Robert Joseph Farnon CM was a Canadian-born composer, conductor, musical arranger and trumpet player.
12 Facts About Robert Farnon
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Robert Farnon was born in Toronto to Robert and Elsie Farnon.
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Robert Farnon married Joanne Dallas, a singer from the SHAEF band, whom he later divorced.
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Robert Farnon was considered by his peers to be the finest arranger in the world, and his talents influenced many composer-arrangers, including Quincy Jones, all of whom acknowledged his contributions to their work.
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Robert Farnon was awarded the Order of Canada early in 1998.
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Robert Farnon died at the age of 87, at a hospice near his home of 40 years in Guernsey.
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Robert Farnon was survived by his wife Patricia and their five children, as well as two children from his previous marriage and his many grandchildren.
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Robert Farnon wrote the theme tune and other music for many, mostly British, television series including Colditz, Secret Army, Kessler, and A Man Called Intrepid.
9.
Robert Farnon recorded production music for Chappell under the name Ole Jensen and the Melody Orchestra, and conducted the Queen's Hall Light Orchestra for Chappell under the name David King.
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Robert Farnon arranged and conducted Frank Sinatra's only album recorded outside of the United States, Sinatra Sings Great Songs from Great Britain, in London.
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Robert Farnon arranged and conducted Lena Horne's album Lena: A New Album, Tony Bennett's Christmas album Snowfall, and one of Sarah Vaughan's albums recorded in Denmark, Vaughan with Voices.
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Robert Farnon completed three full-length classical symphonies, a concerto for piano and orchestra called Cascades to the Sea, a rhapsody for violin and orchestra and a concerto for bassoon; he was commissioned to compose the test piece for the 1975 Brass Band Championships of Great Britain finals held at the Albert Hall and constructed Un Vie de Matelot, a set of variations based on an original theme.