The
Guild Music label in their series The Golden Age of Light
Music has built up a most impressive catalogue of forty
or so well filled discs. These range from British Cinema
and Theatre Orchestras to Bandstand in the Park;
from Light Music While You Work to Marching and
Dancing and from Childhood Memories to Mantovani - By
Special Request.
The present generous twenty-seven number compilation of historical
recordings features performances of British dance bands and
concert orchestras predominantly from the mid-1940s. The
collection focuses on mainly British composers and arrangers,
that for a number of reasons did not suit the theme of other
volumes in The Golden Age series. We are informed
that the set has been assembled mainly from the personal
collections of series producer David Ades and audio restorer
Alan Bunting. A highlight of the collection is that eleven
of the tracks are rare recordings of BBC orchestras such
as the much loved signature tunes for the ‘Light Programme’ and
the ‘Countryside’ series. Evidently many of the pieces have
been personal requests from a number of Guild Golden Age
enthusiasts and there is enough material remaining for a
second volume to follow.
I have selected seven scores that I found of particular interest.
I especially warmed to Frank Cordell’s 1950s performance
in his hot and sultry arrangement of Ernest Maxin’s theme
music to the BBC TV series Double Cross. Another
fascinating track involves Mantovani and his Orchestra from
the 1940s, before the influence of Ronald Binge’s cascading
string sound, performing the excitable fun and frolics of
David Rose’s Spanish Onion.
From the early 1930s I enjoyed the New Light Symphony
Orchestra playing Montague Ewing’s Policeman’s
Holiday. Ewing’s score, containing both a martial quality
and the madcap antics of the Keystone Cops, increased in
popularity and was also provided in a version with lyrics.
Highly engaging is Reginald King’s Orchestra from the 1930s
playing Roses At Dawning by Le Boy Kahn, Gus Kahn
and Neil Moret. Here we have romantic music evocative of
couples entwined swirling around plush dance halls.
From
the early 1930s Richard Crean conducts the London Palladium
Orchestra in the Blue Devils – a spirited march written
by Charles Williams in Adolf Lotter’s arrangement. The score
to Blue Devils was originally published as The
Kensington March. Of the seven famous BBC Orchestras
featured I must single out the London Studio Players conducted
by Michael Krein from 1946 in Jack Byfield’s cheerful arrangement
of Oranges And Lemons.
The
music used for the BBC Home Service series of countryside
programmes the ‘Rivers of The North of England’ was
written by Lambert Williamson. Here
the mainly pastoral score with episodes of drama is performed
by the BBC Northern Orchestra under their conductor Charles
Groves, recorded around 1950. Haydn
Wood, a student of Stanford at the Royal College of Music,
was a prolific and acknowledged light music master. Wood
is represented by his joyous Dance Of A Whimsical Elf;
a title that so aptly describes the character of the score
played here by the BBC Theatre Orchestra under Harold Lowe
from 1943.
For those looking for high quality modern recordings of British
Light Music there are a considerable number of discs in the
catalogues. One of my favourite collections that I can highly
recommend is a two disc set titled ‘British Light Classics’ performed
by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Barry
Wordsworth. This was recorded in London, in 2003 at the Henry
Wood Hall and in 2004 at the Cadogan Hall on Warner Classics
2564 63410-2. Each of the Warner Classics discs have been
available separately on 25464 61438-2 and 2564 62020-2. Another
collection that is guaranteed to please is an acclaimed four
disc set titled ‘British Light Music’ conducted by Ronald
Corp and the New London Orchestra. The Corp set was recorded
between 1995 and 2002 and is available on Hyperion CDS442614.
Each of the four volumes of the set has been released separately
on Hyperion: CDA66868, CDA66968,
CDA67148 and CDA67400.
On this Guild Music set the sound has
been remastered to a most acceptable
standard that is exceptional for the
age of fifty to seventy-five years.
The booklet notes are interesting and
reasonably informative. Lovers of Light
Music will be in their element with
this eclectic and generous collection
of scores from the Guild Music label.
