The Golden Age of Light Music: Holidays for Strings
Leroy ANDERSON (1908-1975) Belle of the Ball (1959) Leroy Anderson and his Orchestra [2:33]
Richard WHITING (1891-1938) W. Franke HARLING (1887-1958) Beyond the Blue Horizon (from the film 'Monte Carlo') (1961) Jack Shaindlin and his Orchestra [2:50]
George GERSHWIN (1898-1937) ‘Love is Sweeping the Country’ (1961) Frederick Fennell and his Orchestra [2:32]
Alexander BORODIN (1833-1887) arr. David CARROLL (1913-2008) Dance of the Slave Maidens (also known as 'Stranger in Paradise') (from 'Prince Igor') (1961) David Carroll and his Orchestra [3:47]
Leo ROBIN (1900-1984) Ralph RAINGER (1901-1942) ‘Thanks for the Memory’ (1958) Geoff Love and his Concert Orchestra [2:19]
George MARTIN (b.1926) Serenade to Double Scotch (1961) Ron Goodwin and his Orchestra [2:39]
Alan Jay LERNER (1918-1986) Frederick LOEWE (1901-1988) Gigi (Theme from the film) (1961) The Melachrio Strings conducted by George Melachrino [2:54]
Barclay ALLEN, Roc HILLMAN Cumana (1961) The Clebanoff Strings and Percussion [3:15]
Cyril WATTERS (1907-1984) The Willow Waltz (1960) New Concert Orchestra conducted by Monia Liter (as 'Paul Hamilton') [3:05]
Alberto Borras DOMINGUEZ Perfidia (1961) Xavier Cugat and his Orchestra [2:54]
Percy FAITH (1908-1976) Bouquet (1961) Percy Faith and his Orchestra [3:17]
Richard RODGERS (1902-1979) Lorenz HART (1895-1943) arr. William Hill BOWEN ‘The Most Beautiful Girl in the World’ (1961) The Living Strings conducted by Hill Bowen [2:55]
Enric MADRIGUERA, Eddie WOODS, arr. Geoff LOVE (1917-1991) ‘Adios’ (1961) Manuel and the Music of the Mountains ('Manuel' is Geoff Love) [2:54]
Alan Jay LERNER, Frederick LOEWE, arr. Brian FAHEY (1919-2007) ‘Then You May Take Me to the Fair’ (from 'Camelot') (1961) Cyril Orandel and the Starlight Symphony [2:44]
Charles TOBIAS, Cliff FRIEND, ‘Time Waits for Me’ (1959) Reg Owen and his Orchestra [2:49]
Andy THURLOW (b.1916) real name Harry RABINOWITZ Spending Spree (1957) Dolf Van der Linden and his Orchestra ('Paul Franklin' on disc label) [2:06]
Angela MORLEY, (1924-2009) as Walter STOTT Nurseryland (1961) Telecast Orchestra conducted by Angel Morley ('Walter Stott' on disc label) [3:09]
Pat BEAVER, Tony KING On the Loose (1960) The Westway Studio Orchestra [2:38]
Frank CORDELL (1918-1980) The Rebel (Music from the film) ‘Main Title Theme’ (1961) Frank Cordell and his Orchestra [2:13]
Frank CORDELL The Rebel (Music from the film) ‘Oo-La-La’ (1961) Frank Cordell and his Orchestra [2:22]
Bernie WAYNE (1919-1993) real name Bernard WEITZNER Vanessa (1952) Charles Williams and his Concert Orchestra [3:02]
Steve RACE (1921-2009) Faraway Music (1961) Steve Race and his Orchestra [2:19]
Philip GREEN (1911-1982) ‘The Singer not the Song’ - Theme from the film (1961) The Knightsbridge Strings conducted by Philip Green [2:21]
Robert FARNON (1917-2005) Strolling Home (1961) String Ensemble conducted by Robert Farnon [2:49]
Frank STERLING, real name Stuart CROMBIE, Dennis BERRY Periwinkle (1961) The Westway Studio Orchestra conducted by King Palmer [2:57]
Anthony MAWER (1930-1999) Jeunesse (1961) Hilversum Radio Orchestra conducted by Hugo de Groot [1:58]
Edward WHITE (1910-1994) Romance in the Breeze (1961) The
Bosworth Orchestra [2:49]
David ROSE (1910-1990) Holiday for Strings (1959) David Rose
and his Orchestra [3:57]
Stereo: 1-14, 28; rest in Mono
Dates refer to recording, not composition. ADD
GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5189 [79:08]
The mood of this excellent disc is summed up in its title and the nostalgic picture on the cover. It is one of the sad features of life that so many lidos have disappeared from our seaside towns. The present picture is from a London & North Eastern Railway poster advertising Clacton-on-Sea Butlin’s Holiday Camp. Alas, this camp closed in 1983 and I guess that all traces of the lido have long disappeared. Yet, one can recover the fun and the sun of holidays past in the tracks on this disc.
