.The NDO Project

We are pleased to reproduce a selection of recordings on LONDON LIGHT
MUSIC ONLINE, with due acknowledgement to The NDO Project and Serenade Radio

"The History of the Northern Dance Orchestra"

The BBC Northern Dance Orchestra was a big band run by the BBC and formed in 1956 as the successor to the BBC's Northern Variety Orchestra. Known to listeners as the NDO, it broadcast on the radio daily, usually from recordings made at the Playhouse Theatre in Hulme, Manchester, and on many trips to halls throughout the UK.

The NDO project produced for Serenade Radio — 3 x one hour programmes on the NDO and NVO, with contributions from people who knew and worked with the bands, and lots of great music!

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

The NDO Project presents...

The Midland Radio Orchestra ...

Evolved from the earlier BBC Midland Orchestra (1934-1941) into the Midland Light Orchestra, then the Midland Radio Orchestra in 1973, finally ceasing in 1980.

Primarily focused on light music, jazz, and popular tunes, often featuring vocalists and arrangers.

Based in Birmingham, often recording at Pebble Mill Studios.

Preserved through recordings, with modern releases available on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon.

Notable Figures:
Norrie Paramor: A prominent conductor and arranger.
Harold Rich: Pianist with the orchestra.
Paul Arden-Taylor: A woodwind player who helped preserve recordings after their destruction.

The MRO was a significant part of British musical history, creating music for radio that many people enjoyed, with its recordings now valued for their nostalgic and historical quality.

Here is an hour of great archive orchestral music curated by The NDO Project... (Originally broadcast on Serenade Radio in 2026)

Producer: Ian Reed

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