Robert Farnon: City Streets

It is tricky to work out what city Robert Farnon had in mind when he completed his vibrant orchestral piece, City Streets. Despite the composer being Canadian by birth, I do not think this bouncy number refers to Toronto or Montreal. A clue may be found in the work’s genesis. The liner notes of a Robert Farnon Appreciation Society LP issued in 1977 (RFAS LP1) explains that some of his most familiar works were not originally compositions in themselves. Broadcasters liked to have a library of “short openings, endings and links with distinctive themes that quickly achieve public recognition.” To this end, Farnon had provided a series of “Openings and Endings” for use in the 1960s incarnation of the well-known BBC current affairs programme, Panorama. This consisted of eight short pieces entitled the “Pulse of the City.” Two of these were later used to introduce news programmes in Belgium. Farnon “bowed to the numerous requests” for a longer work making use of some of these themes. The result was City Streets. So, I am guessing that the ‘Streets’ are London,  as this is the home of the Beeb. The music is energetic, creating great excitement, and capturing the hustle and bustle of city life. To this ends he uses shimmering strings and dynamic, often muted, brass to create a sense of movement and excitement. Farnon creates an almost cinematic atmosphere, making City Streets a quintessential example of his ability to translate everyday experiences into evocative musical storytelling.

Listen to Robert Farnon’s City Streets on YouTube, here. The Queen's Hall Light Orchestra is conducted by the composer.