I usually divide the musical content of ‘light’ music into two parts. Firstly, there are the arrangements of other works – often songs from the shows, film music and sometimes even the classics. And then there are the pieces that were especially written and provided with evocative titles. These may be ‘concert’ pieces or used in newsreels or documentaries. Both ‘genres’ appear on this CD
Considering first the arrangements, the proceedings get off to a sunny start with music from the film Monte Carlo – ‘Beyond the Blue Horizon’. Then George Gershwin provides the tune for an upbeat version of ‘Love is Sweeping the Country’ played by the ever-popular Frederick Fennell and his Orchestra. There is great brass work here and good percussion too. Borodin’s contribution to popular music is his unforgettable ‘Stranger in Paradise’ which all music snobs know was taken from the opera Prince Igor. ‘Thanks for the Memory’ and ‘Adios’ are given a characteristic swing by Geoff Love and his orchestra. Gigi is a film that has captured the hearts of young and old for more than fifty years: the Parisian magic is created by the main theme played here. ‘Perfidia’ by the Mexican Alberto Borras Dominguez is perfectly fitted to this particular faithless, treacherous and false lady.
Richard Rodgers ‘The Most Beautiful Girl in the World’ is given an attractive and slightly ‘dipsy’ treatment. And ‘Then you may take me to the Fair’ from Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot is powerfully treated. I am not sure whether Cliff Friend and Charles Tobias’ ‘Time waits for Me’ is an arrangement, but it is a good, romantic tune. I did not know the music from the film The Rebel which was composed by Frank Cordell. Certainly in ‘Oo-La-La’ the sights and sounds of a typical Parisian evening are effectively created. The theme from the cult film The Singer not the Song that starred Dirk Bogarde and John Mills has a sultry Spanish mood.
The mood pieces begin with the master of syncopation Leroy Anderson’s Belle
of the Ball. Even a flat-footed person like me would like to dance with
her. Our own George Martin of Beatles fame has written an upbeat Serenade
to Double Scotch that parodies Caledonian music and is a million miles
away from A Hard Day’s Night. Great stuff - with a little stagger
too. I do not know who or what Cumana by Barclay Allen and Roc Hillman,
is or was – but this is a hard hitting piece of light music that has a touch
of Spanish and a lot of percussion. Fortunately Cyril Watters calms the mood
down with his romantic Willow Waltz. Romance is in the air again
with Percy Faith’s Bouquet: this is certainly a love song written
for a beautiful lady. Spending Spree by Andy Burlow was written before
the advent of the flexible friend, but we get the gist of this fast-moving
walk down Regent Street – or Deansgate, Manchester. I can just see the ladies
and gentlemen, laden with parcels emerging from the doors of Liberty’s or
Kendall Milne’s. Angela Morley has restored us to innocence with her chirpy
Nurseryland. Good part for bassoon here. Pat Beaver and Tony King
allow us to be On the Loose again: hopefully not spending too much
more money. This is a hugely upbeat piece that evokes all kinds of mental
images of days gone by. I do not know who Vanessa was, but the way
that Bernie Wayne portrays her she does seem a little wayward. However, there
is a touch of romance in her too. Steve Race has created an image of holidays
in the Mediterranean with his gorgeous Faraway Music. I guess the
balalaika situates it somewhere in Greece? Sometimes we just have to head
back to base. Robert Farnon’s Strolling Home presents an image of
someone who is not quite sure that the fun for the evening is over. Periwinkle
by Frank Sterling is pure fun. Jeunesse is a piece that has youth
at heart: Anthony Mawer writes a number that is both optimistic and a touch
wistful. Light music enthusiasts will all know Edward White’s Runaway
Rocking Horse and he has achieved a similar fresh open air piece of music
with his Romance in the Breeze. Finally David Rose (of The Stripper
fame) has given holiday music to beat all holiday music - Holiday for
Strings. This piece epitomises the excitement of heading off in the Ford
Anglia or on the Cornish Riviera Express for the annual fortnight by the sea.
All the hopes and dreams of fun and romance are here. A great conclusion to
a fine section of music.
Most of these works were recorded in the late fifties and early sixties. Many
of them are in ‘stereo’. David Adès has done an excellent job in ‘re-pristinating’
these tracks which have been gleaned from a wide variety of records. He also
provides the outstanding liner-notes. All the details of the pieces, their
composers (though, I do wish they would give the dates for all the
composers) and arrangers are present and correct. This is yet another fine
addition to the ever increasing number of CDs in ‘The Golden Age of Light
Music’ series. Long may they continue!
John France
Recover the fun and the sun of holidays past.