TORCH, SYDNEY  

Of Russian-Jewish origin, Sydney Torch established himself in England as a talented conductor of popular classics, notably with the BBC Concert Orchestra, and as a gifted composer and arranger, making imaginative and often novel use of the resources of the symphony orchestra.

Torch started his music carreer as a pianist playing the cinema organ in the British picture palaces in the 1920s. He realised on time that the days of the cinema organ as he knew it were numbered, so he turned to light orchestral composing, arranging and conducting, where he quickly established himself through his radio broadcasts and commercial recordings. He wrote the catchy signature-tune for the famous BBC Radio series "Much Binding In The Marsh", and also discovered that his composing talents were ideally suited to the requirements of the production music (mood music) publishers, that were rapidly establishing libraries in London.

Sidney Torch's music is still remembered by the many admirers of the cinema organ and light music, and by the many for his weekly broadcast 'Friday Night is Music Night' [1953-1972] with the BBC Concert Orchestra. His own compositions and arrangements are still regularly performed by 'his' BBC Concert Orchestra.