Robert Farnon & His Orchestra
MY FAIR LADY AND OTHER MUSICAL BOUQUETS & THE SENSUOUS STRINGS

MY FAIR LADY AND OTHER MUSICAL BOUQUETS
THE ORIGINAL LP SFL 13047 (1964) STEREO Get Me to the Church on Time (Lerner; Loewe)
Wouldn't it be Loverly (Lerner; Loewe)
On the Street Where You Live (Lerner; Loewe)
I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face (Lerner; Loewe)
Button Up Your Overcoat (De Sylva; Brown; Henderson)
Black Bottom (De Sylva; Brown; Henderson)
Dancing in the Dark (Schwartz; Dietz)
The Best Things in Life are Free (De Sylva; Brown; Henderson)
I'm a Dreamer, Aren't We All? (De Sylva; Brown; Henderson)
Sunnyside Up (De Sylva; Brown; Henderson) THE SENSUOUS STRINGS
THE ORIGINAL LP 852011 BY (1962) STEREO The Touch of Your Lips (Noble)
To a Young Lady (Farnon)
Isn't it Romantic? (Rodgers; Hart)
La Casita Mia (Farnon)
Moonlight Becomes You (Van Heusen; Burke)
When I Fall in Love (Young; Heyman)
Two Cigarettes in the Dark (Pollack; Webster)
I'm in the Mood for Love (McHugh; Fields)
Hey There (Adler; Ross)
Something to Remember You By (Schwartz; Dietz)
Just a Memory (De Sylva; Brown; Henderson)
Alone Together (Schwartz; Dietz)

Vocalion CDLK4462

GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5183

A Return Trip To The Library
Marches : Majestic Atmosphere

1 With Pomp And Pride (King Palmer)
LONDON PROMENADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by WALTER COLLINS
Paxton PR 401 1946
Show Business
2 Happidrome (Paul Fenoulhet)
GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA
KPM Music KPM 021 1960
Romantic
3 Lovely Day (Tom Wyler, real name Toni Leutwiler)
THE HARMONIC STRINGS Conducted by TOM WYLER
Charles Brull/Harmonic CBL328 1952
Light Atmosphere
4 Rue De La Paix (Laurie Johnson)
GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA
KPM Music KPM 033 1960
5 Looking Around (Colin Smith, real name Lloyd Thomas)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
Chappell C 386 1950
6 Making Merry (Cyril Watters)
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA (as ‘Paul Franklin’ on disc label)
Paxton PR 661 1956
Scenic Grandeur
7 Wide Horizon (Cecil Milner)
THE SYMPHONIA ORCHESTRA Conducted by CURT ANDERSEN
Harmonic/Charles Brull CBL 419 1958
Animals
8 Dog Gone (George French)
GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA Conducted by ERIC COOK
KPM 008 1959
Children
9 Little Debbie (Trevor Duncan, real name Leonard Charles Trebilco)
NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by DOLF VAN DER LINDEN (as ‘Nat Nyll’)
Boosey & Hawkes OT 2340 1959
Small Groups
10 Secret Serenade (Reg Owen, real name George Owen Smith)
THE CLUB QUINTET
Conroy BM 161-A 1959
Dance Music
11 Dixielander (Robert Farnon)
THE DANCE ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
Chappell C 351 1948
Modern Movement
12 Transcontinental (Anthony Mawer)
THE CONNAUGHT LIGHT ORCHESTRA
Conroy BM 182-B 1959
13 Holiday Excursion (Peter Yorke)
TELECAST ORCHESTRA Conducted by PETER YORKE
Chappell C680B 1960
Humorous
14 This Old Man Came Rolling Home (Knick, Knack, Paddy Whack) (Traditional, arr. Clive Richardson)
GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA
KPM Music KPM 063 1960
National Character
15 Rickshaw Ride (Jos Cleber)
THE GROSVENOR STUDIO ORCHESTRA
Synchro FM 213 1959
16 Le Cabaret – French Overture (John Foulds)
LONDON PROMENADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by WALTER COLLINS
Paxton PR 406 1946
Sea
17 Sea Piece (Jack Beaver)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
Chappell C 640 1959
Sports
18 Ascot Parade (Jack Strachey)
LONDON PROMENADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by WALTER COLLINS
Paxton PR 455 1948
Comedy
19 Buffoonery (Van Phillips)
THE CONNAUGHT LIGHT ORCHESTRA
Conroy BM 106-A 1958
Novelty
20 Man From Mars (Dolf van der Linden)
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS METROPOLE ORCHESTRA
Paxton PR 581 1953
Pastoral
21 The Watermill (Ronald Binge)
THE LANSDOWNE LIGHT ORCHESTRA (probably STUTTGART RADIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by KURT REHFELD)
Impress IA 206-A 1959
22 Luccombe Common (Trevor Duncan, real name Leonard Charles Trebilco)
THE SYMPHONIA ORCHESTRA Conducted by CURT ANDERSEN
Charles Brull/Harmonic CBL 457 1960
Glamour
23 The First Waltz (Robert Farnon)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
Chappell C 639 1959
Costume Drama
24 Quality Street (Fredric Bayco)
GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA
KPM Music KPM 060 1960
Space
25 Stratosphere (Eric Spear)
THE NEW CENTURY ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Francis, Day & Hunter FDH 048 1948
Dramatic Atmosphere
26 Shades Of Destiny (Wilfred Burns, real name Bernard Wilfred Harris)
REGENT CLASSIC ORCHESTRA
Bosworth BC 1257 1950
War
27 Blood And Sand March (Ronald Hanmer)
NEW CENTURY ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Francis, Day & Hunter FDH 044 1948
Industrial
28 A Machine Ballet (Charles Williams)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by CHARLES WILLIAMS
Chappell C 228 1945

All tracks mono

The notes accompanying the first CD in this series ("A Trip To The Library" GLCD5164) explained in detail how leading publishers established libraries of recorded music to suit the requirements of the entertainment industry and documentary film makers. Although some had their origins in previous decades, it was during the 1940s that several major new publishers became involved, resulting in a surge in the availability of what were usually termed "Mood Music" recordings – partly to satisfy the requirements of newsreels during World War 2.

The positive response to the earlier Guild collection has prompted this sequel, which includes a number of vintage tracks included by special request. The opportunity has also been taken to widen the scope of music covered, because the talented composers who produced this specialised music catered for every kind of mood. Some pieces were very short, and not intended for listening on a CD such as this. Others were dramatic and, frankly, occasionally depressing. But some of the numbers describing ‘cops and robbers’ and the like deserve not to be dismissed entirely: who would have wanted Devil’s Galop by Charles Williams (on GLCD5162) to be consigned to oblivion?

The catalogues issued by the publishers often included sections identifying different styles of music. This assisted professional users to find exactly what they wanted without having to check through long numerical lists. Titles were important, and care was taken to describe the music through the chosen name, although this didn’t necessarily preclude certain pieces from being suitable for more than one kind of situation. For this collection this practice has been revived, with short sections each containing contrasting areas of production music. It is hoped that this will not prevent an enjoyable flow from one mood to another, but the advantage is that it will permit the inclusion of a greater variety of music reflecting the vast repertoire that was available.

Without exception, all of the composers included in this collection were important contributors to the production music libraries of the middle years of the last century. Many were also active in other areas of light music, but a few were content to concentrate on this frequently ignored niche of the music business which, in reality, was an essential ingredient in so many different productions. Not every composer could adapt to the requirements of these background music libraries, but those who were able to master this particular craft found themselves in constant demand for their special skills. They all deserve to be praised, and rather than place some on a higher pedestal than others we will simply give brief details in the order that they are represented on this CD.

Cedric King Palmer (1913-1999) was a prolific composer of mood music who contributed over 600 works during a period of 30 years to the recorded music libraries of several London publishers. He ceased composing mood music in the 1970s, and towards the end of his life he became a piano teacher.

If you lived in Britain during the middle years of the last century you will have been familiar with the name of Paul Fenoulhet (1906-1979) – even if you were unsure how to spell it! At one time he was conductor of the famous Skyrockets then moved on to work with several of the BBC’s light orchestras.

As ‘Tom Wyler’, the Swiss violinist and composer Toni Leutwiler (1923-2009) became known outside his homeland, partly due to the success of his charming composition Lovely Day, which Frank Chacksfield recorded commercially for Columbia. His music was in demand from many broadcasting stations, and he was reported to have created over 2,000 arrangements.

