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The Voice of London. Jumping Bean. Boulevardier. Shooting Star. Holiday Spirit. Dusk. Portrait of a Flirt. Devil’s Galop. On a Spring Note. Jamaican Rumba. Pictures in the Fire. Rhythm on Rails. Eighth Army March. The Glass Slipper - Overture. High Street. Cinema Foyer. Up With the Lark. Taj Mahal. Melody on the Move. Dance of the Blue Marionettes. Wagon Lit. Hey Diddle Diddle. Sapphires and Sables. Trolley Bus. Prelude from 'Moods Suite'. Barbecue Hurly-Burly. Radio Romantic. 

What a wonderful collection! I was fleetingly aware of the magic that the Queen's Hall Orchestra permeated throughout the concert halls of the forties but was completely unprepared for the unabashed good humour that runs through all these outstanding recordings. Most of the numbers have become familiar with Marco Polo's laudable British Music series amongst them 'Jumping Bean' by Robert Farnon, 'The Boulevardier' by Frederic Curzon and the famous 'Dusk' by Gibbs. All receive the lush orchestral treatment whilst there is a host of pieces that find their way from an almost forgotten group of composers. Bishop's 'Up with the lark' is particularly evocative whilst Clifton Parker's 'Glass Slipper' Overture is magnificent in its miniature appeal. Of all the twenty nine numbers on this CD my particular favourite was Farnon's 'Taj Mahal', a nostalgic reminiscence of the British Raj, surely good humoured if you please! Eric Coates makes a fleeting appearance with his rousing Eighth Army March and there is much to enjoy in Sidney Torch's sizzling 'Barbecue' or the nostalgia-ridden 'Trolley Bus' by Charles Williams who also has a delightful arrangement of 'Hey Diddle Diddle'. The tuneful music of Haydn Wood is represented by the lovely 'Moods' Suite although I was surprised not to find any Roger Quilter around.

David Ades provides a remarkably succinct and detailed note featuring the music of those times whilst Michael Dutton's remastering brings out the best of these excellent recordings. The modern digital recordings on Marco Polo may be a good alternative for sound but nothing matches the conducting talents of Charles Williams, Robert Farnon and Sidney Torch, three giants of conducting light music orchestras. You can do much worse than purchasing this outstanding disc after the holidays!

Reviewer

Gerald Fenech

Performance:

Sound:

Reviewer

Gerald Fenech

Performance:

Sound:

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