Festival of British Popular Songs 1956

The Festival of British Popular Songs 1956 was a song contest organised by BBC Television and the inaugural edition of the Festival of British Popular Songs, which became the United Kingdom's national selection process the following year for the 1957 Eurovision Song Contest. Held from May to October,^[1] the contest featured 36 songs performed twice through 6 heats. The contest was made to promote British music, as an answer to claims that the BBC favoured American music.^[2]

Festival of British Popular Songs 1956
Dates
Final	22 October 1956
Host
Venue	King's Theatre, Hammersmith, London
Presenter(s)	Wilfrid Thomas
Executive producer	Francis Essex
Host broadcaster	BBC Television
Participants
Number of entries	36
Vote
Winning song	"Everybody Falls in Love With Someone" by Peter Hart and Norman Newell
Festival of British Popular Songs

The eventual winner was "Everybody Falls in Love With Someone", written and composed by Peter Hart and Norman Newell. Though not recorded by any of its performers at the contest, the winning song went on to be recorded by Matt Monro^[3] and Dickie Henderson.^[4] The contest is notable for inspiring changes in the Eurovision Song Contest, most notably introducing a scoreboard to the voting sequence.^[5]

The competition

Format

The competition consisted of six heats held every four weeks starting on 7 May 1956. Each heat had six songs competing and each song was performed twice by two different singers, one accompanied by an orchestra (directed by either Eric Robinson, Stanley Black, or George Melachrino), and one accompanied by a small band. The George Mitchell singers accompanied each show as backing vocalists.^[6] The best placing song in each heat, decided by jury panels situated in different cities across the United Kingdom, qualified to the final.

Competing entries

The BBC selected 36 entries from over 90 songs submitted by British music publishers.^[7] The songs were chosen by a committee chaired by Ronnie Waldman.^[2] Known song titles, associated performers, and songwriters are shown below:

Performer 1	Performer 2	Song	Songwriter(s)
Unknown	Unknown	"A Field of Golden Corn"	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	"Andalucia"	Unknown
Lester Ferguson	Jean Campbell	"Cloudy Moon"	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	"England Is Made of Us"	Unknown
Johnny Brandon / Dennis Lotis	The Keynotes	"Everybody Falls in Love With Someone"	Peter Hart, Normal Newell
Unknown	Unknown	"Everything She's Got Is Mine"	Unknown
Ronnie Carroll	Laurie Payne	"For You and Me"	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	"Just Another Day Gone By"	Unknown
Shirley Abicair	Bill McGuffie	"Little Ship"	Irene Roper, Terry Roper[8]
Pamela Charles	Unknown	"Love Goes Dancing Through My Heart"	Unknown
Carole Carr	The Max Jaffa Quartet	"No Love Could Be"	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	"Pedlar of Dream"	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	"The Waiter Was Yawning"	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	"There'll Be Orange Blossom in Your Hair"	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	"This Love of Mine"	Unknown
Petula Clark	The Bill McGuffie Quartet	"Wibbly Wobbly Moon"	Vivian Ellis

Performers which are known to have participated but it is not known with what song are: Kenny Baker, Joan Bramhall, Tony Brent, Dora Bryan, Alma Cogan, The Coronets, Diana Decker, Doreen Duke, The Four Grads, Dennis Hale, John Hanson, Ronnie Hilton, Kathie Kay, The Kentones, Lee Lawrence, Benny Lee, Vanessa Lee, Janie Marden, Bill O'Connor, Alan Page, Anne Shelton, Bruce Trent.

