Henry Hall (bandleader)

Henry Hall (2 May 1898–28 October 1989) was a British bandleader. He played from the 1920s to the 1950s.

Biography

Henry Hall was born in Peckham, South London and served in both the Salvation Army and the British Army. His early musical career was slow to start but eventually he was engaged by the London Midland and Scottish Railway to be in charge of the music throughout their then large chain of hotels. This included Gleneagles, where he had formerly led the band. It was from there that the BBC took him in 1932 as successor to Jack Payne as leader of the BBC Dance Orchestra, and from Broadcasting House at 5.15 each week day Hall gathered a huge following. His signature tune was "It's Just the Time for Dancing" and he usually ended with "Here's to the Next Time". In 1932 he recorded the song "Teddy Bears' Picnic" with his BBC Orchestra (featuring singer Val Rosing on vocals). The record gained enormous popularity and has sold over a million copies. In 1937 the BBC Dance Orchestra played at the opening of the Gaumont State Cinema in Kilburn.

In 1937 Hall left the BBC to tour with his band, which comprised many of his BBC band. He toured the halls in Britain and Europe, generating a certain amount of controversy by dropping numbers by Jewish composers while playing in Nazi Berlin.

During the Second World War, Hall played for the troops and after it developed his show business interests becoming something of an agent and producer. His BBC work again blossomed as he hosted Henry Hall's Guest Night on the radio and later TV, as well as the programme Face the Music.

Hall had a son, Michael, who served in the Royal Navy. Michael (Mike) Hall went on to join showbusiness and was a popular "chairman" at the Players' Theatre in its days in Villiers Street, London WC2.

Hall published an autobiography Here's to the Next Time and featured in the documentary BBC The Voice of Britain (1935), the source of the "This is Henry Hall speaking" clip much used in modern documentaries on this period.

The third movement (Intermezzo) of Ralph Vaughan Williams' Partita for Double String Orchestra is subtitled 'Homage to Henry Hall'.

"Hush Hush Hush, Here Comes the Bogey Man" was featured in the video game Bioshock 2, and also in the internet game Alice is Dead. It played during the loading screen for Dionysus Park & Folly of Dionysus, while gathering at the Chase Carousel in Dionysus Park & while gathering in Folly of Dionysus. And its also featured in the outro of the movie Jeepers Creepers.

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