Dmitri Tiomkin
b. May 10, 1899, St. Petersburg, Russia, d. Nov. 11, 1979, London, England
Overview:
Composer Dmitri Tiomkin is recalled today for his extensive writing of Hollywood themes and scoring for films. Most of his most famous film compositions came during the 1950's and '60's.

Tiomkin's musical background is quite extensive. His mother was a pianist and music teacher. His father was a physician who assisted the famous biochemist Paul Ehrlich. Torn between science and music, the family finally decided on a musical career for their son. At the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Dmitri studied with Felix Blumenfeld on piano, and Alexander Glazunov for composition. He appeared on Russian stages as a child pianist prodigy. In 1921, he traveled to Germany, studying with Hugo Leichenstritt; Egon Petri, and Ferruccio Busoni. During 1922, he continued his concert appearances in Germany, often with the Berlin Philharmonic. Several musical works were written just for him, and he performed them in Germany and France.

He toured the U.S. in 1925, meeting many famous people. He met and married the dancer-choreographer Albertina Rasch. He also met such composers as George Gershwin; Richard Rodgers, and Jerome Kern. These men stimulated an interest in American Popular Song.

In 1928, the French Government gave him special permission to perform at the famed 'L'Opera de Paris'. At one performance, he gave the French premiere of George Gershwin's "Concerto in F".

MGM Pictures hired Albertina Rasch in 1930 to help with several musical films. Her husband Dmitri had accompanied her, and Hollywood gave him a contract to score five films; one starring Lawrence Tibbett ('The Rogue Song'), and three films starring Ramon Navarro, and also 'The Resurrection'. After this, Tiomkin returned to concertizing in New York city, and continued to write popular music, some of which was heard in Broadway shows produced by the Shuberts and Flo Ziegfeld. He even produced his own play 'Keeping Expenses Down', which flopped.

In 1933, Dmitri returned to Hollywood, this time to become resident and most prolific musical director, and songwriter. Before he was through, he would write over 250 film scores, for some of the most successfull screen plays ever produced.
Among some of his song hits, we find:
  "The High and The Mighty"
  "Friendly Persuasion", lyric Paul Francis Webster. TV and Radio editors best 1956 song.
  "The Long Night"
  "The Happy Times", lyric by Ned Washington
  "Strange Are the Ways of Love", from film 'Young Land', 1960 Academy Award nominee.
  "Green Leaves of Summer", nominee for Academy Award, 1961
  "Ballad of the Alamo"
  "They Call It Love"
  "The Legend of the Navarone", from film 'The Guns of Navarone'.

Just to name a few of the films for which he wrote scores:
  'Lost Horizon'
  'Duel In The Sun'
  'The Corsican Brothers'
  'The Moon and Sixpence'
  'Mr Smith Goes to Washington'
  'High Noon' Both Film and Theme song 1952 Academy Award Winners.
  'Dial M for Murder'
  'Champion'
  'The High and the Mighty' 1954 Academy Award Winner.
  'Friendly Persuasion'
  'Giant'
  'Wild Is the Wind'
  'The Old Man and the Sea' 1958 Academy Award Winner.
  'Young Land'
  'The Alamo'
  'The Sundowners' 1960

(Also in 1960, he was made 'Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor'.) During WW2, the U.S. Army's Signal Corps employed Dmitri as an adviser, and musical director scoring music for training and orientation films. Among the films were:
  'Negro Soldiers in World War 2'
  'The Battle of Britain'
  'War Comes to America'
  'The Battle fo China'

Over his long career, he was the recipient of very many awards. Dmitri died in 1979, at age 81, due to complications following a fall is which he fractured his pelvis. He had survived the death of his wife, Albertina (Rasch) who passed away in 1967.


Charles Tobias
b. 15 August 1898, New York, NY, USA. d. 7 July 1970, Manhasset, LI, New York, USA. (liver disease)
Overview
Lyricist Charles Tobias is mainly recalled today as a lyricist who was active from the mid-1920's into the 1960's. But he really was a very busy Keith-Albee vaudevillian. Tobias called himself "The Boy Who Writes the Songs You Sing". He did occasionally w rite the music as well as the lyrics. Charles was one of three brothers, Henry, Charles and Harry, who were all songwriters.

Among his best-known lyrics, are:
    1941's "Rose O'Day"
    1942's "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree"
    1946's "The Old Lamplighter"
    1963's "Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer".