Laurie Johnson (b.1927) has been a leading figure on the British entertainment scene for 50 years. A gifted arranger and composer, Laurie has contributed to films, musical theatre, radio, television and records, with his music used in many well-known productions such as "The Avengers" and "The Professionals".

Rhys Donald Lloyd Thomas (1901-1961) was familiar to radio listeners with his popular organ recitals. He also wrote marches and light pieces, and as ‘Colin Smith’ he composed Looking Around for Chappells which was picked as signature tune for a popular BBC Children’s TV series "The Appleyards" in the 1950s. Born in South Wales, during his early career he played piano before becoming one of the major organists on the Granada circuit. His other pseudonyms included John Barclay and Pedro Gonzalez. 

Henry Cyril Watters (1907-1984) was chief arranger with Boosey & Hawkes from 1953 to 1961, often providing appealing arrangements for melodies supplied by other composers who were either too busy, or insufficiently skilled, to orchestrate their own creations. However his position at Boosey & Hawkes did not prevent rival publishers from commissioning music from him.

Edward Cecil Milner (1905-1989) was a respected backroom boy in London music circles, arranging for many top orchestras such as Mantovani, for whom he supplied around 220 scores. He was also an accomplished composer with his works willingly accepted by several background music publishers. Since their days involved in pre-war British films he was closely associated with Charles Williams, and arranged some of his compositions. In the cinema Milner worked on some 50 films (often for Louis Levy) most notably the 1938 classic "The Lady Vanishes".

George French (b. 1921) was a British violinist who broadcast frequently on the BBC, sometimes fronting his own orchestra, but more often as leader for many well-known conductors in programmes such as "Music While You Work". He clearly had a gift for composing, but his recorded output was not substantial.

Regular collectors of this Guild series of CDs will already be familiar with the music of Trevor Duncan (real name Leonard Charles Trebilco, 1924-2005). Over 20 titles have now been reissued, and among the best-known are his first success High Heels (on GLCD 5124), Grand Vista (GLCD 5124) and Panoramic Splendour (GLCD5111). Little Debbie was dedicated to his daughter.

Reg Owen (born George Owen Smith, 1921-1978) was regarded as one of England's leading orchestrators, and he published his book "The Reg Owen Arranging Method" in 1956. He is regarded as a ‘one hit wonder’ thanks to his best-selling recording of Manhattan Spiritual in 1958. His own film scores date from 1957 and include "Murder Reported" (1958), "Very Important Person" (1961), "A Coming-Out Party" (1961) and "Payroll" (1962). He moved to Brussels in 1961, though he continued to arrange, compose and conduct albums all over Europe, including France, Germany and Italy before moving finally to Spain where he died in 1978. His Secret Serenade came to prominence in Britain through its regular use in a TV coffee commercial.

Canadian born Robert Joseph Farnon (1917-2005) is featured as both composer and conductor in this collection. Light Music enthusiasts will not need reminding of his tremendous influence on this area of the international music scene during the second half of the last century. His beautifully crafted melodies, numbering several hundreds in total, have been heard throughout the world in radio, television and films.

Anthony Mawer [1930-1999] recently made his debut in Guild with Painted Carousels (GLCD5180) from the De Wolfe library. He was born in Sale, Cheshire and educated at Manchester Grammar School. Musically he was mainly self-taught and started contributing occasional mood music pieces to De Wolfe in 1955 before joining the staff in 1959, where he remained until 1965. During this period he composed almost 500 titles exclusively for them. But his talents had been noticed by other London publishers and after leaving De Wolfe his name appeared on discs issued by almost all of the major production music libraries.

Peter Yorke (1902-1966) is a regular contributor to this series of CDs, as composer, arranger and conductor. After a period in British Dance Bands of the 1920s and 1930s, he graduated to arranging for Louis Levy before eventually forming his own concert orchestra for recording and broadcasting.

Clive Richardson (1909-1998) was part of ‘Four Hands in Harmony’ (with Tony Lowry), but that was just a small interlude in a long and successful career. He accompanied several artists on the piano, and was an early contributor of scores to British films (especially some of the Will Hay comedies, although he wasn’t credited on-screen). London Fantasia (GLCD5120) was a big success in the 1940s, and other well-known Richardson compositions to succeed were Melody on the Move GLCD5102) and Holiday Spirit (GLCD5120), that exuberant theme for BBC Children’s Television Newsreel. The BBC radio programme "ITMA" regularly featured amusing arrangements of well-known tunes, and Clive Richardson contributed several, including This Old Man Came Rolling Home.

Jos Cleber (also known as Jozef Cleber and Josef van Cleber, 1916-1999) was a Dutch composer and conductor. For a while he played trombone in Dolf van der Linden’s orchestra, and conducted his own ensemble De Zaaiers before leaving the Netherlands in 1962 to settle in South Africa.

John Herbert Foulds (1880-1939) was a classical British composer who also succeeded in writing light music and theatre scores. He was unfairly neglected for much of the later years of the 20^th century, but there has recently been a revival of interest in his work. From 1927 to 1935 he lived in Paris, which was obviously the inspiration for Le Cabaret.

Jack Beaver (1900-1963) was reputed to be a workaholic, who would dash between engagements in various parts of the country, often completing scores for theatrical productions during long train journeys en route. He also worked on well over 100 films and documentaries. Beaver contributed original works to most of the London publishers who ran their own recorded music libraries.

Jack Strachey (1894-1972) has ensured his musical immortality by composing These Foolish Things (GLCD5133). In the world of light music he is also remembered as the composer of In Party Mood (GLCD5120), the perky number he wrote for Bosworths in 1944 which was later chosen for the long-running BBC Radio series "Housewives’ Choice". This is just one of a series of catchy instrumentals that have flowed from his pen, and he seemed particularly gifted at writing marches with a sporting or show business theme. Ascot Parade falls into the former category; there was a time when it seemed to be heard in almost every newsreel containing horse racing scenes.

The American Van Phillips (1905-1992) was a respected member of London’s dance band fraternity from the late 1920s onwards, but after the Second World War he discovered a new talent for writing background music for publishers’ libraries. When this failed to satisfy his creative instincts he eventually became a highly regarded professional photographer.

Dolf van der Linden (real name David Gysbert van der Linden, 1915-1999) was the leading figure on the light music scene in the Netherlands from the 1940s until the 1980s. As well as broadcasting frequently with his Metropole Orchestra, he made numerous recordings for the background music libraries of major music publishers. He also made transcription recordings for Dutch radio and other companies. His commercial recordings (especially for the American market) were often labelled as ‘Van Lynn’ or ‘Daniel De Carlo’.

Ronald Binge (1910-1979) is destined to remain forever remembered as the gifted arranger who designed the ‘cascading strings’ effect for Mantovani, but his true achievements deserve far greater recognition. He was a prolific composer in his own right and The Watermill was widely praised.

London-born Fredric Bayco (1913-1970) was an organist and composer who contributed pieces to several libraries, sometimes with an historical feel. During the 1960s he was Chairman of The Light Music Society.

Eric Spear (1908-1966) will forever be associated with the theme for the TV series "Coronation Street", but this was only one of many light music works he composed.

Bernard Wilfred Harris, better known as ‘Wilfred Burns’ (1917-1990) was a prolific composer of mood music who has over 200 titles to his credit. After military service during the Second World War he worked at Elstree studios before eventually becoming a freelance film composer and musical director. He had many pieces accepted by various London publishers.

Former cinema organist Ronald Hanmer (1917-1994) composed over 700 pieces for various background music libraries, which must make him one of the most prolific composers specialising in this field.

Our final track features Charles Williams(born Isaac Cozerbreit 1893-1978), another composer/conductor whose work is now familiar once again through his many Guild appearances. He had numerous pieces published by Chappells when he was the main contributor to their Recorded Music Library, and his Machine Ballet was regarded as a landmark piece of industrial music when it first appeared in 1945. Like several pieces in this collection, it has been specially requested by production music enthusiasts, having never previously been available on a commercial release.

