Ian Lace, in his excellent
review
of this Nimbus release, considers who will buy this set of CDs. He wonders
if ‘this superbly crafted music, so full of vitality and romance
(will) appeal to audiences below the age of say, sixty.’ Well,
I have not yet reached that magical age, but I have loved Eric Coates
as long as I can recall. I first consciously heard his music at a concert
at the end of the pier in Llandudno with John Moravia conducting. I
think it was the ‘Merrymaker’s Overture’. Through
all the vicissitudes of Boulez, minimalism, Stockhausen and aleatory
music, I have remained a fan of Eric Coates.
At school, I was often ‘teased’ by more learned and intellectual
friends for liking such ‘persiflage’ as the
London Suite
and the
Three Elizabeth Suite. This ‘superiority’
from some ‘music-lovers’ has continued down through the
years. Much as I care. This 50-something-year-old would swap reams of
Mahler, Verdi, Bruckner and Wagner (especially Wagner) to possess the
complete orchestral works of Eric Coates on my Desert Island. I guess
that somewhere in the recesses of the classical public’s collective
psyche there is a steady interest in so-called ‘light music’.
For example, I am convinced that the Guild Light Music series which
now exceeds a hundred CDs - is not selling only to OAPs.
This present collection of seven CDs covers the entire corpus of Eric
Coates’ music recorded by the composer -from 1923 until the late
nineteen-fifties. I have not done a detailed cross-check between the
track-listings and Coates’ catalogue but I guess that all the
well-known suites and marches are presented along with a wide variety
of more obscure, but equally enjoyable pieces. Naturally, there is considerable
duplication within these seven CDs - for example there are three full
versions of the fine
London Again Suite, a similar tally for
‘By the Sleepy Lagoon’ and five of the ‘Knightsbridge
March’. Many works have only a single performance here - for example,
‘High Flight’, the ‘Holborn March’ and the delicious
‘Footlights-Concert Valse’.
Some of the highlights are the lesser-known works. How often does the
delicious tone-poem ‘Summer Afternoon’ feature on CDs or
radio broadcasts? This is a work that crosses over into something that
Delius might have written. Two ‘Fanfares’ dating from 1943
are heard on the second disc. I have not encountered these extremely
short numbers before. The ‘Moresque’ dance is included twice
here - once in an early Coates performance and the other conducted by
Charles Williams. The
Cinderella-Phantasy is an attractive work
that seems to have slipped down the crack in today’s concert scheduling.
It is an ideal ‘prom’ work if there was ever one. There
are a handful of Coates’ songs set for orchestra, including ‘Bird
Songs at Eventide’, ‘I heard you singing’ and the
Symphonic Rhapsody on ‘With a Song in my Heart’.
Finally, it is good to have all the marches composed for the nascent
commercial television companies in one place. These include the ‘Television
March’, the ‘Music Everywhere- Rediffusion March’,
the ‘Sound and Vision - the A.T.V. Television March’ and
the ‘South Wales and West - Television March’ (originally
the Seven Seas March).
There are a few works missing, for example the early ‘Ballade’,
the ‘Rhodesia March’ and the unpublished ‘Coquette’.
Virtually everything else is present and correct in one form or another.
In total there are some 8 hours 50 minutes of listening.
Included in the final ‘bonus’ disc are a series of rare
recordings of Coates’ music played by a variety of dance bands.
It is treasure trove, indeed. There is a very early version of ‘From
the Countryside’ by the Peerless Orchestra made around 1918; this
in a surprisingly good transfer. Other ‘outfits’ presented
here include Jack Hylton and his Orchestra’s splendid rendition
of ‘Rose of Samarkand’, Charles Williams conducting the
Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra and the Cedric Sharpe Sextet with
a ‘Palm Court’ rendition of ‘Lazy Night’. Sidney
Torch and his orchestra play the relatively rarely heard ‘Holborn
March’, whilst the RAF Central Orchestra performs the equally
rare ‘Over to You’ - March written in 1941 and recorded
the following year. The final work in this collection is the ubiquitous
‘The Dam Busters March’ from the Central Band of the Royal
Air Force. It is a fine conclusion to an outstanding collection of music.
