As far as I'm concerned Robert Farnon was the Rolls Royce of backup arrangers to jazz and pop singers---and instrumentalists too! George Shearing, JJ Johnson, Tony Bennett (the Christmas album), Sarah Vaughan all recorded scrumptious work with him. Amazingly Sinatra did too and the results were horrible...not sure the album even was released (but there are cuts from it available in collections). Apparently Frank's people acknowledged he was exhausted from touring at the time, and just couldn't cut it. I've always thought if Sinatra had any idea who Farnon was and what he was likely to be getting, he'd have cancelled a concert or 2 just to get ready. Often he was isolated by his entourage and really didn't pay attention (or respect) to accompanying musicians.
I'd urge anyone who's heard even a chord of the man's charts to look for a collection of his compositions. (I like the one on Naxos.) Generally considered "British light music," neverthless the stuff often goes deeper and is breathtakingly beautiful. The Lake of the Woods, written about his native Ontario, is among the most mysterious pieces of music I've ever heard...and one that usually brings me to tears. In Britain, where he relocated, he became known as The Captain, because of his musical prowess, and there is a Robert Farnon Society that continues to celebrate him. At that site is a tribute to him by Frank Comstock and a nice interview.
http://www.rfsoc.org.uk/jim5.shtml
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