David Ades

GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5185

Christmas Celebration

1 Jingle Bells (James Lord Pierpont, arr. George H. Greeley)
BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
DOT DLP 25148 1958
2 We Three Kings Of Orient Are (Reverend John Henry Hopkins Junior, arr. Percy Faith) (An American carol from the 19^th century)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
COLUMBIA CS 8033 1958
3 Hark The Herald Angels Sing (Charles Wesley; Felix Mendelssohn, adapted William H. Cummings, arr. Billy Vaughn) (An English carol with origins in the 18^th century, although the popular version dates from a century later)
BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
DOT DLP 25148 1958
4 Good King Wenceslas (Tempus Adest Floridum) (Traditional, arr. William Hill- Bowen) (Music based on 13^th Century Spring Carol ‘Tempus Adest Floridum’; Words John Mason Neale)
THE MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
RCA LSP 2044 1959
5 Snowfall (Claude Thornhill, arr. Angela Morley)
ANGELA MORLEY AND HER ORCHESTRA (as ‘WALLY STOTT’ on LP label)
Warner Bros. WS 1341 1959
6 Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (John D. Marks, arr. Richard Hayman)
BOSTON ‘POPS’ ORCHESTRA Conducted by ARTHUR FIEDLER
RCA LSC 2329 1959
7 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (Thomas Patrick Connor)
THE MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
RCA LSP 2044 1959
8 White Christmas (from the 1942 film "Holiday Inn") (Irving Berlin, arr. Billy Vaughn)
BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
DOT DLP 25148 1958
9 The First Noel (The First Nowell) (Traditional, arr. Percy Faith) (Believed to be based on an English carol, possibly Cornish, from the 18^th century)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
COLUMBIA CS 8176 1959
10 Joy To The World ( Handel; Lowell Mason; Isaac Watts, arr. Billy Vaughn) (Originally based on Psalm 98)
BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
DOT DLP 25148 1958
11 Nazareth (Traditional, arr. Cecil Milner)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca SKL 4022 1958
12 Adeste Fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful) (John Francis Wade, arr. Billy Vaughn) (An English carol which may have originated in the 13^th century)
BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
DOT DLP 25148 1958
13 Deck The Hall With Boughs Of Holly (Welsh Traditional, arr. George H Greeley) (Based on a Welsh winter carol ‘Nos Galan’, dating from the 16^th century)
BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
DOT DLP 25148 1958
14 Sleigh Ride (Leroy Anderson)
BOSTON ‘POPS’ ORCHESTRA Conducted by ARTHUR FIEDLER
RCA LSC 2329 1959
15 Fairy On The Christmas Tree (Roma Campbell Hunter; Harry Parr-Davies)
THE MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
RCA LSP 2044 1959
16 Winter Wonderland (Felix Bernard, arr. Jack Mason)
BOSTON ‘POPS’ ORCHESTRA Conducted by ARTHUR FIEDLER
RCA LSC 2329 1959
17 Christmas Sleigh Bells (Romance and Troika from "Lieutenant Kije") (Sergei Prokofiev, arr. Angela Morley)
ANGELA MORLEY AND HER ORCHESTRA (as ‘WALLY STOTT’ on LP label)
Warner Bros. WS 1341 1959
18 Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (Fred J. Coots, arr. Jack Mason)
BOSTON ‘POPS’ ORCHESTRA Conducted by ARTHUR FIEDLER
RCA LSC 2329 1959
19 Christmas Alphabet (Buddy Kaye; Jules Loman)
THE MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
RCA LSP 2044 1959
20 God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (Traditional) (English carol, believed to date from the 18^th century)
THE MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
RCA LSP 2044 1959
21 Carol Of The Bells (Peter J. Wilhousky; Mykola Leontovich, arr. Percy Faith) (A Ukrainain carol, first performed in 1916)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
COLUMBIA CS 8033 1958
22 Silent Night, Holy Night (Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht) (Joseph Mohr; Franz Xaver Gruber, arr. Percy Faith) (An Austrian carol from the 19^th century)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
COLUMBIA CS 8176 1959
23 It Came Upon The Midnight Clear (Edmund Sears; Richard Storrs Willis, arr. Billy Vaughn) (An American carol from the 19^th century)
BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
DOT DLP 25148 1958
24 I Saw Three Ships (Traditional, arr. Percy Faith) (An English carol with origins in the 17^th century)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
COLUMBIA CS 8033 1958
25 O Little Town Of Bethlehem (Lewis Redner, arr. Billy Vaughn) (An American carol from the 19^th century)
BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
DOT DLP 25148 1958
26 Angels From The Realms Of Glory (Traditional, arr. Percy Faith) (An English carol from the 19^th century)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
COLUMBIA CS 8033 1958
27 Christians, Awake! (John Byrom; John Wainwright, arr. Percy Faith) (An English carol from the 18^th century)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
COLUMBIA CS 8033 1958
28 O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) (Traditional, arr. Percy Faith) (A German folk tune with connections dating back to the 16^th century; the most popular version today dates from the 19^th century)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
COLUMBIA CS 8033 1958
29 The Skaters’ Waltz (Émile Waldteufel)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca SKL 4022 1958
30 Hallelujah Chorus (from "Messiah") (George Frideric Handel, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
COLUMBIA CS 8033 1958

All tracks in stereo

Somehow Christmas isn’t the same without Festive Music, whether traditional carols or the appealing popular melodies dreamed up by composers who know how to tear at our nostalgic heartstrings. Both categories can be found in abundance in this collection, which offers tasteful orchestral settings of some of the best known carols from various countries alongside the catchy novelties that make Christmas such a happy time of the year. In the hands of the top arrangers and orchestras assembled on this CD, there is every chance that the discerning listener will discover some new sounds that add a welcome vibrancy to old, familiar friends.

The six conductors performing the music for our enjoyment were among the most famous in the world towards the end of the 1950s, when these stereo recordings were made. First on the podium is Richard "Billy" Vaughn (1919-1991), born in Glasgow, Kentucky, who began his career playing piano and singing baritone in the group ‘The Hilltoppers’, before joining Dot Records as musical director where he accompanied many of the label’s top singers. He became one of the most successful orchestra leaders during the rock’n’roll era, and from 1955 to 1970 he managed to get 36 titles into the USA Top 200 charts, including a million seller Melody Of Love which earned him a gold disc. In 1965 he began touring internationally with his band, achieving considerable popularity in Japan, Korea and Brazil. His 1958 Christmas LP for Dot Records, from which the titles in this collection are taken, tastefully combined a small choir with the orchestra.

It is possible that Billy Vaughn may have surprised some of his usual fans with the restrained treatment of his Christmas melodies, given his reputation for recordings that were often more strident. But when Percy Faith (1908-1976) turned his attention to this repertoire there was no doubt that he would treat it with proper respect. Faith was born in Toronto, Canada, and originally he expected that his musical career would be as a concert pianist. But he injured his hands in a fire, which forced him to turn to composing, arranging and conducting. During the 1930s his programme "Music By Faith" was carried by the Mutual network in the USA, which prompted offers of work south of the border. He eventually succumbed in 1940, leaving Robert Farnon (previously his lead trumpeter) to conduct his Canadian orchestra. Unlike most of his contemporaries, Faith arranged all his own material, and his exciting and vibrant scores made his work stand out among the rest. Faith was always busy, whether working in the recording studios, radio, television or films. Today it is his numerous albums that have created a resurgence of interest in his work, thanks to their reissue on CD. More than once his record company commissioned him to produce superior albums for the Christmas market, and they remain highly collectable.

Like Percy Faith, George Miltiades Melachrino (1909-1965) was asked to conduct music for the Festive Season on several occasions. The LP era was the perfect vehicle for his inventive scores (including some by his right-hand man, William Hill-Bowen 1918-1964), although as early as 1950 his Christmas Fantasy (on two sides of an HMV 78 - reissued on Guild GLCD5138) had left his admirers hoping for more. Melachrinowas one of the big names in British light music from the 1940s to the 1960s. Born in London, he became a professional musician, competent on clarinet, alto and tenor saxophone, violin and viola, and he worked with many British dance bands in the 1930s. He was also in demand as a singer, and can be heard on recordings with Carroll Gibbons and others. During World War 2 he became Musical Director of the Army Radio Unit, and his 50-piece ‘Orchestra in Khaki’ toured with the ‘Stars in Battledress’ (two of their rare wartime recordings can be heard on GLCD5174). When the Allied Expeditionary Forces Programme of the BBC began broadcasting to Allied troops on 7 June 1944 (one day after D-Day), George Melachrino was featured conducting the British Band of the AEF; his colleagues were Glenn Miller and Robert Farnon (whose recordings can be heard on many Guild CDs), fronting the American and Canadian Bands. After the war Melachrino retained the finest elements of his service band to form the magnificent orchestra that went on to achieve worldwide fame, mainly through its superb long-playing record albums which sold in millions. Many tuneful pieces of light music flowed from his pen, and he developed a unique arranging style which was instantly recognisable. Melachrino built up a thriving entertainment organisation also involved in films, theatre and broadcasting and EMI used his talents extensively when stereo arrived.

