Semprini

Alberto Semprini
Alberto Semprini in 1954
Background information
Birth name	Alberto Fernando Riccardo Semprini
Born	(1908-03-27)27 March 1908 Bath, Somerset, England
Died	19 January 1990(1990-01-19) (aged 81) Brixham, Devon, England
Genres	Classical
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer, conductor
Instruments	piano

Alberto Fernando Riccardo Semprini (27 March 1908 – 19 January 1990) known by his stage name Alberto Semprini, or Semprini, was an English pianist, composer and conductor, known for his appearances on the BBC, mainly on radio.

Born in Bath, Somerset, England, of Italian ancestry, Semprini showed early talent for both the piano and cello. He graduated from the Verdi Conservatory in Milan in 1928, having studied composition and conducting as well as honing his skills at the piano. He hosted a light music programme, Semprini Serenade, which he introduced with the words: "Old ones, new ones, loved ones, neglected ones". The program first aired on BBC Radio in 1957 and continued for around 25 years. Although his 'house band' was the New Abbey Light Symphony Orchestra on his commercial records, on radio he was always accompanied by one of the BBC's own staff orchestras – initially the BBC Revue Orchestra.

Semprini also wrote a number of original compositions on the lighter side of the musical repertoire, including Mediterranean Concerto, which he used as the theme tune for his radio show.

In the Monty Python's Flying Circus segment known as The Chemist Sketch, the BBC interrupted the show to ban a number of "naughty" words, including "bum," "botty," and "wee-wee." The final prohibited word, a puzzling and random addition to the list, was "Semprini". Immediately when the action resumed, John Cleese (as the chemist) asked, "Who's got a boil on his Semprini, then?" and was quickly taken away by a policeman (Graham Chapman). For the rest of the episode, anyone saying "Semprini" was similarly arrested.