Sorry for my delayed acknowledgement of your response, rgelen.
Thanks for the information you give.

Isn't it frustrating that we cannot (yet) trace all five pieces in the suite, together, in broadcast order, on one library disc (which surely must have been the case for the ITV broadcasts)?! And it's difficult to understand why one or two of the pieces appear on another library disc, without the others? After all, the whole suite is only around five minutes long!
Yes, like you, I remember the suite from the A-R Schools broadcasts.

Regards,
Martin

This is a series of five pieces collectively titled "Eighteenth Century Suite" and composed, as noted, by Eric Ashley (aka David Francis) and Walter Sheppard Owen, released by the Conroy production music library in the 1960s-70s.

The first theme only in the Suite (though listed under the name "Eighteenth Century Suite") is on Conroy BMLP109, "Giant Size Economy Pack!" (1974)* but the whole suite dates back to 1960: two items in the Suite, titled "Minuet" and "Gigue", appear on Conroy 78rpm disc BM204 (BM = Berry Music, publishers of the Conroy library) dated 1960.

The Suite was used in its entirety by Associated Rediffusion (the London ITV contractor from 1955-64) as part of an interlude between Schools broadcasts prior to 1964 (other pieces in the two interlude sequences include an arrangement of a piece by Thomas Arne and selections from Elgar's Nursery Suite.

EMI Production Music who now own the Conroy library do not have a catalogue for the period but it is being researched.

Regarding the YouTube "Unidentified Music Suite" entry, if it was to have appeared in "The Three Musketeers Part 2" then it would have been used under standard production music licensing and it was NOT part of any specially-commissioned music for that - or any other - production. It's production library music, freely available on a non-exclusive basis to producers under a standard set of licensing agreements and royalties. YouTube is often very inaccurate about the provenance of library music.

*See http://www.discogs.com/Various-Giant-Size-Economy-Pack/release/2409605

Many thanks for the reply.
Yes, the background music from 14'56" onwards in the YouTube video you mention is the third tune of my 'mystery' suite!
Hopefully, I can now contact the producer of that video and see if he/she can let me know the details of the recording!
This is great!

From another source, I've also found out that this suite is actually library music, by Eric Ashley (aka David Francis) and Walter Sheppard Owen, from the Conroy music library.
There are many Conroy LPs, so I don't know how easy it is going to be to track down the correct one..!
Wish me luck!

This came up on Soundhound. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1WNZEm1uWs

Hello everybody,

This little five-minute suite of music was used regularly on television for a period of time in the 1960s and, after all these years, I would LOVE to know its title and composer!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k9pDhgIIZk

I asked a music teacher friend of mine, but even he couldn’t identify it. However, he did say:
“I would say it’s not Handel or Bach, but might be Vivaldi, Marcello or even (Thomas) Arne, but my first choice is Purcell. There are hundreds of suites like this – written by the great composers, often for the training of students – and I’m playing and coaching them all the time at work (often too many to remember – Scarlatti, for example, composed over 500 harpsichord sonatas and only around 50 are well known). The suite you have is very nice, but I’m only sorry I can’t identify it.”

So, it’s a bit of a challenge, but I’m hoping somebody might be familiar with this suite, or one of the pieces from it.
Apologies for the poor quality of the recording, but this is all I have.

Best regards,

Martin