Angela Morley (1924-2009) originally played alto sax with bands such as Geraldo (under her former name, Wally Stott), and her orchestra was an essential ingredient in the overwhelming success of BBC Radio’s "Goon Show" starring Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe. The positive reaction to her distinctive arrangements encouraged her to start composing, and one of her first was A Canadian In Mayfair (on Guild GLCD5157)dedicated to Robert Farnon. She recalled that it was just intended as a piece of fun, but Farnon insisted that it should be shown to his publishers, Chappells, who added it to their mood music library – appropriately conducted by Farnon himself. When Philips Records launched in Britain in 1952 she was placed under contract to arrange and accompany many of their stars, but she was also fortunate in being given the opportunity to record many orchestral numbers, both on singles and LPs. In 1958 an album of melodies associated with London received numerous plaudits from critics and fans alike, and it is still regarded as one of the finest musical tributes to Britain’s capital city. Undoubtedly this helped her to become known in the USA, and in 1959 Warner Bros. asked her to rework – this time in stereo – a collection of Christmas titles she had previously recorded on a 10" Philips LP, with a few extra tunes added. Two of the outstanding ‘new’ tracks can be found on this CD. Angela was also a frequent contributor to the Chappell Recorded Music Library, with several of her works at last available for the first time on previous Guild CDs. In her later career she was much in demand for film scores, and also assisted leading composers on major projects – working with John Williams on "Star Wars" being a prime example. Her TV credits included "Dallas" and "Dynasty".

For many years Arthur Fiedler (1894-1979) was always linked in the mind with The Boston ‘Pops’ Orchestra, although in Britain its records were released under the name Boston ‘Promenade’ Orchestra, which seemed more in keeping with its repertoire. It took quite a long while before the American term ‘Pops’ Orchestra finally gained acceptance outside the USA. Fiedler’s Austrian-born father played violin in the Boston Symphony Orchestra (from which the Boston ‘Pops’ is created for its lighter moments). Arthur became the eighteenth conductor of the ‘Pops’ in 1930, and remained at the helm until a heart attack following a performance on 5 May 1979 hastened his death two months later at the age of 84. For years Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) was the full-time arranger, so it seems only right that the orchestra should play his Sleigh Ride on this CD. Such was its popularity that it managed to reach No. 34 in the Cash Box Top 50 in August 1954; but because it sold steadily over many years, its total sales probably exceeded those of many other records which hit the top for just a week or two. During the post-war years Anderson enjoyed considerable fame with his own compositions, sometimes introduced to the public by the Boston ‘Pops’, but more often through his recordings with his own ‘Pops’ Concert Orchestra. The arrangers of the other popular melodies played by the orchestra selected for this CD originally received due credit for their important contributions on the LP sleeve – something that rarely happened in those days. Although not so well-known, Jack Mason (1906-1965) was very prolific and he composed Pops Polka (on GLCD5166). On the other hand Richard (Warren Joseph) Hayman (b. 1920) as well as being a respected arranger and conductor, was also a harmonica virtuoso, and he sometimes adapted his scores of popular melodies so that he could perform on his favourite instrument. This formula brought him two chart successes in the early 1950s, with 78s of Ruby and April In Portugal. He followed Leroy Anderson as an arranger for the Boston ‘Pops’ Orchestra over a period of more than 30 years, and also served as Music Director of Mercury Records. He was regularly in demand to orchestrate Broadway shows and film soundtracks, and notable among his own compositions are No Strings Attached (GLCD5105) and Skipping Along (GLCD5131).

The father of Venetian-born Annunzio Paolo Mantovani (1905-1980) was principal violinist at La Scala, Milan, with the legendary Arturo Toscanini. Although details are difficult to confirm, Mantovani always maintained that he came to England when aged only four, and it is believed that he may have accompanied his father who was playing with a touring Italian opera company which performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1909. The family seems to have settled permanently in England in 1912. During his formal studies at Trinity College he excelled on the violin, performing Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 when only 16. But the young Mantovani showed leanings towards the popular music of the day, and he embarked upon a career that was typical for many aspiring musicians in the early years of the last century. His studies had equipped him well as both a violinist and pianist, and it was not long before he became proficient at composing and arranging. Living in the capital city there were plenty of opportunities for work in restaurants, hotels and theatres, and while still in his teens he realised that conducting was another skill that came easily to him. In 1923 he took a quintet into the Midland Hotel in Birmingham; by 1925 he was at London’s Metropole Hotel where one of his later players was another talented youngster who would one day become one of the most famous light music conductors alongside Mantovani – none other than George Melachrino. This was the era that witnessed the birth of radio, and the emergence of gramophone records as a major source of home entertainment. Naturally Mantovani was in demand for both, and by 1932 his name was starting to be recognised by music lovers: it was in this year that he began his series of popular recordings conducting his Tipica Orchestra. There was a steady demand for dance music, and Mantovani tended to specialise in Latin American styles, resulting in two minor hits in the USA in 1935 and 1936 (Red Sails in the Sunset and Serenade in the Night). Gradually his recorded repertoire expanded to include pieces of concert-style light music, and this laid the foundations for the large orchestra, with the emphasis on strings, that was to bring him universal acclaim from the early 1950s onwards. In addition to all his other commitments, he conducted the theatre orchestra in West End productions such as "Sigh No More", "Pacific 1860" and "Ace of Clubs" (all Noel Coward shows), and Vivian Ellis’ "And So To Bed". But the world-wide acclaim that greeted Charmaine in 1951 forced him to devote all his energies thereafter to recording and performing concerts in Britain and overseas with the great orchestra that has ensured his well-deserved place in the history of popular music. Today it is well-known that Ronald Binge (1910-1979) deserved recognition as the talented arranger responsible for devising the distinctive string sound (sometimes called ‘cascading strings’) which made Mantovani famous throughout the world. But he was well served by some other talented arrangers, and Cecil Milner (1905-1989) created the delightful setting of the traditional air Nazareth.

Choosing the right melodies to open and close collections such as this can often pose problems for compilers. Happily this time Jingle Bells simply had to set the scene, leaving Handel’s magnificent Hallelujah Chorus, employing the full forces of the Percy Faith Orchestra, to provide the spectacular finale.

David Ades

GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5186

Light Music While You Work – Volume 3

1 Fairy On The Clock (Sherman Myers, real name Montague Ewing)
HAROLD COLLINS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 166 1944
2 Samum (Symphonic Foxtrot) (Carl Robrecht)
HARRY FRYER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 131 1944
3 With A Smile And A Song (from "Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs") (Larry Morey; Frank E. Churchill)
REGINALD PURSGLOVE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 316 1945
4 Flapperette (Jesse Greer)
HAROLD COLLINS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 148 1944
5 Step Lightly (Peter Anderson)
LONDON COLISEUM ORCHESTRA Conducted by REGINALD BURSTON
Decca Music While You Work MW 257 1944
6 Twinkle-Toes (Hugh Raeburn, real name Wynford Reynolds)
WYNFORD REYNOLDS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 130 1944
7 Casino Tanz (Ferenc Gungl)
RONNIE MUNRO AND HIS WALTZ ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 400 1946
8 Rag Doll (Nacio Herb Brown)
HAROLD COLLINS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 82 1943
9 Flash Of Steel (Sidney Colin)
LONDON COLISEUM ORCHESTRA Conducted by REGINALD BURSTON
Decca Music While You Work MW 257 1944
10 Gold And Silver Waltz (Franz Lehár)
HAROLD COLLINS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 79 1943
11 Wedding Of The Rose (Leon Jessel)
HAROLD COLLINS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 83 1943
12 The Juggler (G. Groitzsch)
HAROLD COLLINS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 167 1944
13 The Devil Ma Cares (Beechfield Carver)
HARRY FRYER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 333 1945
14 Fairies On The Moon (Montague Ewing)
WYNFORD REYNOLDS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 414 1946
15 Valse Bleue (Alfred Paul Margis)
LONDON COLISEUM ORCHESTRA Conducted by REGINALD BURSTON
Decca Music While You Work MW 301 1945
16 Up Guards And At ‘Em (Gordon Mackenzie)
HARRY FRYER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 333 1945
17 Doll Dance (Nacio Herb Brown)
HAROLD COLLINS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 82 1943
18 Where The Lemon Trees Blossom (Johann Strauss II)
LONDON COLISEUM ORCHESTRA Conducted by REGINALD BURSTON
Decca Music While You Work MW 334 1945
19 Three Jolly Brothers (Robert Vollstedt)
HAROLD COLLINS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 83 1943
20 Marche Tartare (Louis Ganne)
HARRY DAVIDSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 213 1944
21 Rhythm Of The Clock (Eddie Hunt; Peter Kane)
WYNFORD REYNOLDS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 414 1946
22 The Way To The Heart – Intermezzo (Paul Lincke)
HARRY DAVIDSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 242 1944
23 Wren’s Serenade (Joseph Engleman)
HAROLD COLLINS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 190 1944
24 Marche Russe (Louis Ganne)
HARRY DAVIDSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 213 1944
25 Mon Reve Waltz (Emile Charles Waldteufel)
RONNIE MUNRO AND HIS SCOTTISH VARIETY ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 252 1945
26 Grand March from "Carmen" (Georges Bizet)
RICHARD CREAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 95 1943

