A 206th GARLAND OF BRITISH COMPOSERS
Some exponents of the organ, have written pieces, which
we may reckon as light music. Cuthbert Harris, who was active
between the two wars, brought out such pieces as Caprice in D
Flat (1927) and the Three Miniatures (1930), but these appear
to have survived less well than the effusions of, say Alfred Hollins
and Percy Whitlock, to name two organists whose careers overlapped
his. Gordon Phillips, from about a generation later, is better
remembered as an editor, especially of all organ music, but he composed,
too, both for organ (Lullaby, Carol Preludes and Three Miniatures,
as well as a Sonata and other more serious pieces) and for other instruments
(an Air for clarinet and piano, Recitative and Slow Dance
for bass clarinet and piano and a Suite for oboe and clarinet.
Now for a few more musical comedy "singletons",
all active around 1960. Van Phillips’ "Scots musical comedy"
Skerryvore, after James Bridie, was produced at Glasgow in that
very year. Ronald Settle had his I Remember, I Remember
produced at Liverpool Playhouse, also in 1960. And Lionel Thompson’s
Solo was put on at Cheltenham in 1962.
Finally Clement Scott (1842-1904, a journalist
on The Daily Telegraph, earns a mention here for the "Maori
farewell song", Now is the How (Haere Ra), based on a traditional
New Zealand melody Scott heard whilst on a visit to that country and
later notated to his own words. I recall its being particularly popular
in the years just after the Second War, at which time it was frequently
sung by Gracie Fields and others.
Philip L Scowcroft
June 2001
Philip's book 'British Light Music Composers' (ISBN 0903413 88 4) is
currently out of print.
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