The Roland Shaw Orchestra was a British classical music ensemble that was active from the 1950s to the 1970s. The orchestra was founded by Roland Shaw, a British composer, arranger, and conductor who had a successful career in the music industry. Roland Shaw was born on May 22, 1920, in Leicester, England. He started his music career as a pianist and arranger for various dance bands in the 1940s. In the early 1950s, he became a staff arranger for Decca Records, where he worked with many famous artists, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Bing Crosby. In 1956, Shaw formed his own orchestra, which he named the Roland Shaw Orchestra. The ensemble consisted of some of the best musicians in the UK, including saxophonist Ronnie Scott, trumpeter Kenny Baker, and drummer Phil Seamen. The orchestra's repertoire included classical music, jazz, and popular music, and Shaw's arrangements were known for their lush, romantic sound. The Roland Shaw Orchestra quickly gained popularity in the UK and abroad. In 1958, the orchestra released its first album, "The World of James Bond," which featured Shaw's arrangements of music from the James Bond films. The album was a commercial success and helped to establish the orchestra's reputation as one of the best in the business. Over the next few years, the Roland Shaw Orchestra released several more albums, including "Themes for Secret Agents" and "More Themes for Secret Agents," which featured Shaw's arrangements of music from spy films and TV shows. The orchestra also performed live concerts and appeared on TV shows, including "The Benny Hill Show" and "The Morecambe and Wise Show." One of the highlights of the Roland Shaw Orchestra's career was its performance at the 1964 Royal Variety Performance, which was attended by Queen Elizabeth II. The orchestra played a medley of popular songs, including "I Got Rhythm" and "The Lady is a Tramp," and received a standing ovation from the audience. In 1965, the Roland Shaw Orchestra won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Instrumental Theme for their arrangement of the theme from the film "The Ipcress File." The award was a testament to Shaw's talent as an arranger and the orchestra's ability to bring his arrangements to life. Throughout the 1960s, the Roland Shaw Orchestra continued to release albums and perform live concerts. In 1969, the orchestra released "The Return of James Bond," which featured Shaw's arrangements of music from the James Bond films up to that point. The album was another commercial success and helped to cement the orchestra's place in the music industry. In the early 1970s, the Roland Shaw Orchestra's popularity began to wane, and the ensemble disbanded in 1973. However, Shaw continued to work in the music industry, composing and arranging music for films and TV shows until his death in 1997. Today, the Roland Shaw Orchestra is remembered as one of the best classical music ensembles of its time. Shaw's lush, romantic arrangements and the orchestra's talented musicians helped to bring classical music to a wider audience and inspired many other musicians to follow in their footsteps.

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