Harry Tobias
b. Sept. 11, 1895, New York, NY, USA d. Dec. 15, 1994, St. Louis. MO, USA.
Currently no information available.
One of the three Tobias brothers, Charles, Henry, and Harry, all songwriters. Their most popular song was "Miss You (Since You Went Away, Dear)" which is credited to all three of the brothers.

Brief chronology:
1916, First hits were "That Girl of Mine" and "Take Me To My Alabam".
1917, Enlisted in U. S. Army Air Force, and sent to France, where he sang songs to entertain the troops.
1918, Returned to the USA, and joined his brother Charles's music publishing company.
1929 - 1940s, worked in the Hollywood studios.

Among the songs to which he contributed lyrics are:
    "Sail Along Silv'ry Moon"
    "I'm Sorry Dear"
    "It's A Lonesome Old Town"
    "I'll Keep The Lovelight Burning"

He worked chiefly with brother Charles, but later worked also with brother Henry, and even his own son Elliot. Some of the other composers/lyricists with whom he collaborated during his 7 decades long career include Harry Barris -(one of Paul Whiteman's "Rhythm Boys" group that included Al Rinker (Mildred Bailey's brother) and Bing Crosby), Neil Moret, Percy Wenrich, Will Dillon (lyric to "I Want A Girl Just Like the Girl That Married Dear Old Dad" - music: Harry von Tilzer. Composed in 1911), Phil Boutelje, Al Sherman, Jean Schwartz, Jack Stern, and Gus Arnheim.


Henry Tobias
b. April 23, 1905, Worcester, MA, USA. d.
Currently no information available.
One of the Three Tobias brothers, Charles, Henry, and Harry. Henry's autobiography was entitled "Music in My Heart, and Borscht in My Blood".


"Pinky" Tomlin
né: Truman Tomlin
b. Sept. 9, 1907, Eureka Springs, AR, USA, d. Dec. 1987. (heart attack)
Currently no information available.
"Pinky" was a Vocalist/Lyricist/bandleader, who was most active during the 1930s and 1940s. In the mid-1930s, he was especially active in Hollywood when he appeared many films. He is best recalled today for the tune "Object of My Affection", which he and H. Coy Poe wrote the lyric to music by Harry Tobias. Pinky did quite a bit of lyric writing to Harry Tobais' music, including "Friendly Arms", "I'm In Love", "If It Wasn't For The Moon", "I'm Just A Country Boy At Heart"."You're So Necessary", "Let's Dream Awhile", "Love Is All", and many others. Pinky also had composed his own songs, writing both the music and lyric, among which are "The Love Bug Will Bite You" (a hit for Guy Lombardo's orch), "Sweet", "I Told Santa Claus to Bring You", and "In Ole Oklahoma".

Besides "Object of My Affection", Pinky and Coe wrote some other tunes together, (a couple of which also credit bandleader Jimmy Grier as co-composer) including one - "What's The Reason I'm Not Pleasin' You" - that was a very big hit for Fats Waller.

Among the films in which Pinky appeared are:
1943 Stormy Weather, starring sisnger Lena Horne and dancer Bill Robinson
    1937 Swing It, Professor
    1937 Thanks for Listening
    1937 Sing While You're Able
    1937 With Love and Kisses
    1936 Don't Get Personal
    1935 Paddy O'Day
    1935 Times Square Lady
And a 1930's (?) Big Band Short, including a 50 minute film that featured "Pinky" Tomlin and His Orchestra, as well as the George Olsen orchestra, and the Vincent Lopez Orchestra (Lopez's band was in a sketch called "Hawaiian Fantasy").


Ernest Tomlinson
b. Sept. 19, 1924, Rawtenstall, Lancashire, England
Instruments: Composer, Organ, Clarinet, Piano
Tomlinson was born into a musical family where his musical studies were much encouraged. He was already composing at just age 9, and at age 16 had won a scholarship to Manchester University. WW2 interrupted his studies, but after his discharge, he returned and matriculated as a Bachelor of Music with a major in Composition.

Moving to London, he became a staff arranger with the music publishers Arcadia and Mills. He was soon performing on British radio where he conducted the "Ernest Tomlinson Light Orchestra". And, in addition to writing several serious works for orchestra and choir, Tomlinson also found time to become composer-director of the British Performing Rights Society (PRS), which is affiliated with BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) in the United States. In 1984, he formed the "Light Library of Orchestral Music" which he housed in a huge barn at his farmhouse in Lancashire, England.