All tracks mono

British people ‘of a certain age’ will still remember "Music While You Work", but it is appropriate to offer an explanation to the younger generation and Guild Music’s many friends in countries outside the United Kingdom. If you have already purchased the first two volumes in this series (on GLCD5128 and 5137) the next few paragraphs may be familiar to you, but it is important that the background behind these recordings is revealed.

When the full misery of the Second World War was becoming all too apparent in the early months of 1940, the BBC (the sole British broadcaster at the time) was persuaded that the public needed cheering up, and morale-boosting radio programmes would be an important addition to other forms of popular entertainment such as the cinema and variety theatres. Radio shows were gradually being relayed to factories to relieve the monotony of mass production, especially in the fields of armaments and other essential war supplies, and it was believed that bright and cheerful music might even increase output.

One can imagine the number of meetings and internal soul-searching that must have taken place before the BBC would embark upon such a step. Since its inception in 1922 it had nurtured a reputation as the guardian of the nation’s morals and this certainly extended to the kind of music that it would allow on its airwaves. ‘Popular’ music was viewed with grave suspicion, even though pre-war commercial broadcasts beamed to Britain from the near continent had demonstrated the public’s appetite for lighter musical fare.

But somehow a programme called "Music While You Work" did survive all the planning obstacles, and the first broadcast took place at 10.30am on Sunday 23 June 1940. It became something of an institution in British broadcasting, where it was to remain in the schedules for an unbroken run of 27 years. When the BBC celebrated its 60^th anniversary in 1982 "Music While You Work" was one of several popular programmes brought back for a few editions, and the positive public reaction resulted in several more ‘returns’ including yet another revival in 1995.

The man credited with the original idea – and its successful implementation – was Wynford Reynolds (1899-1958). ‘Live’ musicians were usually engaged for the programme, ranging from solo performers such as organists, to small groups, dance bands, light orchestras and military bands. After some early experiments with light classics the feedback from the factories soon indicated that workers preferred tunes they knew and to which they could sing along. The BBC could not be expected to broadcast to such a restricted formula throughout the entire day - after all, they had a large audience of listeners in their homes. Gramophone records provided the answer as far as the factories were concerned; when the radio programmes were not suitable for the workforce the Tannoy public address system resorted to records played by one of the staff.

This is when someone at Decca realised that a special series of 78s would fit the bill admirably and their own "Music While You Work" label was born; sensibly they sought Wynford Reynolds’ advice from the outset. These were not intended to be an accurate carbon copy of the BBC broadcasts, and the orchestras on the Decca records (mostly their contract artists) did not necessarily also perform on the radio. But they did succeed in conveying the ‘feel’ of the programme and have provided a fascinating subject for collectors to study over the years.

The first twenty records that were released, starting in 1942, were included in Decca’s usual blue and gold label ‘F’ series of popular 78s and given their own ‘MW’ prefix. Thereafter all issues were only on the black and white ‘Music White You Work’ label and by September 1943 some 27 discs were available. Following this rather slow start, the floodgates opened, and nearly 400 more were to be released before the final ones appeared in January 1947. The series was quickly deleted, and throughout the existence of the label Decca publicity had been sketchy, to say the least. The record buying public was often unaware of what was available, so consequently some of the titles must be quite rare. Some of the later 78s were recorded using Decca’s revolutionary ‘ffrr’ (full frequency range recording) process which remained a closely guarded secret for some while since it had originally been developed to assist the war effort, and the improved sound quality of several of the tracks on this CD is evidence of this.

The orchestras chosen for these recordings would have been familiar to the public at the time. The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) was built in St. Martin’s Lane by the famous theatre impresario and architect, Oswald Stoll, and it opened for its first performance on 24 December 1904. Since then it has undergone changes of name, various refurbishments and different kinds of productions, ranging from variety and operetta to ballet and opera – it is now the home of English National Opera. Reginald Bradshaw Burston (1897-1968) was an experienced musical director who was regularly employed in various London theatres ranging from D’Oyly Carte Opera to prestigious Noel Coward productions and lavish post-war American musicals. In the mid-1930s he conducted the BBC Midland Orchestra, then in 1936 he took over the baton of the BBC Revue Orchestra for several years.

Like Reginald Burston, Harold Collins (c.1900 - c.1971) arold Collins, David Java

at one time was Musical Director at the London Coliseum, although he also held positions at various provincial theatres. Originally a pianist, it seems he gave his first broadcast from Plymouth in 1936 where he was resident conductor at the Palace Theatre, and was hired by the BBC for "Music While You Work" soon after the programme was launched. In total he appeared in 227 programmes with his Orchestra, and he also made a good number of records for Decca’s MWYW series, usually with a smaller ensemble in a style that suited the light repertoire that was his speciality – his tracks in this collection are ideal examples. In later years he was heard in BBC shows "Morning Music" and "Melody On The Move", and through his work with Norman Wisdom he appeared on ITV’s top Sunday evening shows from the London Palladium and the Prince of Wales Theatre.

Reginald Pursglove (1902-1982) was an accomplished violinist who worked with many of the British dance bands in the 1920s and 1930s. During four decades he was heard regularly on the radio fronting various ensembles, such as small groups, right up to light orchestras which gradually assumed greater prominence as dance bands were heard less frequently on the air. His Albany Players (later renamed the Albany Strings) constantly provided top quality light music, but eventually the BBC’s decision to rely less upon live music meant that the orchestra did not survive the 1960s – a fate that was to befall so many of Pursglove’s contemporaries.

Ronnie Munro (1897-1989) started his career playing piano in various clubs and bands in London before eventually working regularly with EMI – particularly the HMV ‘house’ orchestra The New Mayfair Orchestra. He contributed numerous arrangements for top recording bands such as Jack Hylton, Lew Stone, Percival Mackey, Ambrose and Henry Hall. In 1940 he was appointed conductor of the BBC’s newly-formed Scottish Variety Orchestra.

Harry Davidson (1892-1967) enjoyed two successful, and different, careers before and following the Second World War. After various engagements around London and the north-east of England spanning the years 1914 to 1929, he finally secured the highly prestigious appointment as organist at the newly built Commodore Theatre at Hammersmith in London. The Commodore had a fine 18-piece orchestra conducted by Joseph Muscant (1899-1983) and, by the early 1930s, it had acquired a loyal national following for its regular broadcasts. After five years Muscant left to take over the Troxy Broadcasting Orchestra and, in July 1934, Harry Davidson stepped into his shoes. Numerous Commodore Grand Orchestra and two Troxy Broadcasting Orchestra recordings are on other Guild CDs, including GLCD5108, 5116, 5122, 5134, 5163 and 5168. Although the Commodore orchestra was disbanded during the war, Davidson managed to keep many of his superb musicians together and soon he was broadcasting regularly, notching up no less that 109 editions of "Music While You Work" during the programme’s first year. In November 1943 his series "Those Were The Days" appeared for the first time, providing listeners at home with a regular helping of melodious old-time dance music. It became a permanent fixture in the schedules with Harry in charge until ill-health forced him to retire in November 1965. But such was its popularity that the programme continued under Sidney Davey for another twelve years.

