Image: the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Adrian Boult at the Queen's Hall for a Promenade concert.
The first broadcast performance by the new ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Adrian Boult, was on 22 October 1930, in a concert relayed from the Queen's Hall, London. The concert featured works by Wagner, Brahms, and Ravel, and Saint-Saens Cello Concerto in A minor, with soloist Guilhermina Suggia. Just three years later Arturo Toscanini was able to remark that Boult had created "one of the finest orchestras in the world".
The Symphony Orchestra, of 114 full-time players, was formed to ensure the quality of performance in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ programmes. Its Sunday Evening Concerts drew the biggest audience of the week and brought classical music into living rooms up and down the land. From the start it was committed to new music, and early in its life gave UK premieres of works by composers such as Ravel, Schoenberg and Holst. In its 80-year life the orchestra has performed over 1000 specially commissioned works, by composers from Adams to Weir.
Today - under Chief Conductor Jiri Belohlavek - the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Symphony Orchestra continues to be the mainstay of the Proms, and gives concerts at home and abroad, where it is widely admired. All concerts are broadcast on Radio 3.
October anniversaries
- 
              Winston Churchill's first wartime broadcast1 October 1939
- 
              Songs of Praise1 October 1961
- 
              Live and Kicking2 October 1993
- 
              Points of View2 October 1961
- 
              The Trials of Life3 October 1990
- 
              Pick of the Pops4 October 1955
- 
              Monty Python's Flying Circus5 October 1969
- 
              Poldark5 October 1975
- 
              You and Yours6 October 1970
- 
              Woman's Hour7 October 1946
- 
              DIY SOS7 October 1999
- 
              Later... with Jools Holland8 October 1992
- 
              In Touch8 October 1961
- 
              Make Yourself At ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ - Programmes for Immigrants10 October 1965
- 
              Grandstand11 October 1958
- 
              Around the World in 80 Days11 October 1989
- 
              On The Move12 October 1975
- 
              First edition of Any Questions12 October 1948
- 
              First edition of Omnibus13 October 1967
- 
              Bombing of Broadcasting House15 October 1940
- 
              Play For Today15 October 1970
- 
              First televised Party Election Broadcast15 October 1951
- 
              Birds of a Feather16 October 1989
- 
              Blue Peter first broadcast16 October 1958
- 
              The Magic Roundabout18 October 1965
- 
              The formation of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½18 October 1922
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              ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Symphony Orchestra first broadcast22 October 1930
- 
              Captain Pugwash22 October 1957
- 
              Terry and June24 October 1979
- 
              Launch of daytime television27 October 1986
- 
              The Wednesday Play first broadcast28 October 1964
- 
              First edition of Today28 October 1957
- 
              Maida Vale opens30 October 1934