Shows

Heat 1

Heat 1 – 7 May 1956^[2][9]

Performer 1	Performer 2	Song	Place
Shirley Abicair	Bill McGuffie	"Little Ship"	1
Unknown	Unknown	"This Love of Mine"	2
Unknown	Unknown	"Everything She's Got Is Mine"	5
Unknown	Unknown	"Pedlar of Dream"	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown

The titles of the 3 other songs are unknown, other known performers are listed below:

• Kenny Baker^[10]
• Alma Cogan^[11]
• Diana Decker^[10]
• Dennis Hale^[12]
• Ronnie Hilton^[6]
• The Kentones^[6]
• Vanessa Lee^[6]
• Bruce Trent^[6]

Frankie Vaughan was supposed to compete in this heat but withdrew as he felt he could not do justice to the song he was asked to sing.^[11] The orchestra was directed by Eric Robinson, and The Bill McGuffie Quartet was the small band.^[10][6]

Heat 2

Heat 2 – 4 June 1956^[13]

Performer 1	Performer 2	Song	Place
Ronnie Carroll	Laurie Payne	"For You and Me"	1
Pamela Charles	Unknown	"Love Goes Dancing Through My Heart"	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown

The titles of the other 4 songs are unknown, other known performers are listed below:

• Anne Shelton^[14]
• Dennis Lotis^[14]
• The Keynotes^[14]

The orchestra was directed by Stanley Black and the small band was organised by Semprini.^[15]

Heat 3

Heat 3 – 2 July 1956^[16]

Performer 1	Performer 2	Song	Place
Carole Carr	The Max Jaffa Quartet	"No Love Could Be"	1
Unknown	Unknown	"A Field of Golden Corn"	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown

The titles of the other 4 songs are unknown, other known performers are listed below:

• John Hanson^[17]
• Benny Lee^[17]
• Joan Bramhall^[17]
• The Coronets^[17]

The Orchestra was directed by George Melachrino and the small band was The Max Jaffa Quintet.^[18]

Heat 4

Heat 4 – 30 July 1956^[19][20]

Draw	Performer 1	Performer 2	Song	Place	Points
1	Unknown	Unknown	"England Is Made of Us"	6	0
2	Unknown	Unknown	"The Waiter Was Yawning"	Unknown	Unknown
3	Johnny Brandon	The Keynotes	"Everybody Falls in Love With Someone"	1	Unknown
4	Unknown	Unknown	"There'll Be Orange Blossom in Your Hair"	Unknown	Unknown
5	Unknown	Unknown	"Just Another Day Gone By"	Unknown	Unknown
6	Unknown	Unknown	"Andalucia"	Unknown	Unknown

Other known performers are listed below:

• Dora Bryan^[21]
• Bill O'Connor^[21]
• Kathie Kay^[22]
• Doreen Duke^[22]
• Alan Page^[21]
• The Four Grads^[21]

The orchestra was directed by Eric Robinson and the small band was The Malcolm Lockyer Quartet.^[23]

Heat 5

Heat 5 – 27 August 1956

Performer 1	Performer 2	Song	Place
Petula Clark	The Bill McGuffie Quartet	"Wibbly Wobbly Moon"	1
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown

The titles of the other 5 songs are unknown, other known performers are listed below:

• Dennis Hale^[24]
• Janie Marden^[24]
• The Kentones^[24]

The Orchestra was directed by Stanley Black and the small band was The Bill McGuffie Quartet.^[25]

Heat 6

Heat 6 – 24 September 1956

Performer 1	Performer 2	Song	Place
Lester Ferguson	Jean Campbell	"Cloudy Moon"	1
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown

The titles of the other 5 songs are unknown, other known performers are listed below:

• Anne Shelton^[26]
• Lee Lawrence^[26]
• Tony Brent^[27]
• The Coronets^[26]

The orchestra was directed by George Melachrino and the small band was The Frank Weir Quartet.^[27]

Final

Final – 22 October 1956^{[28][29][8][30]}

Performer 1	Performer 2	Song	Place
Dennis Lotis	The Keynotes	"Everybody Falls in Love With Someone"	1
Shirley Abicair	Bill McGuffie	"Little Ship"	2
Ronnie Carroll	Laurie Payne	"For You And Me"	Unknown
Carole Carr	Max Jaffa	"No Love Could Be"	Unknown
Lester Ferguson	Jean Campbell	"Cloudy Moon"	Unknown
Petula Clark	The Bill McGuffie Quartet	"Wibbly Wobbly Moon"	Unknown