While Tomlinson remains largely unknown outside of England, some of his work is well beloved in Great Britain. One such song is a folk tune "Dick's Maggot", an unfortunate title for a delightful bit of "Light" music that was subsequently used as a signature piece for a BBC program called "Invitation to Music." It's actually a movement from his 'First Suite of English Folk Dances', which is taken from a collection of piec es edited by John Playford in a 1650 work called "The English Dancing Master". Playford's book included both the dance steps and the melodies of amny popular tunes of his time. Mr. Tomlison remains quite active today and has several CD's (with some European ensembles) available.
Perhaps Ernest Tomlinson's best known work is "Dick's Maggot" from his "First Suite of English Folk Dances" (1952)


Pete Townshend
b. May 19, 1945, London, England, UK ( ten days after the German surrender in WW2)
né: Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend
His parents, Cliff and Betty Townshend, were jboth musicians. The father was a saxophonist with The Squadronaires Royal Air Force dance band, while his mother was a singer. He started playing guitar at age 12, and along with singer Roger Daltrey, bass player John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon, is now best known as one of the founders (1963) of the Rock group 'The Who'. The band was perhaps the ultimate, violent anti-establishment rock group, and soon gained notoriety for ear-splitting performances, during which they would smash their equipment on stage. They also gained much publicity by wrecking hotel rooms, and leaving a trail of havoc behind wherever they went. This behavior may not be unexpected when considers that as a young boy, his parents separated and left him with his maternal grandmother, who was clinically insane.

In 1968, Pete married 'Karen Astley. Her father Edwin Astley, had composed the most popular version of the theme music for the 1962 film "The Saint", based on the popular mystery story written by Leslie Charteris. The marriage produced 3 children: Emma, Aminta, Joseph, and today Emma, is a recording artist in her own right.

In 1978, with Pete then struggling with drug and hearing problems, and with Keith Moon's accidental death, 'The Who' soon broke up. In 1989, Pete had a 25th anniversary tour of "The Who". Following that, there was a Broadway revival of "Tommy" (a Tony winner) and several other musical, theater and film projects. Pete is included in this Composer's Database because he is also a fine songwriter, and an accurately self-reflective lyricist, whose haunting songs have been used on many film sountracks. Despite being forever tied to the rebellious image of his youth, this gifted artist has grown older with dignity. His albums such as "Tommy", the abandoned "Lifehouse" and "Quadrophenia", combined the energy of rock'n'roll with the orchestral and thematic ambitions of opera.


Al Trace
né: Albert J. Trace
Also known as: Clem Watts;   and  Bob Hart
Overview
Al was one of that select group of men who have achieved fame as both bandleaders and composers. Though he worked primarily in the Chicago, IL, area, he gained national renown due to his composing and recordings.

As a young man, he played drums and occasionally vocalized with various small groups in the Chicago, IL area. He formed his own orchestra for an engagement in the French Pavillion at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, from which his fame grew.

His band achieved national renown while playing and recording many of his songs. Among the approximately 300 songs that Trace wrote, are:
"If I'd Known You Were Comin' I'd Have Baked a Cake" (writing under the pseudonym "Clem Watts")
"Wishin'"
"You Call Everybody Darling"
"Brush Those Tears From Your Eyes"
Many of Al's compostions were big hits, that sold well in the 1940's and the 1950's.

In 1975, Al retired and settled in Scottsdale, AZ, where he teamed with another bandleader/composer, Tommy Reed, to form the Southwest Talent Agency. (They even occasionally booked themselves.)


Merle Travis
b. 1917, Rosewood, Kentucky
Overview
Remembered today as a 'Country and Western' singer-composer. He was most active during the 1940's into the 1950's.

Probably his best known tunes are:
1947 "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette"
1955 "Sixteen Tons." Vocalist 'Tennessee' Ernie Ford's big hit.


