A 221st GARLAND OF BRITISH LIGHT MUSIC COMPOSERS
We begin with Adrian Sutcliffe, pianist and
keyboard player in the trio Classic Rhythm (its other players are a
flautist and a percussionist) who play his arrangements and also original
compositions, which include a Jazz Suite, Sunshine Island and
some Variations on a Theme of Paganini (no prizes I think, for
guessing which).
Now for two composers of the present day particularly
associated with writing for brass ensembles: Richard Grantham,
in demand for his brass band compositions; and Alan Gout, known
for his Edwardian Suite for brass quintet.
Next, one addition to all those composers of 19th
Century dance music which I have listed from time to time in a rather
inchoate and no doubt incomplete manner in these Garlands. One R
Layton composed, presumably among many other things, an Old Lindum
Polka "Lindum" is of course the Roman name for Lincoln
and, appropriately, I saw a copy of the piece in a display in the Museum
of Lincolnshire life on a recent visit to Lincoln. The very helpful
Museum staff were unable to confirm whether Layton was a local man as
one might reasonably suspect; I noticed they had for sale a collection
of early 19th Century dances compiled from traditional and
other local sources by a local man.
Two more helots of the English musical stage were Norman
Dannatt and, also known as a theatre director, Frances Essex,
who between them provided the music for the show Cloakroom Ticket
No 3, dating from 1953, but which did not however make the West
End.
Finally, Albert Webb is worth a mention for
his Grantchester Theme, published for piano solo by Frances Day
& Hunter in 1959 and derived from music he wrote for a film, presumably
a documentary about that Cambridgeshire village so rich in its literary
associations.
Philip L Scowcroft
September 2001
Philip's book 'British Light Music Composers' (ISBN 0903413 88 4) is
currently out of print.
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