Johnny Brandon, who sang "Everybody Falls In Love With Someone" in heat 4, was replaced by Dennis Lotis in the final as he was in America during the time of the final.^[28]

Each song used the same orchestra conductor and small band as was used in its heat.^[29]

Reception

The songs were seen by the public as of a low quality, with many people criticising the lack of originality and variation in the songs. However, the voting sections of the shows were often regarded as the most entertaining part of the show.^{[31][32][33][34][35][36][37]}

References

1. "Search - BBC Programme Index". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
2. "'Ship' Is Chosen By Belfast". Belfast Telegraph. 8 May 1956. p. 3.
3. Matt Monro - Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind / Ev'rybody Falls In Love With Someone, 1956, retrieved 2023-10-23
4. Dickie Henderson, Julie Dawn, Bryan Johnson - Tops In Pops, 2020-10-31, retrieved 2023-10-23
5. "Stories - Eurovision Song Contest". eurovision.tv. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
6. "First round of song contest". Norwood News. 4 May 1956. p. 13.
7. "Song and Drama Festivals". The Scotsman. 7 May 1956. p. 12.
8. "Triangle Couple's Song In Finals Of TV Contest". Halifax Evening Courier. 23 October 1956. p. 2.
9. "'Invisible' Tynesiders on TV Show". Shields Daily News. 8 May 1956. p. 6. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
10. Grat, Andrew (3 May 1956). "TeleBriefs..." The Stage. p. 12.
11. "BBC Television Granada: Tonight". Manchester Evening Chronicle. 7 May 1956. p. 5.
12. "BBC's stay-with-us Monday". Manchester Evening News. 7 May 1956. p. 2.
13. "U.S. "What's My Line" expert on B.B.C. programme". Shields Daily News. 4 June 1956. p. 2.
14. "A Visit to the Queen Elizabeth". The Scotsman. 4 June 1956. p. 12.
15. "BBC Programme Index". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. 1956-06-04. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
16. "Our Two televiews". Manchester Evening News. 3 July 1956. p. 2.
17. "Viewers Will Select The Winning Entry". Portsmouth Evening News. 2 July 1956. p. 4.
18. "BBC Programme Index". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. 1956-07-02. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
19. Eurovision Song Contest At 60 (BBC Documentary), retrieved 2023-10-24
20. "Popular Songs". Shields Daily News. 4 August 1956. p. 5.
21. "Finding Number One British Song". Portsmouth Evening News. 30 July 1956. p. 4.
22. "Near Capacity Audiences". Skegness Standard. 25 July 1956. p. 1.
23. "BBC Programme Index". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. 1956-07-30. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
24. "Another Arenascope Programme Tonight". Portsmouth Evening News. 27 August 1956. p. 6.
25. "BBC Programme Index". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. 1956-08-27. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
26. "Festival Of Songs". Edinburgh Evening News. 19 September 1956. p. 6.
27. "BBC Programme Index". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. 1956-09-24. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
28. "Festival Of British Popular Songs". Liverpool Echo. 18 October 1956. p. 12.
29. "Winning Song". Lincolnshire Echo. 18 October 1956. p. 7.
30. "Off the Record". Liverpool Echo. 27 October 1956. p. 6. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
31. Bell, Kenneth (8 May 1956). "BBC last night". Manchester Evening Chronicle. p. 5.
32. "Festival Of 'Pops'". Edinburgh Evening News. 11 May 1956. p. 8.
33. Bell, Kenneth (5 June 1956). "BBC last night". Manchester Evening Chronicle. p. 5.
34. "Telecrit". Liverpool Echo. 31 July 1956. p. 6.
35. "How Much Talent Has Song Festival Revealed?". Bristol Evening Post. 20 October 1956. p. 6.
36. Gray, Richard (26 October 1956). "Richard Gray's Views on the BBC". Nottingham Evening News. p. 13.
37. Cockburn, Robin (26 October 1956). "Pickles In Lerwick". Edinburgh Evening News. p. 8.