Considering his musical background, it is likely that Wynford Hubert Reynolds (1899-1958) had little problem in persuading the BBC that he had the necessary knowledge to launch "Music While You Work". He was already on the staff of the BBC as a producer, although he was also an experienced performer. He was born in Ebbw Vale, Wales, and his early musical training at the Royal Academy of Music concentrated on the violin, viola and composition. Like many of his fellow musicians, he provided music for silent films, and eventually joined the Queen’s Hall Orchestra under its illustrious conductor (and founder of London’s Promenade Concerts) Sir Henry Wood.

Reynolds became involved with the early days of radio in the 1920s, and it wasn’t long before he formed his own orchestra for concerts (including engagements at seaside venues) and broadcasts. In 1941 the BBC gave him the important-sounding title ‘Music While You Work Organiser’ but, due to the strict rules imposed by the Corporation on its own employees, this prevented him from appearing with his orchestra in the programmes. He left this position in 1944, and went back to performing on radio, not only in "Music While You Work" but also, later, in popular shows such as "Bright and Early" and "Morning Music". Happily the recordings he made for Decca’s MWYW series are evidence of the high quality of his music, although his influence extended far beyond those 78s bearing his own orchestra’s name: he produced the majority of around 420 discs that were issued before the series ended with the final releases in January 1947.

In common with so many musicians of his era, Harry Fryer (1896-1946) found work playing for silent films and gradually progressed to conducting at London theatres and leading venues in and around the capital. He was a regular broadcaster, both before the war and later frequently on radio in "Music While You Work". The London publishers Boosey & Hawkes contracted Fryer in 1941 to conduct for their Recorded Music Library. By the end of the war he had become a household name and there seems little doubt that, had it not been for his death in 1946 aged only 50, his talents would have been much in demand during the post-war years.

Richard Crean (1879-1955) became a familiar name in the 1930s through his association with the London Palladium Orchestra. Prior to that he had travelled widely as Chorus Master with the Thomas Quinlan Opera Company, before accepting a similar position at Covent Garden with Adrian Boult. Then a spell at Ilford Hippodrome in variety led to his appointment in 1930 as conductor of the London Palladium Orchestra (featured on several Guild Light Music CDs) which lasted for around five years, until he formed his own orchestra which he conducted, on and off, for the rest of his life. For a short while in 1941-42 he conducted the newly-formed BBC Midland Light Orchestra, and like Harry Fryer he was also a contributor to the Boosey & Hawkes Recorded Music Library.

The BBC radio programme "Music While You Work" endeared itself to millions of British listeners for several decades, and its signature tune Calling All Workers by Eric Coates (on GLCD5128) is still instantly recognisable. It seems a shame that tuneful, uninterrupted music now seems totally absent from broadcasting schedules.

David Ades

GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5180

Bright And Breezy
1 Bright And Breezy (Peter Dennis, real name Dennis Alfred Berry)
THE GROSVENOR STUDIO ORCHESTRA
Synchro FM 217 1959
2 Theme from 'The Apartment' (original title Jealous Lover) (Charles Williams, real name Isaac Cozerbreit)
BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
DOT DLP 25322 1960
3 Carnival (Harry Warren; Bob Russell)
LES BAXTER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Capitol T 733 1957
4 They Call The Wind Maria (from 'Paint Your Wagon') (Alan Jay Lerner; Frederick Loewe, arr. Robert Farnon)
ROBERT FARNON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
MGM SE3804 1960
5 Ragazza Romanza (Roberts)
THE MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
RCA SF 5049 1960
6 Painted Carousels (Anthony Mawer)
COSMOPOLITAN ORCHESTRA Conducted by PHILLIPO ANDEZ
De Wolfe DW 2668B 1960
7 Misty (Erroll Garner; Johnny Burke)
THE KNIGHTSBRIDGE STRINGS
Top Rank International 45-JAR 304 1960
8 Toy Town Trumpeters (William Davies)
THE CRAWFORD LIGHT ORCHESTRA
Josef Weinberger JW 247-A 1960
9 'Tiger Bay' - Theme from the Film (Laurie Johnson)
THE PINEWOOD STUDIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by PHILIP GREEN
Top Rank 45-JAR112 1959
10 'La Dolce Vita' (Theme from the film) (Nino Rota; Verde)
MANUEL AND THE MUSIC OF THE MOUNTAINS ('Manuel' is GEOFF LOVE)
Columbia 45-DB 4563 1960
11 Midi-Midinette (Christian Bruhn; Georg Buschor)
SIR CHAUNCEY (real name ERNIE FREEMAN)
Warner Bros 45-WB 35 1960
12 Begin The Beguine (from 'Jubilee') (Cole Porter, arr. Brian Fahey)
THE STARLIGHT SYMPHONY Conducted by CYRIL ORNADEL
MGM SE 3843 1960
13 E Bello (Dante Vignali)
GEORGE MELACHRINO Conducting the Orchestra of the 6th San Remo Festival
HMV SCT 1519 1957
14 Bambalina (Vincent Youmans; Otto Harbach; Herbert Stothart; Oscar Hammerstein II, arr. Reg Owen)
REG OWEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
RCA LPM 1907 1960
15 Kristina (Maurice Grabmann)
THE BRUSSELS NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Southern MQ 511 1960
16 Sea Shore (Robert Farnon)
RAWICZ AND LANDAUER, at Two Pianos, with ANGELA MORLEY AND HER ORCHESTRA [as 'WALLY STOTT' on disc label] Philips PB 1039 1960
17 Stringendo (Ivor Slaney)
HILVERSUM RADIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by HUGH GRANVILLE
De Wolfe DW 2652A 1960
18 Place Du Tertre (Arthur Dieudonne Charlier)
THE BRUSSELS NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Southern MQ 512 1960
19 Dancing Daffodils (Johnny Steggerda)
GUY LUYPAERTS AND HIS ORCHESTRA (as 'GUY LUPAR' on LP label)
RCA Victor LP 3254 1955
20 Up And Coming (Cyril Watters)
THE WESTWAY STUDIO ORCHESTRA
Southern MQ 501 1960
21 Spanish Gypsy Dance (Mariano Marquina)
JACQUES LEROY AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Embassy WLP 5173 1960
22 San Francisco (Bronislaw Kaper; Walter Jurmann; Gus Kahn, arr. Carmen Dragon)
STANDARD SCHOOL BROADCAST ORCHESTRA Conducted by CARMEN DRAGON
Standard School Broadcast Transcription 2643 recorded in Capitol Studios, Hollywood 16 May 1960
23 Sweet Sue (Victor Young, arr. Melle Weersma)
JACK HYLTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
HMV C 2856 1936
24 Summerdance (Hugo Emil Alfvén)
Orchestra Conducted by HUGO ALFVÉN
Philips PB 737 1957
'South Of The Alps' (Südlich der Alpen) (Ernst Fischer)
25 In A Harbour Town (In Einer Hafenstadt)
26 Terrace By The Sea (Terasse Am Meer)
27 Street Of Flowers (Blumencorso)
28 Tarantella (Tarantella)
CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by BRUNO SEIDLER-WINKLER
HMV EG 6221/2 1937

Stereo: tracks 2, 4, 5, 12, 13 ; rest in mono

Our opening track, Bright And Breezy, allows the spotlight to be turned on a talented and prolific composer who remains unknown to most music lovers. 'Peter Dennis' hides the true identity of Dennis Alfred Berry (1921-1994), who also composed (sometimes in collaboration with others) under names such as Frank Sterling, Charles Kenbury and Michael Rodney. He was born in London and in 1939 was employed by Francis, Day & Hunter as a copyist before moving on to Boosey & Hawkes as a staff arranger. Then he was taken on by publishers Lawrence Wright followed by Paxton Music as their representative based in Amsterdam. Paxton had a thriving mood music library, but a ban by the Musicians' Union at the end of the 1940s meant that London publishers could no longer record in Britain. Paxton decided that their mood music 78s should be recorded in the Netherlands by Dolf van der Linden and his Metropole Orchestra, and Berry's experience proved very useful in setting this up. He returned to the London office in 1949 and was responsible for producing numerous titles issued by Paxton during the 1950s. This did not prevent him from writing for other libraries such as De Wolfe, Charles Brull and Synchro, for whom he wrote our opening track Bright And Breezy. At the end of the 1950s Berry was head-hunted to start the Southern Library of Recorded Music (now owned by Universal) which issued its first recordings on 78s in 1960. Eventually he emigrated to South Africa, before finally returning to England to do freelance work including some film commissions in Germany. Eight of Den Berry's compositions have already appeared on Guild: his best-known piece is Holiday In Hollywood on GLCD5119.

