A 207th GARLAND OF BRITISH LIGHT MUSIC COMPOSERS
We start with Percy Godfrey (1859-1945), who
was, despite his dates making him roughly contemporary with the third
generation thereof, not a member of the celebrated Godfrey family, which
we discussed in Garland 6. This fact did not stop Dan Godfrey II’s Bournemouth
Municipal Orchestra featuring his music considerably in its programmes,
often conducted by Percy himself. His works included a Symphony, a symphonic
poem (or "symphonic ballad") and a Quintet for the same instrument
combination as Schubert’s "Trout". In lighter vein
he produced: a Coronation March (1902); an overture; a suite;
Funeral March of the Teddy Bear; and a two movement "suite"
for two violas, cello and piano entitled A Dream of Dresden China.
Now for four brief mentions of present day composers:
Keith Morris, for his radio incidental music, most recently Laughter
When We’re Dead (2001); John Pickard, for his brass band
compositions, again most recently for the suite Men of Stone,
which depicts four Neolithic sites in Great Britain; James McConnell,
for his scores for film/TV documentaries including most recently, Exocet
(BBC2, 2001); Steven Edis, for his theatre incidental music,
including, again in 2001, that for the National Theatre’s revival of
Vanbrugh’s The Relapse.
Finally to two equally brief allusions to instrumental
works composed either side of the last war: A Funny Little Fairy
Story (1934) for cello and piano, by Onslow Traherne; and Four
Folk Fragments (1948), also for cello and piano, by Frederick
Capon.
Philip L Scowcroft
July 2001
Philip's book 'British Light Music Composers' (ISBN 0903413 88 4) is
currently out of print.
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