Every commercial recording that Eric Coates made is given here. However
it appears that two are ‘missing’. Alan Bunting has suggested
that ‘Covent Garden’ and ‘Westminster’ from
the
London Suite which were recorded in 1933 are not present
in their original form. This is because they were later re-issued with
another catalogue number. Bunting has compared the wave analysis of
both recordings and has declared them to be identical, in spite of the
records being released fourteen years apart.
All these tracks have been re-mastered to an extremely high standard.
The ‘acoustic’ numbers (issued in 1923) have been placed
at the end of disc six: these are worthy of our attention, in spite
of the early technology. It amazes me just how much detail is present.
The ‘electrically’ recorded tracks are superb in their presentation:
often I found it hard to believe I was listening to something ‘laid
down’ more than sixty or seventy years ago.
Alan Bunting has written that he considered ordering the tracks in strict
chronological order, however he decided to present the material in a
way that is varied and enjoyable. It was a wise decision, as each disc
can be approached as a ‘concert’ in its own right. It would
have meant that the opening discs of the boxed set would have had the
least technically impressive tracks. Furthermore, repetition of pieces
on the same CD, even on adjacent tracks, would have been inevitable.
I listened to these seven discs on my music-room ‘hi-fi’
system which is far removed from the gramophones of the pre and post
war years. I did want to upload them to my iPod for future listening.
Alas, the track names are not yet recognized by the ‘Gracenotes’
media database. As there are 130+ tracks, it would take a long time
to fill in manually. I hope that Nimbus will submit the track details
PDQ as this will be essential listening for me during my travels.
Anyone interested in Eric Coates will own the precious few books by
or about him. The primary text is the composer’s own
Suite
in Four Movements, most recently republished by Thames in 1986.
In the same year Geoffrey Self’s book
In Town Tonight -
a Centenary Study of Eric Coates was published. This book is now
hard to find. The most recent addition to this short list is the important
study by Michael Payne -
The Life and Music of Eric Coates which
was published by Ashgate Press in 2012. It was based on his University
of Durham thesis (2007) ‘The Man Who Writes the Tunes’.
Payne has contributed to the present Nimbus set a major essay which
is included in the liner-notes. It runs to some 27 pages and is essential
reading for all enthusiasts of Eric Coates’ music. The main thrust
of this is the composer’s work in the recording studio but he
adds a wealth of subsidiary information and anecdotes.
Another insert provides a detailed track-listing. This includes the
date of recording, the record and matrix number, the performers (which
are not always the same as noted on the original record label) and the
place or recording when known. Additional information includes the date
of composition and the duration. For anyone with a subscription to
The
Gramophone journal archive, it is possible to track the critical
reviews of many of these records as and when they were released.
This is an essential purchase for all enthusiasts of Eric Coates in
particular and British Light Music in general. It offers virtually a
complete compendium of his orchestral music. The ‘recommended
retail price’ is £29.99 (£21 if ordered from MWI)
which makes it about £4.00 a disc. This makes for unbelievably
good value for money. There is nothing about this release that I can
fault. It is one of the recording highlights of my classical music-listening
life. What I would have given for this back in the early ’seventies
when I first discovered Coates’ music.
John France
See also review by
Ian
Lace
Track-Listing - Overview
CD 1 - 1931-1937 [78.08]
1. The Merrymakers - Overture 4:21 2. From Meadow to Mayfair - Suite
11.35 3. Summer Afternoon - Idyll 3:28 4. Cinderella - Phantasy 12:46
5. By The Sleepy Lagoon - Valse Serenade 4:36 6. The Jester At The Wedding
: No.1 The Princess Arrives - March 3:00 7. By The Tamarisk - Intermezzo
4:13 8. Saxo-Rhapsody 8:46 9. Summer Days - Suite 8.07 10. Springtime
- Suite 12.20 11. For Your Delight - Serenade 4:00
CD 2 - 1940-1948 [77.57]
