264:. It was revived for a week to mark the BBC's 60th anniversary in October 1982 and then as a regular part of Radio 2 from January 1983 to January 1984. There were two short revivals in 1990 and 1991, and a final one-off programme in 1995. The concept of the programme was evoked during BBC Radio 3's "Light Fantastic" 2011 season with a live broadcast of light music from a factory in
245:
Although the programme became very popular with domestic audiences and later with motorists, it was aimed first and foremost at the factories, and strict rules were applied: predominantly familiar pieces, nothing lethargic, consistent volume, avoidance of overloud drumming (which could sound like
254:" was banned from the show, because of the potential danger of production line workers taking their hands away from their work or banging their spanners on the machinery to perform the four hand-claps in the chorus.
215:
and small instrumental ensembles). In order to make studios more available during the day, it was decided in 1963 that the shows would be pre-recorded (often in the evening or on
Sundays).
242:
and His Music, Cecil Norman and the Rhythm
Players, Bernard Monshin and his Rio Tango Band, Anton and his Orchestra, Bill Savill and his Orchestra and Jack White and his Band.
589:
160:
was a daytime radio programme of continuous live popular music broadcast in the United
Kingdom twice daily on workdays from 23 June 1940 until 29 September 1967 by the
222:, although organs were dropped two years later because their less abrasive sound could not be heard clearly above factory noise and over the specially installed
574:
594:
299:
278:
289:, was first broadcast in September 2002. From 2000, Serenade Radio began broadcasting historic reruns of the programme at 9.30am on weekdays.
584:
234:, was adopted to begin and end each episode, arranged by the performers of the day. Many combinations made hundreds of appearances, notably
599:
579:
449:
337:
282:. This one-off programme differed from the original series as it was staged before an audience and the items were announced.
476:
250:
was discouraged as, by its very nature, it often deviates from the melody, which had to be clear at all times. The song "
173:
97:
251:
353:
441:
416:
184:. Between August 1942 and July 1945, a third edition was broadcast at 10:30pm for night-shift workers.
169:
89:
181:
105:
385:
204:
455:
445:
333:
239:
219:
554:
395:
363:
269:
165:
81:
514:
235:
203:
workers become more productive. It originally consisted of live music (light orchestras,
568:
212:
192:
36:
492:
246:
gunfire), and generally cheerful programmes to which workers could whistle or sing.
188:
177:
390:
358:
261:
231:
196:
147:
41:
503:
433:
208:
459:
525:
539:
200:
477:
Music While You Work: Discipline, Dance Music, and
Workers in Wartime
223:
559:
394:. Vol. 176, no. 2289 (London & South East ed.).
481:
Victory through
Harmony: The BBC and Popular Music in World War II
305:
265:
247:
164:. Initially, the morning edition was generally broadcast on the
161:
260:
ended in 1967 when the BBC Light
Programme transformed into
218:
The first edition featured Dudley Beaven playing the
168:
at 10:30am, with the afternoon edition at 3pm on the
332:. Leicester: The Book Guild Publishing. p. 2.
142:
117:
74:
66:
58:
50:
29:
362:. Vol. 67, no. 873 (National ed.).
417:'Radio in Wartime - should it be grave or gay?'
8:
330:Music While You Work: An Era in Broadcasting
24:
226:speakers. From October 1940 a theme tune,
23:
590:British classical music radio programmes
323:
321:
317:
471:
469:
285:A radio documentary on the programme,
438:The History of Broadcasting in the UK
7:
191:with the idea that playing non-stop
440:. Vol. III: The War of Words.
54:30 mins (10:30 am – 11:00 am)
14:
540:Serenade Radio, weekday schedule
423:, Issue 873, 23 June 1940, p. 3
398:. 21 September 1967. p. 67
575:BBC Light Programme programmes
1:
595:British jazz radio programmes
515:BBC Radio 3 "Light Fantastic"
585:1967 radio programme endings
555:Audio clip from BBC archives
199:at an even tempo would help
98:BBC General Forces Programme
600:BBC Home Service programmes
580:1940 radio programme debuts
616:
252:Deep in the Heart of Texas
560:Masters of Melody website
366:. 21 June 1940. p. 8
146:"Calling All Workers" by
328:Reynolds, Brian (2006).
174:General Forces Programme
442:Oxford University Press
187:The programme began in
386:"Music While You Work"
354:"Music While You Work"
493:'Radio Days' web site
475:Christina L. Baade. '
444:. pp. 576–577.
