Guild’s Light Music
Series really narrows its focus with
this release. Others have been devoted
to a particular decade or to genres
but this one tucks into the Chappell
Recorded Music Library, initiated in
1941 to tie in with the newsreel mood
music that was proving so popular. The
first 78s followed in 1942, conducted
by Charles Williams, and here we have
twenty-eight tracks released over a
three-year period and featuring some
of the composing luminaries of the field.
Williams (born Isaac
Cozerbreit) was an interesting chap,
an ex-fiddler of repute who had made
Zonophones in the 1920s and had played
under Elgar before embarking on his
film music career, one that was to take
him to the top of the tree in Britain.
The big names are here – Eric Coates,
Haydn Wood – as are the less well known
– John Holliday, Frank Tapp – and the
recently re-established such as Montague
Phillips. Threaded throughout are Williams’
own compositions, which include the
bold, confident The Future, with
its Elgarian March affiliations – something
that Denis Wright shares in his Empire
Jubilee March. Billy Reid contributes
some elegant Viennese pastiche and the
ever inventive Percy Fletcher offers
a touch of exotica in At the Court
of Cleopatra. Tapp starts with some
VW then mines the nervy-pastoral school
whereas Charles Shadwell’s Lulworth
Cove is full of ripe romanticism,
with a fine rippling waves lapping into
the shore. Haydn Wood’s Virginia
must have Delius’s Appalachia
on its mind but, as the notes wisely
point out, Wood, who was conducting
this 1942 disc, clearly hurries it along
to fit the time constraints – it could
profitably be a lot more languorous
(beautiful wind writing, though I’m
not sure about the Swanee River
quotes).
Clive Richardson turns
roistering in Naval Splendour whilst
deft Montague Phillips scores highly
with his splendidly orchestrated Forest
Melody. But perhaps we should leave
the last word to the ostensible hero
of this disc, Charles Williams. His
finely dramatic Witches’ Ride
is a genre piece, certainly, but it
has vivacity, colour and rhythm – unpretentious
and lively. And that goes for most of
the items on this well filled and entertaining
disc. I enjoyed it immensely.
Jonathan Woolf