Charles Trenet
b. May 18, 1913, Narbonne, France
d. Feb. 18, 2001, Creteil (SE Suburb of Paris), France.
In 1923, at just age 10, Trenet had written his first song. In 1933, he moved to Paris and began working in various clubs. In 1936, he was drafted into military service, and even while still in uniform (1943), he composed the patriotic and sentimental "Douce France" (Sweet France). At the end of WW2, Trenet toured abroad for some six years, including several years in New York City, where he lived in an apartment near the Empire State Building (Midtown area) and appeared in various Broadway cabarets. While in the USA, he became friendly with Charles Chaplin and with Louis Armstrong. Trenet's biggest hit was his own tune "La Mer" which he recorded in 1946. In 1960, American singer Bobby Darin recorded the tune under the name of "Beyond The Sea", and it became an even bigger hit. In 1971, Trenet returned to his native France and went on to write five novels and act in a dozen films. In 1971, he retired. Still, in 1999, he released a new album of 14 songs, and had three sellout concerts when performing at Paris' Salle Pleyel.

Known as "Le Fou Chantant" (The Singing Fool), Tr�et was a a master of that special brand of poetic music known as "La Chanson Francaise", which inspired generations of songwriters. With his tilted-back hat, a flashing smile, and buttonhole carnation, he blended images of fantasy and clever word plays into his music. In 1998, President Jacques Chirac, decorated Trenet with the "Commander of the Legion of Honor" - France's highest civilian award. Chirac said that Trenet was "The very symbol of a happy and imaginative France...." Upon his death, radio stations throughout France played his music non-stop. His fanciful ballads and poetic love songs had captured the hearts of Frenchmen everywhere for more than six decades. Trenet, who composed over a 1000 songs, once said, "I make songs like an apple tree makes apples, -they come from inside of me." When he died of a stroke, at age 88, his close friend, vocalist Charles Aznavour, told Europe-1 Television he was mourning "the disappearance of a giant whose style paved the way for France's great contemporary crooners: Georges Brassens, Jacques Brel and Serge Gainsbourg. What we became, is thanks to Trenet."


Bobby Troup
b. Oct. 18, 1918, Harrisburg, PA, d. Feb. 7, 1999, Sherman Oaks, California, USA. (heart attack).
né: Robert W. Troup Jr.
Here's a photograph of Bobby Troup, who's father was a pianist who also owned music shops (J.A.Troup Music House) in both Lancaster and Harrisburg, PA, and it was in this environment that Bobby grew up. He matriculated at the University of Pennsylvania, and while still an undergraduate, he joined the school's acting company - The Mask and Whig, and composed (1941) the tune "Daddy" for one of the plays.

Upon his graduation from the University's Wharton Business School, he enlisted in the Marines. The Marines didn't call him immediately, and so Bobby found work as one of the arrangers for the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. But with the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Marine Corps sent him for additional training at their Officer Training School, following which he was assigned to the barracks on Saipan island in the South Pacific with the rank of Captain.

Mustered out at war's end, he decided to try his luck at Songwriting. With money saved from his Marine Corps wartime duty, he bought a used 1941 Buick, and began driving cross-country for Los Angeles, CA, promising to give himself a 2 year try at being a songwriter. An interesting sidelight on that trip is that he he wrote most of the tune "Route 66", while driving along. (It was recorded on March 16, 1946.)

Troup got his first big break when Nat "King" Cole fell in love with his songs and began recording them. In time, many other vocalists would choose Bobby's tunes for recording, including Julie London, who would later become his wife. Such songs as "Meaning of the Blues" and others were written especially for Julie, including the title song for 1958 MGM movie "Man of the West" (Julie London and Gary Cooper starred).

Troup began his acting career in the 1950s, when Hollywood studios wanted actors to both act and play music. It was a natural situation for Bobby. (He has said that one of his favorite movies was the 1958 film 'The High Cost of Loving'. Later, he would work under Jack Webb in "Emergency!" in the part of 'Dr. Early', with his now wife Julie cast as 'Dixie'.

Over their careers, Bobby Troup recorded six albums, while his wife Julie recorded thirty. Upon his death, he was survived by his wife Julie London who was herself in frail health, and their children, Reese, Jody and Kelly, and Bobby's two daughters by a previous marriage, Ronne and Cynnie. They were married for forty-four years, and had four grandchildren at the time of Bobby's demise.