1. Footlights - Concert Valse 4:17 2 . Last Love - Romance 3:54 3 .
The Seven Seas - March 3:14 4. I Sing To You (A Souvenir) 3:17 5. Calling
All Workers - March 2:59 6. Fanfare Number 1 0:18 7. Salute the Soldier
- March 3:22 8. Fanfare Number 2 0:26 9. The Eighth Army March 2:37
10. The Four Centuries - Suite 17.24 11. The Three Elizabeths - Suite
18.06 12. Dancing Nights - Concert Valse 6:48 13. London Calling - March
2:55 14. London Bridge - March 4:05 15. London Suite - Knightsbridge
March 2:56
CD 3 - 1948-1955 [78.33]
1. A Song Of Loyalty 3:19 2. By The Sleepy Lagoon - Valse Serenade 3:15
3. Bird Songs At Eventide 3:08 4 . Television March 3:19 5. Wood Nymphs
- Valsette 3:09 6. London - Suite 13.27 7. London Again - Suite 12.51
8. The Three Men - Suite 13.28 9. The Jester At The Wedding : No.4 -
Dance Of The Orange Blossoms 3:45 10. Music Everywhere - Rediffusion
March 2:57 11. The Dam Busters - March 2:56 12. Sound And Vision The
A.T.V. Television March 3:00
CD 4 - 1952-1957 [78.29]
1. High Flight - March 2:49 2. Impression of a Princess - Intermezzo
2:58 3. Wood Nymphs - Valsette 2:46 4. South Wales and West - Television
March 2:47 5. London - Suite 13.18 6. London Again - Suite 12.00 7.
The Three Elizabeths - Suite 19.09 8. The Four Centuries - Suite 20.25
CD 5 - Early records [72.05]
1. Summer Days - Suite 0.00 2. Wood Nymphs - Valsette 3:01 3. With A
Song In My Heart. Symphonic Rhapsody after Richard Rodgers 7:47 4. Bird
Songs at Eventide 4:01 5. I Pitch My Lonely Caravan At Night 4:11 6.
I Heard You Singing & Bird Songs At Eventide - Symphonic Rhapsody
4:03 7. London - Suite 8.08 8. London Bridge - March 3:07 9. The Jester
At The Wedding : No.1 - The Princess Arrives - March 3:21 10. The Jester
At The Wedding : No.4 The Dance Of The Orange Blossoms 3.03 11. The
Three Men - Suite 12.12 12. Wood Nymphs - Valsette 3:18 13. Song Of
Loyalty (The Prayer Within Our Hearts) 4:16
CD 6 - Early and Acoustic records [70.25]
1. Meadow To Mayfair Suite : No.2 4:03 2. London Again - Suite 11.28
3. By The Sleepy Lagoon - Valse Serenade 3:20 4. The Three Bears - A
Phantasy 8:52 5. London Suite - Knightsbridge March 4:01 6. Television
March 3:20 7. Valse From The Phantasy “The Three Bears”
3:07 8. The Merrymakers - Overture 4:06 9. Moresque Dance - Interlude
3:37 10. Joyous Youth - Suite 11.33 11. Summer Days Suite : At The Dance
3:59 12. The Selfish Giant - A Phantasy (arr. Lucas) 8:06
Bonus CD 7 - 1918-1955 [74.33]
Performances of works which Coates did not record himself alongside
alternative and famous performances by other conductors. Including The
Peerless Orchestra, Clarence Raybould, Charles Williams, Jack Hylton,
Joseph Lewis, RAF Central Orchestra, Sidney Torch, Robert Farnon, and
the Central Band of the Royal Air Force.
Track-Listing - Detail
CD 1 - 78.08 (1923-1937)
1)
The Merrymakers Overture (1923) [4.21] rec.
1931+
From Meadow to Mayfair Suite (1931) [11.35] rec.