Another composer and conductor who played a leading role in London's production music libraries was Charles Williams (born Isaac Cozerbreit, 1893-1978). Right from the start of the 'talkies' he provided scores for numerous British films, and his Dream Of Olwen is still remembered long after the film in which it appeared - 'While I Live'. In 1960 he reached the American charts with his theme for the film 'The Apartment', although in reality the producers had resurrected one of his earlier works Jealous Lover which itself originated in a British film 'The Romantic Age' (1949) starring Mai Zetterling and Petula Clark. Among many commercial versions around the world, Billy Vaughan (on this CD) produced one of the best although pianists Ferrante and Teicher made the hit version.

The Harry Warren standard Carnival was a big success as a virtuoso trumpet number for Harry James, but it is nice to hear how a fine orchestral arrangement can give it a new lease of life. Texas born Les Baxter (1922-1996) tended to be asked by his record companies to record pieces with an 'exotic' appeal, but this proves that he could turn his hand to many different styles.

Robert Farnon (1917-2005) conjures up the excitement of the American Wild West with his spirited version of They Call The Wind Maria, then George Melachrino (1909-1965) provides a pleasant contrast with a romantic portrait of an Italian young lady.

A new 'Guild' composer is Anthony Mawer (1930-1999) who makes his debut with Painted Carousels from the De Wolfe library. He was born in Sale, Cheshire and educated at Manchester Grammar School. Musically he was mainly self-taught and started contributing occasional mood music pieces to De Wolfe in 1955 (his first was Palm Beach Interlude), before joining the staff in 1959, where he remained until 1965. During this period he composed almost 500 titles exclusively for them. But his talents had been noticed by other London publishers and after leaving De Wolfe his name appeared on discs issued by almost all of the major production music libraries. For a while he worked part-time with Dennis Berry at Southern Music, and was closely involved in creating the Peer International Library, for whom his LP 'String Scene' was particularly successful. For many years, due to his work commitments, Anthony lived in North London and Elstree. He and his wife moved to North Wales in 1985, where he died on 30 April 1999 aged 68 following a heart attack.

A relaxed mood is restored with a sublime version of Erroll Garner's Misty. Regrettably the actual arranger was not credited on the label. The oboe is featured strongly, and the quality of the playing suggests that we may be hearing Ivor Slaney (1921-1998), who was a leading session musician. Later he appears as composer of Stringendo. For much of the time The Knightsbridge Strings was a 34-piece string ensemble which was started by the new label Top Rank at the end of the 1950s, and was directed by British conductor-arrangers Malcolm Lockyer (1923-1976) and Reg Owen (1921-1978).

William Davies (full name William Arthur Davies, 1921-2006) was a pianist, organist, composer and conductor who became a household name in Britain, thanks to his regular appearances on the BBC Light Programme and later Radio 2, especially in connection with the programme 'Friday Night Is Music Night'. He occasionally introduced his own compositions into programmes such as 'Music Box', 'The Organist Entertains' and 'Just William', and he makes a welcome first appearance on Guild with his catchy Toy Town Trumpeters.

Laurie Johnson (b. 1927) provided an excellent score for the 1959 film 'Tiger Bay' which included some memorable scenes between John Mills and his daughter Hayley in her first major role. Around the same time the Italian cinema regularly employed Nino Rota (real name Giovanni Rota Rinaldi, 1911-1979) to create inspired scores that lifted every scene, and 'La Dolce Vita' remains a landmark movie of that era.

Ernie Freeman (1922-1981) was an American pianist, organist, arranger and conductor. After early work in several swing-era bands, during the 1950s he was busy on many pop sessions, sometimes using pseudonyms. Midi Midinette finds him in the world of lush strings, in which he chose to hide his identity as 'Sir Chauncey'.

From the late 1950s onwards Cyril Ornadel (b. 1924) made many fine orchestral albums with his 'Starlight Symphony', aimed primarily at the American market. His regular arranger was Brian Fahey (1919-2007), well-known in Britain as a musical director, arranger and composer. Fahey's mastery of the orchestra is given full rein in this extended version of the Cole Porter classic Begin The Beguine.

E Bello is the sixth track on Guild from the 1956 San Remo Festival recorded by George Melachrino (1909-1965). The previously mentioned Reg Owen was definitely the arranger of Bambalina which he conducts on a rare RCA LP. Maurice Grabmann's Kristina is one of the early 78s on the newly-launched Southern Production Music Library label in 1960. From the same source, three tracks later we hear Place Du Tertre, dedicated by its composer to that famous part of Montmartre. The very first release by Southern was Up And Coming by Cyril Watters (1907-1984), and this completes the trio from a library new to Guild.

Robert Farnon is back, this time as composer of Sea Shore. He was commissioned by Players Cigarettes to write it for a series of TV commercials, and such was the public's response that Angela Morley (then working as 'Wally Stott') recorded it commercially with the famous piano duettists Rawicz and Landauer.

Guy Luypaerts (b. 1917) was born in Paris to Belgian parents during the First World War and he became well-known in French musical circles through conducting an orchestra called the Nouvelle Association Symphonique de Paris. Guild has previously included his imaginative sounds in the Cole Porter tribute (GLCD 5127) and conducting quirky cameos such as The Sleepwalker of Amsterdam by Johnny Steggerda (GLCD 5131). Conductor and composer are teamed up again in Dancing Daffodils.

The UK Embassy label sold its records through Woolworths stores, and much of their output consisted of cover versions of popular hits at lower prices. But they also made some interesting orchestral albums, and Jacques Leroy's version of the Spanish Gypsy Dance was one of the best available.

Making a welcome return to Guild is Carmen Dragon (1914-1984) who was born in Antioch, California. His first success in Hollywood was collaborating with Morris Stoloff (1898-1980) arranging Jerome Kern's score for the 1944 Rita Hayworth/Gene Kelly film 'Cover Girl' which secured him an Oscar. He worked extensively in radio and television, and was a frequent visitor to recording studios conducting the Hollywood Bowl and Capitol Symphony Orchestras. He also arranged and conducted for the Standard School Broadcast Transcription Service, and his version of San Francisco (which cleverly includes brief snatches acknowledging the Californian city's cosmopolitan population) deserves to be heard by a wider audience.

Although some British Dance Band purists might disagree, possibly the most famous of the pre-war bands was fronted by Jack Hylton, born John Greenhalgh Hilton (1892-1965). The band made numerous records and toured widely in Britain and overseas. At times its repertoire ventured into light music circles, such as Wedding Of The Rose (on Guild GLCD5163) and Dancing Tambourine (GLCD5106). His talented arrangers sometimes produced 'concert' versions of popular songs. Often these were created by Billy Ternent, but it was the Dutch bandleader and composer, Melle Weersma, who was responsible for the inventive treatment of Sweet Sue. After a spell with Hylton in 1935, he moved to the USA later in the year where he worked with Benny Goodman and Andre Kostelanetz.

Hugo Emil Alfvén (1872-1960) is a legend in his native Sweden where he was renowned as a violinist, composer, conductor, artist and author. Alfvén was 84 when he wrote his famous "Roslagsvår" (Swedish Polka) in 1956 (on GLCD5161). It was recorded in Hamburg (at the insistence of Philips), probably so they could maintain strict control over the music, since Alfvén was old and in poor health. The same sessions also produced Summerdance on this CD. The musicians are mainly German and the conductor (although it says Hugo Alfvén on the label) was actually jazz pianist, arranger and conductor Bengt Hallberg.

The celebrated German composer Ernst Fischer (1900-1975) was born in Magdeburg. During his early career he wrote many piano pieces, and he also played the organ using the pseudonym 'Marcel Palotti'. A holiday in Italy in 1935 was to provide the inspiration for his orchestral suite Südlich der Alpen (South of the Alps), which is widely regarded as one of the finest pieces of light music written in Germany during the 1930s. It has been performed by orchestras all over the world, and the first movement In A Harbour Town remains particularly popular. Possibly the composer's love of the organ was responsible for the few discrete passages in each movement; this instrument was absent from later recordings. Bruno Seidler-Winkler (1880-1960) conducted the first complete recording which was released by HMV's German subsidiary in 1937. Surprisingly this does not appear to have reached HMV's British catalogue. Bruno Seidler-Winkler was one of the early 'house orchestras' of the gramophone, having worked with Deutsche Grammophon from 1903 to 1923. He then spent two years in Chicago, before returning to conduct the Berlin Radio Orchestra from 1925 to 1933, finally taking up teaching. He has his place in musical history for making the original recording of Lili Marlene with Lale Anderson in 1939.

