Savoy Orpheans

The Savoy Orpheans were a British dance band of the 1920s. They were resident at the Savoy Hotel, London, between 1923 and 1927.
The band was formed by Debroy Somers, an ex-army bandmaster, in 1923. Both the Orpheans and the Savoy Havana Band were under the management of Wilfred de Mornys. The Orpheans were later led by the violinist Cyril Ramon Newton, and by the pianist Carroll Gibbons. On 15 June 1925, Somers conducted the Orpheans in the first British performance of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, alongside the Savoy Havana Band and Gershwin himself on piano. The performance was broadcast live by the BBC.
When de Morny's contractual arrangement with the Savoy Hotel company ended on 31 December 1927, the Orpheans disbanded. In early December 1927 there were newspaper reports of the Hotel management denying the rumour that the Savoy Orpheans, Savoy Havana Band and the Sylvians were to leave. Reg Batten, of the SHB, stayed on at the Hotel and led a band with the clumsy name "Savoy Orpheans (1928)". This would indicate legal tussles over the rights to the original name. It was not until 1931 that pianist Carroll Gibbons returned from working at MGM in Hollywood and, with saxophonist Howard Jacobs, formed a new ensemble "the Savoy Hotel Orpheans" for the hotel. 
==Links to Peel==
Peel played some tunes from The Savoy Orpheans, including adding a few of their tracks to the Peelenium and the Pig's Big 78.
==Shows Played==
;1994
*February 1994 (2) (BBC World Service): Those Foolish Things
*28 October 1994: These Foolish Things (v/a album - Those Dance Band Hits) World
;thumb|220x220px1999
*13 July 1999: 'The Charleston' (Peelenium 1925)
;2003
*05 June 2003: 'Turn Your Money In Your Pocket' (His Master's Voice) - Pig's Big 78
== See Also ==
*Sounds
==External Links==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
Category:Artists