1931+
:-
2)
In the Country - Rustic Dance [3.12]
3)
A Song By the Way - Romance [4.03]
4
) Evening in Town - Valse [4.20]
5
) Summer Afternoon - Idyll (1931) [3.28] rec. 1934
*
6
) Cinderella - Phantasy (1929) [12.46] **
7)
By the Sleepy Lagoon - Valse Serenade extended
version (1930) [4.36] rec. 1935 **
8)
The Jester at the Wedding (‘The Princess
Arrives’) - March (1932) [3.00] rec. 1934 *
9)
By the Tamarisk - Intermezzo (1927) [4.13]
rec. 1936 **
10)
Saxo-Rhapsody (1936) [8.46] with Sigurd
Rascher (alto saxophone) rec. 1937 ***
Summer Days Suite (1937) [8.17] rec. 1937 ***
11)
In a Country Lane [2.06]
12)
On the Edge of a Lake [2.19]
13)
At the Dance [3.42]
Springtime Suite (1937) [12.20] rec 1937 #
14)
Fresh Morning - Pastorale [4.01]
15)
Noonday Song - Romance [4.17]
16)
Dance in the Twilight - Valse [4.02]
17)
For Your Delight - Serenade (1937) [4.00]
rec. 1937 #
+ London Symphony Orchestra
* Symphony Orchestra (unidentified) ** Symphony Orchestra (actually
London Philharmonic Orchestra) *** Symphony Orchestra (actually London
Symphony Orchestra)
+ London Symphony Orchestra; # Light Symphony Orchestra
CD 2 -77.57
1
) Footlights - Concert Waltz (1939) [4.17] rec.
1940 #
2)
Last Love - Romance (1939) [3.54] rec. 1940
#
3)
The Seven Seas March (later retitled ‘South
Wales & West) (1937) [3.14] rec. 1940 #
4)
I Sing to You (A Souvenir) (1940) [3.17]
rec. 1940 #
5)
Calling All Workers March (1940) [2.59]
rec. 1940 *
6)
Fanfare No. 1 (1943) [0.18] rec. 1944 +
7)
Salute the Soldier - March (1944) [3.22]
rec. 1944 +
8)
Fanfare No. 2 (1943) [0.26] rec. 1944 +
9)
The Eighth Army March (1942) [2.37] rec.
1944 +
The Four Centuries Suite (1941) [18.04] rec. 1944
♪
10)
Prelude & Hornpipe - 17thCentury [4.21]
11)
Pavane & Tambourin - 18thCentury [4.46]
12)
Valse - 19thCentury [4.41]
13)
Rhythm - 20thCentury [4.16]
The Three Elizabeths Suite (1944) [17.49] rec.1944
♪
14)
Halcyon Days - Elizabeth Tudor [6.35]
15)
Springtime in Angus -Elizabeth of Glamis, The Queen Mother [6.37]
16)
Youth of Britain (March) - The Princess Elizabeth [4.34]
17)
Dancing Nights - Concert Valse (1931) [6.48]
rec. 1945 +
18)
London Calling -March (1941) [2.55] rec.
1946 +
19)
London Bridge - March (1934) [4.05] rec.
1946 +
20)
London Suite - Knightsbridge March (Abridged
Version) (1932) [2.56] rec. 1948
+ London Symphony Orchestra; # Light Symphony Orchestra * Symphony Orchestra
(unidentified) ♪ The National Symphony Orchestra
CD 3 - 78.33
1)
A Song of Loyalty (Orchestral Version) (1935)
[3.19] rec. 1948
2)
By the Sleepy Lagoon - Valse Serenade (1930)
[3.15] rec. 1948
3)
Bird Songs at Eventide (arranged by H. M.
Higgs) [3.08] rec. 1948
4)
Television March (1946) [3.19] rec. 1948
5)
Wood Nymphs - Valsette (1917) [3.09] rec.
1948
London Suite (1932) [13.27]
6)
Covent Garden - Tarantelle [4.43]
7)
Westminster - Meditation [4.29]
8)
Knightsbridge - March [4.15]
London Again Suite (1936) [12.51]
9)
Oxford Street (March) [3.31]
10)
Langham Place - Elegy [5.04]
11)
Mayfair - Valse [4.16]
The Three Men Suite (1935) [13.08] rec. 1949
12)
The Man From the Country [4.09]
13)
The Man About Town [4.37]
14)
The Man From the Sea [4.22]
15)
The Jester at the Wedding No. 4 Dance
of the Orange Blossoms (1932) [3.45] rec. 1949
16)
The Three Bears - A Phantasy (1926) [9.14]
rec. 1949
17)
Music Everywhere - Redifussion March (1948)
[2.57] rec. 1949
18)
The Dam Busters March (1954) [2.56] rec.
