Big Red Book

Celebrating television's This Is Your Life

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THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Arthur E Davies MBE, founder and musical director of the Luton Girls' Choir, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews while rehearsing the choir.

Arthur, who was an agricultural agent by trade, and a church choirmaster, formed the Luton Girls Choir in 1936, motivated by the desire to revive what he saw as the dying art of choral singing.

Initially, the choir performed locally in and around Luton, but by the end of the Second World War, they were sufficiently well-known to perform elsewhere within Britain, including at St Paul's Cathedral, for the 80th birthday celebrations of Queen Mary in 1947, and at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games and the Royal Command Performance the following year.

They travelled to Denmark in 1952, and then more widely, including a successful trip to Australia and New Zealand in 1959. The choir also broadcast regularly on BBC radio, and made many recordings.

programme details...

• Edition No: 181
• Subject No: 182
• Broadcast live: Mon 29 Jan 1962
• Broadcast time: 7.30-8.00pm
• Venue: BBC Television Theatre
• Series: 7
• Edition: 18

on the guest list...

• Anne Evans – foster daughter
• Harry Mortimer
• Margaret Goodman
• Ronnie Waldman
• Maryan Rawicz
• Walter Landauer
• Dorothy Seddon
• Robert Heap
• Major C H Jaeger
• Bob Oades
• Mrs Oades
• Band of the Irish Guards and the choir

production team...

• Researcher: Suzanne Twiston-Davies
• Writer: Robert Stuart
• Director: Yvonne Littlewood
• Producer: T Leslie Jackson

• names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

A Musical Life

blowing a trumpet for the musicians

Maryan Rawicz and Walter Landauer