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A SEVENTIETH GARLAND OF BRITISH LIGHT MUSIC COMPOSERS
We begin with two figures known for their music for
the screen and particularly the small screen. First there is MATTHEW
SCOTT, who most recently has provided the "new" music for The
Mrs Bradley Mysteries on BBC 1 (although much of the music for
those is selected from real jazzy tunes from the 1920s and 1930s, the
period in which this elegant costume series is set). Secondly we have
MAX HARRIS. Arguably the best-remembered TV series for which he provided
the music is the sit-com Open All Hours; but Bombay Duckling
(the Kipling Theme, from BBC TV's feature Kipling) and
the Gurney Slade theme and Hat and Cane, both from The
Strange World of Gurney Slade all achieved publication in piano
versions.
Moving back into the earlier years of the 20th
Century we nominate first two who were not British by birth but who
for varying reasons receive a brief mention NACIO HERB BROWN, born in
1896, was American, but his instrumental genre piece The Wedding
of the Painted Doll was very popular with British light orchestras
and ensembles in the 1920s and afterwards; he also produced songs, film
music for earlier Hollywood features and a number of other orchestral
miniatures, such as Broadway Melody and American Bolero,
Then there was JEAN GILBERT, who was actually born MAX WATERFIELD in
Hamburg; he died in 1924 but before that he had several shows produced
on the English musical stage, among which we may list The Girl in
the Taxi (1912), his most popular piece, Lady of the Rose, Puppchen,
The Cinema Star, Mam'selle Tralala, Ratsa the Dancer, and, with
Vernon Duke (previously featured in these Garlands), Yvonne.
Some of these musicals had popular dance movements extracted from them
- a Waltz from The Lady of the Rose, a Two-step Intermezzo from
Puppchen and the Fluffy Pets One-step (!) from The
Cinema Star.
MICHAEL STRONG was certainly British and was basically
- although the waltz Only For You was popular in an instrumental
arrangement between the wars - a composer of ballads like The Villages
of England, One Day of Gold and, dated 1946, De Lawd Knows
All.
Finally there was ALFONSO GIBILARO, who was of Italian
extraction and apparently related to the conductor Sir John Barbirolli,
who from time to time, programmed his orchestral music (I seem to remember
Three Sicilian Miniatures, or some similar title, appearing in
Hallé programmes during the 1940s and early 1950s). Gibilaro
was a pianist in small orchestras and ensembles (he regularly appeared
and recorded with the violinist/composer DAVID DE GROOT). Others among
Gibilaro's lightish compositions included Burlesque Serenade,
a Fantasia on British Airs (for oboe and strings), Menuet
de la Poupie and the Rondo des Marionettes. It may be worth
dusting down one of his scores sometime.
© Philip L. Scowcroft
January 2000
Footnote
Apparently Gibilaro was quite advanced in years when he became the father
to a little boy. One day, the boy was invited to his cousin’s birthday
party, and during the party, the children all played with toy musical
instruments – tin whistles, kazoos, little drums, etc.
Gibilaro, still at home, got a phone call from the boy, to tell him that
they had an orchestra, and would he like to hear them? The kids played
their music, and at the end, the little boy asked Gibilaro what he thought
of it. “Well, “ he said, “it wasn’t terribly good,
was it?” “It should have been,” said the boy, “Uncle
John was conducting.” Uncle John, of course, being Sir John Barbirolli.
Enquiries to Philip at
8 Rowan Mount
DONCASTER
S YORKS DN2 5PJ
Philip's book 'British Light Music Composers' (ISBN 0903413 88 4) is
currently out of print.
E-mail enquiries (but NOT orders) can be directed to Rob Barnett
at rob.barnett1@btinternet.com
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