1955
19)
Sound And Vision - The A.T.V. Television
March (1955) [3.00] rec. 1955
All recordings on CD3 made with The New Symphony Orchestra except
Music Everywhere with Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra;
and
The Dam Busters and the
Sound and Vision March
with a Concert Orchestra
CD 4 - 78.29
1)
High Flight - March (1957)
[2.49] rec. 1957 *
2)
Impression of a Princess - Intermezzo (1956)
[2.58] rec. 1957 *
3)
Wood Nymphs - Valsette (1917) [2.46] rec.
1957 *
4)
South Wales & West - Television March
(1937 [2.47] rec,. 1957 *
London Suite (1932) [13.18] rec. 1952 ♪
5)
Covent Garden - Tarantelle [4.41]
6)
Westminster - Meditation [4.25]
7)
Knightsbridge - March [4.12]
London Again Suite (1936) [12.40] rec. 1952 ♪
8)
Oxford Street - March [3.29]
9)
Langham Place - Elegy [4.59]
10)
Mayfair - Valse [4.12]
The Three Elizabeths Suite (1944) [18.49] rec. 1953
+
11) Halcyon Days - Elizabeth Tudor [7.23]
12) Springtime in Angus - Elizabeth of Glamis [7.05]
13) Youth of Britain - March - The Princess Elizabeth [4.41]
The Four Centuries - Suite (1941) [21.05] rec. 1953
+
14)
Prelude & Hornpipe - 17
th Century
[6.19]
15)
Pavane & Tambourin - 18
th Century
[5.53]
16)
Valse - 19
th Century [4.38]
17)
Rhythm - 20
th Century [4.15]
* Eric Coates and His Orchestra ♪ Philharmonic Promenade Orchestra
(actually a section of the London Philharmonic) + New Symphony Orchestra
of London
CD 5 [72.05]
Summer Days - Suite (1919) [9.53] rec.
1926 +
1)
In A Country Lane [2.43]
2)
On the Edge of the Lake (Isle of the Waters) [3.26]
3)
At the Dance [3.44]
4)
Wood Nymphs [3.01] +
5)
With A Song In My Heart (Symphonic Rhapsody
after Richard Rogers) (1930) [7.47] rec. 1930. ♪
6)
Bird Songs at Eventide (1926) with vocalist
Billy Scott-Coomber and Jack Payne and his Band [4.01] rec. 1932
7)
I Pitch My Lonely Caravan at Night - Symphonic
Rhapsody (1932) [4.11] rec.1933 *
8)
I Heard You Singing & Bird Songs At Eventide -
Symphonic Rhapsody (1932) [4.03] rec. 1933 *
London Suite (1932) [13.18] rec. 1933 *
9)
Covent Garden - Tarantelle [4.41]
10)
Westminster - Meditation [4.25]
11)
Knightsbridge - March [4.12]
12)
London Bridge - March (1934) [3.07] **
13)
The Jester at the Wedding:
No. 1 The
Princess Arrives (1932) [3.21] rec. 1935 *
14)
The Jester at the Wedding:
No. 4 The
Dance of the Orange Blossoms - Valse (1932) [3.03] rec. 1934]
**
The Three Men - Suite (1935) [12.52] rec. 1935 ♫
15)
The Man From the Country [3.55]
16)
The Man About Town [4.20]
17)
The Man From the Sea [4.37]
18)
Wood Nymphs - Valsette (1917) [3.18] rec.