Just a few of his many songs include:
"Daddy" 1941
"Snootie Little Cutie" 1942
"Meaning of the Blues" (with Bobby Worth) 1957
"Free and Easy" (with Henry Mancini) unknown date
"Route 66" (A huge hit for Nat 'King' Cole in 1946)
"The Three Bears", a hit for the Page Cavanaugh Trio
"One October Morning," (Troup's words to Gerry Mulligan's "Walkin' Shoes")
"Learn to Love" (with Matt Dennis)
"Melba, You're The Toast Of The Town"
"Triskadekaphobia"
"Lemon Twist"
"Learn To Love"
"After The Laughter Comes The Tears"
"Blues Is All I Ever Had"
"Baby Baby All The Time" 1946
"Girl Talk" (with Neal Hefti) 1964
"I See Your Bass Before Me"
"Lonely Nights In Paris"
"Let's Keep Dancing"
"My City of Sidney"
"No Baby No"
"One Sunday Morning"
"Ventura Boulevard Boogie"
"Where Did The Gentleman Go"
"Won't Someone Please Belong To Me"
"You're Looking At Me"
Bobby Also did the "cues" for such as "Dinah Shore"; Francis Langford, Perry Mason and Dean Martin Shows.


Roy Turk
b, Sept. 20, 1892, New York, N.Y., d, Nov. 30, 1934, Hollywood, CA
Overview
Roy Turk is recalled today for all of the fine lyrics he penned during the 1920's and 1930's.
Just a few of his hit songs, include:
1922
       "Tomorrow, I'll Be In My Dixie Home", J. Russell Robinson music.
1926
       "I Wonder What's Become of Joe", Maceo Pinkard music.
       1926 "'Gimme' a Little Kiss, Will 'Ya' Huh?"
       1927 "Just Another Day Wasted Away:, with Chas. Tobias music.
       1928 "I'll Get By"
       "Mean To Me", music by Fred Ahlert
       "I'll Never Ask For More", Fred Ahlert music.
1929
       "I'll Get By", Fred Ahlert wrote the music.
       "To Be In Love", with music by Fred Ahlert
       "The One I Love Loves Me", Fred Ahlert music
1930
       "Maybe (or Navy) Blues", Fred Ahlert music.
1931
       "Walkin' My Baby Back Home", Ahlert; (Harry Richmond also credited)
       "Where the Blue of the Night Meets the Gold of the Day", Bing Crosby's theme song. (The sheet music credits Bing as writing the verse.) music: Fred Ahlert.
       "I Don't Know Why (I Love You Like I Do)", Ahlert music.
1932
       "Love, You Funny Thing", Ahlert music.
       "You'll Get By", J. Fred Coots music. (Sequel to "I'll Get By")
       "Beale Street Mama", J. Russell Robinson music.
       "After My Laughter Came Tears", Charles Tobias music.
1933
       "Aggravatin' Poppa", (A Sophie Tucker hit vocal)


Anibal Troilo
b: July 11, 1914, d: May 18, 1975
Nickname: "Pichuco", or "El Gordo" (the fat man)
"There is no 'old' Tango, nor is there a 'new' Tango. Perhaps the only differences are some play it well, and some play it badly." ----Anibal Troilo.
Here's a photo of Anibal Troilo, with his wife, Zita, on the right, and fellow bandleader/composer Carlos DiSarli on the left (in white jacket). This youngest son of Anibal Carmelo Troilo and Felisa Begnolo had one brother, Marcos (also a bandoneonist), and a sister, Chochita, who died shortly after her birth. At age eleven "Pichuco" (as his father called him) discovered his liking for music and the bandoneon. He started taking lessons with Juan Amendolaro, and six months later, he was already playing in a quintet. His first profesional work was playing background music for silent films in the Teatro Petit Col�. From 1925 to 1930, he was in a trio with Miguel Nijensohn and Domingo Sapia, was the leader of a quintet playing in the Teatro Palace Madrano, in the Alfredo Gobbi orchestra, and played second bandoneon in Juan "Pacho" Maglio's orchestra. In 1930 he joined the Vardano-Pugliese sextet. (Vardaro had earlier played in the Juan Maglio orch.) In the group were Osvaldo Pugliese on piano, Elvino Vardano and Alfredo Gobbi on violins, Sebasti� Alesso on doublebass, and Miguel Juarado and Anibal Troilo on bandoneons. In addition to these groups, he also In 1931, played with both "Los Provincianos" and later with the Orquesta Tipica Victor. In 1932 he was in Julio De Caro's orchestra (where he had replaced Maffia, -Laurenz was the other bandoneonist in the band); in 1933 with Elvino Vardano; in 1934 with Angel D'Agostino; in 1935 with Juan D'Arienzo; in 1936 with Cuarteto del 900; and in 1937 with Juan Carlos Cobian.