274:Music While You Work
258:Music While You Work
238:and his Banjoliers,
157:Music While You Work
90:BBC Forces Programme
25:Music While You Work
228:Calling All Workers
182:BBC Light Programme
106:BBC Light Programme
26:
528:The Music Factory
504:Whirligig-TV page
300:Workers' Playtime
287:The Music Factory
279:Workers' Playtime
272:, reminiscent of
268:performed by the
240:George Scott-Wood
220:BBC Theatre Organ
153:
152:
131:29 September 1967
59:Country of origin
607:
542:
537:
531:
523:
517:
512:
506:
501:
495:
490:
484:
473:
464:
463:
430:
424:
414:
408:
407:
405:
403:
396:BBC Publications
382:
376:
375:
373:
371:
364:BBC Publications
350:
344:
343:
325:
270:BBC Philharmonic
166:BBC Home Service
138:
136:
128:
126:
118:Original release
110:
102:
94:
86:
82:BBC Home Service
27:
615:
614:
610:
609:
608:
606:
605:
604:
565:
564:
551:
546:
545:
538:
534:
524:
520:
513:
509:
502:
498:
491:
487:
474:
467:
452:
432:
431:
427:
415:
411:
401:
399:
384:
383:
379:
369:
367:
352:
351:
347:
340:
327:
326:
319:
314:
295:
236:Pasquale Troise
134:
132:
130:
124:
122:
113:
108:
100:
92:
84:
46:
22:
17:
16:Radio programme
12:
11:
5:
613:
611:
603:
602:
597:
592:
587:
582:
577:
567:
566:
563:
562:
557:
550:
549:External links
547:
544:
543:
532:
518:
507:
496:
485:
465:
450:
425:
409:
377:
345:
338:
316:
315:
313:
310:
309:
308:
303:
294:
291:
213:military bands
151:
150:
144:
140:
139:
119:
115:
114:
112:
111:
103:
95:
87:
78:
76:
72:
71:
68:
64:
63:
62:United Kingdom
60:
56:
55:
52:
48:
47:
45:
44:
39:
33:
31:
20:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
612:
601:
598:
596:
593:
591:
588:
586:
583:
581:
578:
576:
573:
572:
570:
561:
558:
556:
553:
552:
548:
541:
536:
533:
530:
529:
522:
519:
516:
511:
508:
505:
500:
497:
494:
489:
486:
482:
478:
472:
470:
466:
461:
457:
453:
451:9780192129567
447:
443:
439:
435:
429:
426:
422:
418:
413:
410:
397:
393:
392:
387:
381:
378:
365:
361:
360:
355:
349:
346:
341:
339:1-84624-004-2
335:
331:
324:
322:
318:
311:
307:
304:
302:
301:
297:
296:
292:
290:
288:
283:
281:
280:
275:
271:
267:
263:
259:
255:
253:
249:
243:
241:
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
216:
214:
210:
206:
202:
198:
194:
190:
185:
183:
179:
175:
171:
167:
163:
159:
158:
149:
145:
143:Opening theme
141:
120:
116:
107:
104:
99:
96:
91:
88:
83:
80:
79:
77:
73:
69:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
43:
40:
38:
37:Popular music
35:
34:
32:
28:
19:
535:
527:
521:
510:
499:
488:
480:
479:', Ch. 3 of
437:
428:
420:
412:
400:. Retrieved
389:
380:
368:. Retrieved
357:
348:
329:
298:
286:
284:
277:
273:
257:
256:
244:
227:
217:
189:World War II
186:
176:- and after
156:
155:
154:
121:23 June 1940
75:Home station
51:Running time
18:
526:BBC Radio,
434:Briggs, Asa
421:Radio Times
391:Radio Times
359:Radio Times
262:BBC Radio 2
232:Eric Coates
205:dance bands
197:light music
148:Eric Coates
109:(1945–1967)
101:(1944–1945)
93:(1940–1944)
85:(1940–1964)
67:Language(s)
42:Light music
569:Categories
402:27 January
370:27 January
135:1967-09-29
125:1940-06-23
21:Radio show
460:796040521
312:Footnotes
436:(1970).
293:See also
201:factory
193:popular
180:on the
178:the war
133: (
129: –
123: (
70:English
483:(2011)
458:
448:
336:
224:Tannoy
170:Forces
419:, in
306:Muzak
266:Irlam
209:brass
30:Genre
456:OCLC
446:ISBN
404:2020
372:2020
334:ISBN
276:and
248:Jazz
211:and
230:by
162:BBC
571::
468:^
454:.
388:.
356:.
320:^
207:,
462:.
406:.
374:.
342:.
195:/
172:/
137:)
127:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.