A 242nd GARLAND OF BRITISH
LIGHT MUSIC COMPOSERS
We begin with June Clark,
active in the 1960s as a composer of choral
music, both unison and in parts, which were
suitable for young performers and solo piano
music similarly appropriate. Examples are
March of the Astronauts, a seven piece
Holiday in the Holy Land and a suite,
King Arthur and the Knight of the Round
Table.
From the 1970s for twenty years
she followed an international career as a
duo pianist with Joan Ryall, during which
time June made numerous arrangements for two
pianos and piano duet. From 1990 she took
up her composing again with new works for
choirs and solo voice, many of which have
been performed by herself at the piano with
her son, the counter tenor, Nick Pepin in
concert and on CD. There are many new transcriptions
of songs, such as Shenandoah, My love is
like a red, red rose, The Ashgrove, O can
ye sew cushions, new SATB carols, Sleep
now O Babe of Bethlehem, Let us light a candle
to the Christ Child, and a number of new transcriptions
of well loved carols, an anthem O Saviour
Christ, and four new children’s songs,
Mr Pennyfather, The Miller, Captain Leather
and The Colonel’s Gallop.
This year (2005) sees the launching of her
own publishing company, Charlemagne Music,
which is now issuing many of these compositions.
For complete catalogue and info see:
www.charlemagnemusic.co.uk
Our film/TV composer this
time is Ilona Sekacz (resident in this
country) who has produced a number of series
for TV, most recently for the drama Station
Jim (December 2001) set in the Victorian
period at a railway station.
J. Michael Watson,
active around the turn of the 20th
century, composed, like so many musicians
at that time, a Coronation March (1902)
for King Edward VII, but he was perhaps better
known for his ballad-like songs, some of which
survived for many years: Anchored, Hush
You Gently, Honey, I Wish to Tune My Quivering
Lyre, The Press Gang and The Powder
Monkey. His much later namesake Geoffrey
Watson produced a quantity of music suitable
for young amateurs during the 1960s – unison
songs, Here and There (a suite for
piano) and, also for piano solo, Seven
Pastorals, published in 1964.
Charles James Mott
(1880-1918) was a distinguished baritone singer
cut off in his prime when he was killed on
the Western Front. During his last three years
he had become associated with Elgar’s music,
especially The Starlight Express and
The Fringes of the Fleet, both of which
he recorded. Like several singers he also
composed and his ballads Love’s Appeal
and The Gift of Life were recorded,
too.
Clive Carey, born
in 1883, also had an oblique connection with
Elgar in that Carey set some of The Starlight
Express songs before Sir Edward "got
the nod" to do the music for the stage
production in 1915. Carey however had many
of his songs, which are often of a ballad-like
character, published, examples being April
Children, In the Highlands, Love On My Heart
From Heaven Fell, Melmillo, The Nightingale,
Rondel, Song of the Sirens, The Spring, Since
Thou O Fondest and Truest, Twice Happy She
and To Violets.
Philip L Scowcroft
January 2002
Philip's book 'British Light Music Composers'
(ISBN 0903413 88 4) is currently out of print.
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