Michael Cookson
Details
Artur Clemens SCHRECKENBERGER (d. 1989)
Kaleidoscope [3:40]
New Century Orchestra/Erich Borschel
FDH 1218. Released 1956
Ernest MAXIN (b. 1922), arr. Frank CORDELL (1918-1980)
Double Cross (theme from BBC TV series) [2:00]
Frank Cordell and his Orchestra
HMV 7M 397. Released 1956
GREGORI, FREITAS
Ballet Of Madeira [2:06]
Johnny Douglas and his Orchestra
Decca F 10764. Released 1956
David ROSE (1910-1990)
Dance Of The Spanish Onion [3:17]
Mantovani and his Orchestra
Decca F 8518. Released 1945
George MELACHRINO (1909-1965)
Cockney Girl [2:12]
George Melachrino and his Orchestra
EMI EP 008. Released 1947
Paul STEWART, aka Paul VINCENT, real name Jack COLES (1914-1991)
Fiesta [2:38]
The Embassy Orchestra/Jack Coles
Embassy WB 109. Released 1954
Percival MACKEY (1894-1950)
In Happy Mood [3:04]
West End Celebrity Orchestra
Bosworth BC 1202. Released 1947
Montague EWING (1890-1957) aka Sherman MYERS
Policeman’s Holiday [2:48]
New Light Symphony Orchestra
HMV B 8005. Released 1933
Morton GOULD (1913-1996)
Pavanne [2:43]
Jay Wilbur’s Serenaders
Rex 10060-B. Released 1941
Jean Paul Egide MARTINI, real name Johann SCHWARTZENDORF, arr.
Fred HARTLEY (1905-1980)
Plaisir D’Amour [3:03]
Fred Hartley and his Music
Columbia DB 3438. Released 1954
Le Boy KAHN, Gus KAHN, Neil MORET
Roses At Dawning [2:41]
Reginald King’s Orchestra
Regal MR 617. Released 1932
Henry CROUDSON (1898-1971)
Legend [3:02]
London Promenade Orchestra/Walter Collins
Paxton PR 445. Released 1947
Frederick George CHARROSIN (d. 1976)
Keep Moving [2:58]
Louis Voss and his Orchestra
Bosworth BC 1203. Released 1952
Edgar MARTELL
Sailors’ Holiday [2:44]
West End Celebrity Orchestra
Bosworth BC 1126. Released 1940
Charles WILLIAMS (1893-1978),
arr. Adolf LOTTER
Blue Devils [2:55]
London Palladium Orchestra/Richard Crean
HMV B 4235. Released 1933
Seven Famous BBC Orchestras
Traditional arr. Jack BYFIELD
Oranges And Lemons [2:30]
London Studio Players/Michael Krein
BBC Sound Archives 8994. Recorded 27 January 1946
Lambert WILLIAMSON
Music for ‘Rivers Of The North Of England’ – Serene & Flowing [3:31]
BBC Northern Orchestra/Charles Groves
BBC 14869. Released 1950
Haydn WOOD (1882-1959)
Dance Of A Whimsical Elf [2:53]
BBC Theatre Orchestra/Harold Lowe
BBC London Transcription Service 12RM17844. Recorded 20 December
1943
Arnold FOSTER (c.1898-1963)
Manx Dirk Dance (Reeaghyn-dy-vannin) (from ‘Two Celtic Dances For Orchestra’)
[1:28]
BBC Scottish Orchestra/Guy Warrack
BBC London Transcription Service 12RM20497. Recorded 21 February
1944
Geoffrey HENMAN, orchestrated Oliphant CHUCKERBUTTY (1884-1960)
Open Windows, Suite:
Country Air [1:37]
Butterflies [1:22]
Song Of The Sinhalese [1:40]
Dancing Sunlight [2:07]
BBC Revue Orchestra/Charles Groves
BBC London Transcription Service 12RM24074/5/6. Recorded
4 September 1944
Traditional, arr. Gilbert VINTNER
Music Of The People – England [7:25]
BBC Midland Light Orchestra/Gilbert Vintner
BBC London Transcription Service 72310. Recorded 23 July
1952
Traditional, arr. Clive RICHARDSON
Here’s To The Good Old Whisky [3:41]
BBC Variety Orchestra/Charles Shadwell
BBC London Transcription Service 12RM19672. Recorded 6 March
1944
Traditional, arr. Patrick ‘Spike’ HUGHES (1908-1987)
Oranges And Lemons [3:04]
BBC Theatre Orchestra/Harold Lowe
BBC Sound Archives 10247. Recorded 29 April 1947
Jack SIMPSON
Legion Patrol [2:51]
Billy Cotton and his Band
Decca F 9619. Released 1951
GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5139 [77:27]
