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The Golden Age of Light Music - The 1950s Volume 3: Say It With Music
Irving BERLIN (1888-1989)
Say It With Music
Stanley Black and his Orchestra [3:02]
Harold ARLEN (1905-1986)
That Old Black Magic
David Rose Orchestra [3:18]
Mario NASCIMBENE (1913-2002)
Song of the Barefoot Contessa (My Gypsy Heart)
Charles Williams and his Concert Orchestra [2:50]
Edward WHITE (1910-1994)
White Wedding
New Concert Orchestra/Dolf Van Der Linden [2:54]
Leroy ANDERSON (1908-1975)
Sandpaper Ballet (Leroy Anderson)
Leroy Anderson and his 'Pops' Concert Orchestra [3:17]
Georges AURIC (1899-1983)
Sur Le Pavé (Pavements of Paris)
Frank Chacksfield and his Orchestra [2:32]
Richard ADDINSELL (1904-1977)
Out Of The Clouds – theme arr. Laurie Johnson)
Joe "Mr Piano" Henderson with Laurie Johnson and his Orchestra [2:51]
Richard ROGERS and Lorenz HART
Manhattan
Les Baxter and his Orchestra [3:07]
PHIIPPE-GERARD (real name Philippe BLOCH) (b.1924)
Without My Lover
Geoff Love and his Orchestra [2:51]
Eddie HAYWOOD (1915-19989)
Rainfall
Percy Faith and his Orchestra featuring Bernie Leighton, harpsichord [2:35]
Roger ROGER (1911-1995)
The Toy Shop Window
Roger Roger and his Champs Elysées Orchestra [2:33]
Frank PERKINS (b.1908)
Barbara
Frank Perkins and his 'Pops' Orchestra [2:45]
D ARENDO (real name Arend HONHOFF) (b.1918)
Eleanora
Cyril Stapleton and his Orchestra [2:15]
Len STEVENS (d.1989)
Easy Street (Len Stevens)
Danish State Radio Orchestra/Robert Farnon [2:26]
Philip GREEN (1910-1982)
Wagon Trail (featured in the film Golden Ivory)
Philip Green and his Orchestra [2:30]
VERCOLIER
Starlight Lullaby
William Hill-Bowen and his Orchestra [2:27]
Arthur SCHWARTZ (1900-1984)
If There is Someone Lovelier Than You arr. Robert Farnon
Robert Farnon Orchestra [2:34]
Benjamin FRANKEL (1906-1973)
A Kid For Two Farthings - theme arr. Wally Stott
Wally Stott and his Orchestra [2:13]
Frederic CURZON (1899-1973)
Savoir Faire
New Concert Orchestra/Dolf Van Der Linden [3:12]
George MELACHRINO (1909-1965)
Waltz - In Water Colours
Melachrino Orchestra/George Melachrino [3:09]
Arden E CLAR
Port of Spain
Richard Hayman and his Orchestra [2:41]
Oscar STRAUS (1870-1954)
Waltz Dream (Ein Walzertraum)
Augmented Hamburg Radio Orchestra/Harry Hermann [3:26]
Robert FARNON (1917-2005)
En Route
Danish State Radio Orchestra/Robert Farnon [2:37]
Francis MEILLEAR (real name Frank CORDELL) (1918-1980)
Big Ben Waltz
Frank Cordell and his Orchestra [2:05]
Peter DENNIS (real name Dennis BERRY)
Holiday In Hollywood
Dolf Van Der Linden and his Metropole Orchestra [2:57]
Jerome KERN, P G WODEHOUSE, Guy BOLTON
Till The Clouds Roll By arr. Gordon Jenkins
Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra [3:16]
Joyce COCHRANE
Prelude to Peace
Geraldo and his New Concert Orchestra - Sidney Bright, piano [3:21]
Recorded 1952-55
GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD 5119 [77.14] 		Error processing SSI file

 

Like pyroclastic flows that Vesuvius of Light Music, Guild, regularly erupts with molten material from the vaults. The unsure reader can only wonder that so much was recorded. Those versed in the history of light music on disc – however it’s defined – will know better. There’s tons of the stuff out there. Here is a selection of material just up to the copyright cut-off point, spanning a mere four years.

A look at the bandleaders will alert one to the superior nature of the playing. And a look at the songs will show a good balance between favourites and the now lesser known. The orchestras are predominately British but - London-born though long American domiciled - David Rose shows yet again just why he was such a master of his craft. Canadian-born Farnon led a series of recordings in Scandinavia – here with the Danish State – and there’s the Augmented Hamburg Radio Orchestra (augmented by what I always wonder) doing Oscar Straus proud. Flying the French flag is Roger Roger, an irresistible name for Anglophones, with his Champs Elysées Orchestra playing his own piece.

The roll-call is impressive though this selection is certainly not to be taken in one sitting as indigestion may ensue. Best to take a few chunks at a time. Amongst them you will then find the sheeny magic of David Rose and the jovial presence of Mario Nascimbene, quite a distinguished figure in film music. Fans of Edward White will note the first cousin relation of White Wedding to Puffin’ Billy and admirers of Leroy Anderson – and can there be any other? – will exult in his soft shoe shuffling Sandpaper Ballet.

Georges Auric mines some generic accordion for his contribution and as played by Frank Chacksfield it bears the dead hand of International Franglais – all Gauloises and berets and glistening Parisian pavements. There is farther flung exotica courtesy of Philippe Bloch, whose Without My Lover gets overheated and the unusual interjection of Bernie Leighton’s harpsichord in Eddie Haywood’s Rainfall.

Philip Green hands down some Western clichés in Wagon Trail and much better is the soprano vocalise of the ever splendid Frederic Curzon’s Savoir Faire. We also encounter some cosmopolitan suavity from Melachrino, sunny Iberian swoops from Arden C Clar and – no Light Music Collection is complete without it – a pocket Rachmaninov Piano Concerto courtesy of Joyce Cochrane. The Prelude to Peace is a portentous piece of bluster, rather splendid in its way, nimbly played by Geraldo’s brother, Sidney Bright.

You will also encounter the usual high standard of notes from David Ades and smooth, noiseless transfers into the bargain.

Jonathan Woolf

 


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