rose (Composed by Carl Steinmetz, arr. by Frank Engelen)
  • First Summerday (Composed by Frank Engelen and Maurice Grabmann)
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