| Biography | Founded in 1967 by trumpeter and arranger Syd Lawrence, The Syd Lawrence Orchestra has been thrilling audiences in Concert Halls, Theatres, TV Shows and Music Festivals all over Great Britain and Continental Europe for over 40 years. Renowned for its exciting blend of high octane Big Band Swing and Classic Dance Music, the Orchestras repertoire ranges from the wartime million sellers of the legendary Glenn Miller through the era of the great Count Basie Orchestra to the hit songs of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Count Basie himself described the Syd Lawrence Orchestra as So good it should be BANNED! and it has recently been voted Best Big Band in the Land for the eighth consecutive year.
The Orchestra, directed since Syds retirement in 1996 by Chris Dean, has a repertoire of over 1,200 classic Big Band titles including Glenn Miller´s Moonlight Serenade and In the Mood, Tommy Dorsey´s Im Getting Sentimental Over You and Opus One, Benny Goodman´s Sing, Sing, Sing, Artie Shaw´s Begin The Beguine, Woody Hermans Blues on Parade, Ray Anthonys Mr Anthonys Boogie , Duke Ellingtons Satin Doll, Bert Ambroses Night Ride, Count Basie´s April in Paris and Splanky, Charlie Barnet´s Skyliner, Stan Kenton´s Peanut Vendor, the Trumpet Blues of Harry James, Ive Got My Love To Keep Me Warm of Les Brown, the hits of Billy May and Ted Heaths Hot Toddy. |