Anyone who loves songs from the golden age of showbusiness is in for a treat.

All those wonderfully timeless Rodgers and Hammerstein classics like I'm In Love With A Wonderful Guy, The Carousel Waltz and Oh What A Beautiful Morning can now be heard in their original glory – thanks to a couple of top musical directors living in Biggleswade.

Maestros Stuart Calvert and Richard Ward-Roden have launched the Showbiz Pops Orchestra, a formidable achievement considering both have successful and demanding careers in addition to this ambitious project.

The idea came to them last year. Richard, 39 – currently assistant conductor of Les Miserables at the Queen's Theatre – says: "It was born out of the fact nearly all new West End productions use reduced orchestras and more electronic instruments.

"The thought that all those wonderful scores from shows such as Carousel, South Pacific and Oklahoma weren't likely to be heard in their original form any more was disappointing and disheartening.

"We had some fantastic contacts and know some incredible musicians. So we decided to put together a family unit of all the wonderful people we've worked with over the past 20 years."

The pair are so dedicated to presenting this great body of musical magic as it was in its heyday that they've made it their mission to gather a group of A list professionals as committed as they are to replicating the original theatrical orchestrations.

Richard explains: "The people we've cherry picked completely understand the style.

"They've worked in the genre – whether they've played with big symphony orchestras or smaller outfits."

The leader they've chosen is Bulgarian violin virtuoso Emil Chakalov, currently with the English National Ballet Orchestra.

The talented twosome have an impressive musical pedigree between them and an equally classy catalogue of supporters, including Prince Harry and a trio of knights – Sir Tim Rice, Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Sir Cliff Richard.

The Showbiz Pops Orchestra has played the Fairfield Halls in Croydon and London's Broadway Theatre to rapturous applause.

Canadian-born Stuart, 54, who sang in the Bach Choir at Princess Diana's wedding and is associate musical director of Joseph at the Adelphi Theatre, says: "We're keeping the orchestra flexible so we can travel further afield. We don't want to restrict ourselves to London.

"We want to develop into something that would emulate the great American pop orchestras – there's nothing quite like that here yet."

The eminent but self-effacing director started tinkling the ivories before he went to school. He was a boy chorister and a boy soprano. He came to Britain in 1980.

His first job here was playing the piano at Antony Worrall Thompson's Knightsbridge restaurant. He graduated to a Guinness ad with choreographer Gillian Lynne. His first West End contract was conducting the musical Brigadoon. Since then he's done everything from Les Mis to Miss Saigon and from Sunset Boulevard to Showboat.

Stuart has fond memories of Princess Diana's wedding. He recalls: "I think it was the last time London partied. The goodwill was amazing. We had to be in the cathedral very early and then wait until everyone cleared. I've still got the Order of Service. The Royal Navy made an enormous cake and the top layer was given to the choir."

Petula Clark is one of his all-time favourite performers. "I had to teach her Sunset Boulevard and she said I was going to find it very boring because she didn't read music. But she memorised the entire score within two days.

"She's lovely from top to bottom, a complete professional. She even danced with Fred Astaire in Finnian's Rainbow."

Stuart says most of the stars he's worked with are nice people: "Only a tiny percentage are high maintenance – if they were all like that I wouldn't stay in the profession."

Richard was also a child prodigy, learning the piano at the age of four. By the time he was 14, he had taken up the cello and knew he wanted to make music his career.

The award-winning musician met Stuart while they were working on Les Mis in Manchester 16 years ago and they have been together ever since.

There's no doubt they've put their heart and soul into the Showbiz Pops Orchestra and their biggest compliment came from someone who said the SPO 'breathed' together. Praise indeed for a pair of musical innovators who remain delightfully down-to-earth – in spite of the high esteem in which they're held in the industry.