In 1937, when Ciriaco Ortiz broke up his orchestra, some of the musicians joined Troilo who then formed own his first orchestra, for a July 1, 1937 "Cafe Marabu" engagement. The band members were Roberto Yanitelli, Juan Rodriguez, and himself on bandoneons, José Stilman, Reynaldo Nichele, and Pedro Sopochnick on violins, Juan Fascio in doublebass, and Francisco Fiorentino on vocals. Astor Piazzolla wrote the band's arrangments, which gave the orchestra a sound that was unique due to having both real power, and yet playing in a "Sweet" style. His band (with Piazzolla's orchestrations) took Tango to new heights of sophistication.

Troilo's band became a showcase for some of the finest Tango singers. After Gardel's demise in a tragic air accident, most singers once again were relegated to simply singing a chorus or two someplace in the middle of the orchestra's song arrangement. But, unlike others, Troilo used his vocalists to truly 'showcase' a song. Some of the singers that appeared with the Troilo orchestra included Edmundo Rivero, Nelly Vazquez, Raul Berón, Francisco Fiorentino, Roberto Ach�al Carlos Olmedo, Roberto Rufino, Alberto Marino, Floreal Ruiz, Aldo Calder&oacjute;n, Amadeo Mandarino, Jorge Casal, Pablo Lozano, Roberto Goyeneche, Anibal Cárdenas, Elba Ber&oacuate;n, and Tito Reyes.

Still, it is as a composer that Troilo is most recalled today. He remains one of Tango's major composers of the Guardia Nuevo (New Guard), along with such other men as Matos Rodriguez, Julio De Caro, Aieta, Calstellanos, Laurenz, and Pinton. Among his wonderful Tango compositions are such songs as:
  "Barrio de Tango" ("Tango neighbourhood"), 1942 (lyrics by Homero Manzi);
  "Sur" ("South"), 1948 (lyrics by Homero Manzi);
  "Che Bandoneon", 1950 (lyrics by Homero Manzi);
  "Discepolin", 1951 (lyrics by Homero Manzi);br>       "Una Canción" ("One song"), 1956;
  "Responso";
  "La Ultima Curda" ("The last drunkenness") 1953, with lyrics by C´tulo Castillo;
  "Mi Tango Triste" ("My sad tango") with lyrics by Jos�Mar� Contursi.
  "Maria", which has been recorded by Placido Domingo for the 20th Century label.

It has been said that the Bandoneon is Tango's Signature, and that Troilo ('Pichuco') its' greatest virtuoso.


Theodore Moses Tobiani
b. 1855, Hamburg, Germany, d. 1933, New York, NY, USA.
Rarely recalled nowadays, Tobiani was an accomplished violinist who was performing in concert by age ten. While he was still a child, his family emigrated to Philadelphia, PA. USA. Later, as a young man, he returned to Europe in furtherance of his musical education. Upon his return to Philadelphia, in 1870, Tobiani found work in the local theatres as a composer and performer.

Over time, Tobiani became a notable American composer and arranger, composing well over 550 works, and writing over 4500 arrangements! For these works, he used a great many pseudonyms, including Andrew Herman, Florence Reed, Theodore Moses, and many more. Other than his Band arrangements, some of which are still played at band concerts, his only enduring original popular song is the composition "Hearts and Flowers".


Pasqual Troise
b. 1895, Naples, Italy, d. 1957
In the 1920s, Pasqual Troise emigrated from Italy, and settled in Great Britain, where he spent most of his adult life. Initially, he found work with Sidney Firman's BBC Radio Dance Band. During the 1930s and '40s, known only as "Troise", he led the group 'Troise and His Mandoliers', and (for the radio program "Music While You Work" - with the same musicians) as 'Troise and His Banjoliers'. 'Troise and His Mandoliers' appeared in the film 'Pathetone Parade of 1936' (along with the 'Charlie Kunz Orch.), and, 'Troise and his Mandoliers" also appeared in the 1937 film 'Sunshine Ahead' (along with the 'Jack Payne's Band', 'The Harmonica Band', and 'The Two Leslies'). His augmented (guitars, strings, piano, accordion.) group was frequently heard on radio as 'Troise and His Serenaders'. One of the singers who appeared with the band was 'Don Carlos'. Among his best known compositions are "Napolitara" (a tarantella), "Jolly Archers", "Festive Romance", and "Here They Come".