1935 ♫
19
) Song of Loyalty (The Prayer Within Our Hearts)
(1935) [4.16] rec. 1935
* Symphony Orchestra (actually London Philharmonic Orchestra); ** Symphony
Orchestra # New Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra; + New Queen’s
Hall Light Orchestra; ♪ The Court Symphony Orchestra; ♫
Light Symphony Orchestra (actually London Philharmonic Orchestra
CD 6 70.25
1
) Meadow to Mayfair Suite: No. 2 - ‘A Song
By the Way’ (1931) [4.03] rec. 1935 *
London Again Suite (1936) [12.40] rec. 1936 **
2)
Oxford Street - March [3.12]
3)
Langham Place - Elegy [4.20]
4)
Mayfair - Valse [3.56]
5)
By the Sleepy Lagoon - Valse Serenade (1930)
[3.20] rec. rec. 1940 *
6)
The Three Bears - A Phantasy (1926) [8.52]
rec. 1945 +
7)
London Suite - ‘Knightsbridge March’
(1932) [4.01] rec. 1946 +
8)
Televison March (1946) [3.20] +
9) ‘Valse’ from The Phantasy
The Three Bears (1949)
[3.07] rec. 1949 ♪
10)
The Merrymakers - Overture (1923) [4.06]
rec. 1923 (acoustic recording) ♪
11)
Moresque - Interlude (1921) [3.37] rec.
1923 (acoustic recording) ♪
Joyous Youth - Suite (1921) [11.33] rec. 1923 (acoustic
recordings) #
12)
Introduction [4.04]
13)
Serenade [3.59]
14)
Valse [3.30]
15)
Summer Days Suite:
At the Dance (1919)
[3.59] rec. 1926 #
16)
The Selfish Giant - A Phantasy (arr. Leighton
Lucas) (1925) [8.06] rec. 1926
* Symphony Orchestra; ** Symphony Orchestra (actually London Philharmonic);
+ London Symphony Orchestra; ♪ New Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra;
# The Aeolian Orchestra
BONUS CD 7 [74.33]
From The Countryside - Suite (1914) [6.59] rec. circa
1918
The Peerless Orchestra
1)
Early Morning - In the Meadows [1.36]
2)
Afternoon - Among the Poppies [2.05]
3)
Evening - At the Fair [3.18]
Miniature Suite (1911) [8.42] rec. 1931
Clarence Raybould conducting Light Symphony Orchestra
4)
Children’s Dance [2.16]
5)
Intermezzo [2.15]
6)
Scene du Bal [4.11]
Joyous Youth - Suite (1921) [8.19] rec. 1942
Charles Williams conducting the Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra
12)
Introduction [2.34]
13)
Serenade [2.49]
14)
Valse [2.56]
10)
Moresque - Dance Interlude (1921) [2.45]
rec. 1944
Charles Williams conducting the Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra
Two Light Syncopated Pieces (1924-25) [5.17]
11)
Moon Magic [2.13]
Charles Williams conducting the Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra rec.
1946
12)
Rose Of Samarkand [3.04]
Jack Hylton and His Orchestra rec. 1926
13)
The Selfish Giant - A Phantasy (1925) [8.08]
rec.1945
The New Concert Orchestra conducted by John Leon
Four Ways Suite (1927) [12.17] rec. 1934
Joseph Lewis conducting the New Light Symphony Orchestra
14)
Northwards - March [4.12]
15)
Southwards - Valse (1.17]
16)
Eastwards - Eastern Dance [2.47]
17)
Westwards - Rhythm [4.01]
18)
Mirage - Romance (1928) [2.43] rec. 1942
Charles Williams conducting the Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra
19)
Under the Stars (1928) [3.07] rec. 1946
Charles Williams conducting the Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra
20)
Lazy Night - Valse Romantique (1931) [2.47]
rec. 1932
Cedric Sharpe Sextet
21)
Over to You - March (1941) [3.09] rec.
1942
RAF Central Orchestra conducted by Wing Commander O. P. O’Donnell
MVO
22)
Holborn - March (1950) [3.20] rec. 1950
Sidney Torch and his Orchestra
23)
Sweet Seventeen - Concert Waltz (1954)
[2.44] rec. 1955
The Melodi Light Orchestra conducted by Ole Jensen
24)
The Dam Busters March (1954) [3.00] rec.
1955
Central Band of The Royal Air Force conducted by Wing Commander A.E.
Sims OBE