David Ades

GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5181

The Lost Transcriptions - Volume 2
1 Falling In Love With Love (from the 1938 musical play 'The Boys From Syracuse') (Richard Rodgers; Lorenz Hart, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
VOA PO 31 1947
2 In The Still Of The Night (from the 1937 film 'Rosalie') (Cole Porter, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
VOA PO 29 1948
3 April Showers (from the 1921 Broadway musical 'Bombo') (Louis Silvers; Buddy De Sylva, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
VOA PO 98 1948
4 The Very Thought Of You (Ray Noble, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
VOA PO 28 1947
5 Why Do I Love You (from the 1927 musical 'Show Boat') (Jerome Kern; Oscar Hammerstein II, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
VOA PO 138 1948
6 Pavanne (Morton Gould, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
VOA PO 96 1950s
7 Night Creature (Edward 'Duke' Ellington)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA featuring DUKE ELLINGTON, piano
VOA PO 80 1950s
8 Deep Blues (from Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra) (Elie Siegmeister)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA featuring VINCENT J. ABATO, clarinet
VOA PO 87 1955
9 Hoedown (from 'Rodeo' Suite) (Aaron Copland)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
VOA PO 95 1950s
10 Play Orchestra Play (from the 1935 musical revue 'Tonight at Eight-Thirty') (Noel Coward)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Towers Of London 6 CTP 14802-1 1948
11 Imp On Broadway (Abner C. Rosen, pseudonym for Annunzio Paolo Mantovani and Ronald Binge)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-136B 1952
12 Coronation Scot (Vivian Ellis, arr. Ronald Binge)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-123B 1952
13 March Of The Robots (Annunzio Paolo Mantovani)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-136B 1952
14 Danse Du Diable (Devil's Dance) (Wal-Berg, real name Voldemar Rosenberg)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-141B 1952
15 Jamaican Juggler (William Davies)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-141B 1952
16 Invitation To The Waltz (from 'Pacific 1860') (Noel Coward)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Towers Of London 6 CTP 14802-1 1948
17 Snakes And Ladders (Ronald Binge)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-142A 1952
18 Rhapsody In Rhythm (Henry Croudson, arr. Ronald Binge)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-147B 1952
19 Strike Up The Music (Sidney Torch)
SIDNEY TORCH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
BBC Transcription c.1949
20 Barbecue (Sidney Torch)
THE CAVALCADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Towers of London Transcription Recording: 'Cavalcade of Music' programme 41 c.1952
21 Amore Mio (Sidney Torch)
THE CAVALCADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Towers of London Transcription Recording: 'Cavalcade of Music' programme 47 c.1952
22 Wood Nymphs (Eric Coates)
RAF CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
ORBS Cut 2447 (2EN 9358) Issue MK 4943 1944
23 As Long As There's Music (from the 1944 film 'Step Lively') (Jule Styne, arr. Sidney Torch)
THE CAVALCADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Towers of London Transcription Recording: 'Cavalcade of Music' programme 43 c.1952
24 Fandango (Sidney Torch)
THE CAVALCADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Towers of London Transcription Recording: 'Cavalcade of Music' programme 41 c.1952
25 Dearly Beloved (from the 1942 film 'You Were Never Lovelier') (Jerome Kern, arr. Sidney Torch)
THE CAVALCADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Towers of London Transcription Recording: 'Cavalcade of Music' programme 45 c.1952
All tracks mono

The booklet accompanying the first volume of 'Lost Transcriptions' (GLCD5174) explained in some detail exactly what these intriguing recordings actually are. For this second volume it is sufficient to say that the term usually refers to recordings made for use by broadcasting organisations before the advent of audio tape. Sometimes these were simply broadcasts that were recorded so that they could either be repeated, or sent on to other radio stations, frequently overseas. A few companies started making their own programmes to sell to national broadcasting organisations: in Britain the BBC does not seem to have been very receptive to such sources, but elsewhere they were often welcomed.

During World War 2 transcriptions became commonplace in the USA and they were distributed to American forces via the AFRS (Armed Forces Radio Service) and broadcast by many other services including AFN (American Forces Network) and AEFP (Allied Expeditionary Forces Programme). Britain established The British Forces Network (BFN), and The Army Welfare Department created The Overseas Recorded Broadcasting Service (ORBS) to record and distribute recordings for use by BFN, other broadcasters and ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association). As well as providing live entertainment the latter was able to reach small groups of servicemen in remote areas by playing the recordings over PA systems installed in vans.

None of these wartime transcription discs were for sale, the intention being that they would be destroyed when the war ended. Fortunately some servicemen decided to keep them as souvenirs, preserving for posterity a unique record of the kind of music that played an important part in the morale of fighting troops. The sound quality of these discs is generally good, and modern digital restoration makes them very enjoyable. Only occasionally are there slight traces of distortion, which cannot be removed completely, but their historical importance dictates that they should not be rejected for such minor imperfections.

Transcription discs became an important part of the broadcasting scene for many countries, and they lasted long after the war ended. Only one track in this collection actually dates from the war years, unlike the first volume in this series which contained many from that troubled period in history.

Three major conductors are featured in depth this time - Percy Faith, Mantovani and Sidney Torch. All were leading figures in post-war orchestral popular music, and it is particularly interesting to listen to them in performances that were not meant to be heard again and again, unlike the case with all commercial gramophone records. Therefore they could allow themselves a certain freedom to experiment with new ideas, and the results can sometimes provide tantalising glimpses of the way in which their careers would develop and mature.

Percy Faith (1908-1976) was born in Toronto, Canada, and originally he expected that his musical career would be as a concert pianist. But he injured his hands in a fire, which forced him to turn to composing, arranging and conducting. During the 1930s his programme 'Music By Faith' was carried by the Mutual network in the USA, which prompted offers of work south of the border. He eventually succumbed in 1940, leaving Robert Farnon (previously his lead trumpeter) to conduct his Canadian orchestra. Initially Faith concentrated on broadcasting, and his occasional recording sessions during the 1940s were for several different companies. Things were to change when he signed a Columbia (CBS) contract in 1950, and he soon discovered that his singles sold well and the new long playing records needed the kind of popular instrumental sounds that had formed the basis of his broadcasts for so many years.

Unlike most of his contemporaries, Faith arranged all his own material, and his exciting and vibrant scores made his work stand out among the rest. He accompanied many of Columbia's contract singers, and even contributed the odd popular song, such as My Heart Cries For You for Guy Mitchell. But today it is his numerous albums that have created a resurgence of interest in his work, thanks to their reissue on CD. Faith was always busy, whether working in the recording studios, radio, television or films. He died at Encino, California, on 9 February 1976, aged 67.

Details of Percy Faith's 'Voice Of America' recordings are as scarce as those for the RAF Concert Orchestra. VOA issued hundreds of 16' discs to the armed forces featuring Faith and other popular orchestras of the day such as Richard Maltby, Andre Kostelanetz and David Rose. They contained straight re-issues of their commercial recordings, alternate and out-takes of these recordings and different arrangements of pieces they had recorded commercially. In Faith's case, of most interest are the recordings he made which were unique to VOA, three of which were featured on Guild GLCD 5174 with a further nine here. It has not been possible to date all of them accurately as surviving VOA programme logs only go up to 1950 but, using the dates of the commercial recordings which are on some of the discs as a guide, they are probably from between 1951 and 1955.

What makes some of these VOA recordings of particular interest is that they gave Faith the opportunity to perform with artists he wouldn't normally work with as they were under contract to other record companies. One such piece is Night Creature where he collaborates with Edward Kennedy 'Duke' Ellington (1899-1974) in a fascinating arrangement. Vincent 'Jimmy' Abato (1919-2008) was a regular member of Faith's recording orchestra and also performed with most of the top symphony and popular orchestras in the USA. His clarinet is featured in Deep Blues from Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra by Elie Siegmeister (1909-1991).

Our second featured conductor is Annunzio Paolo Mantovani (1905-1980), who was the conductor of one of the most famous light orchestras in the world from the 1950s onwards. Born in Venice, his family came to England when he was aged four and he was something of a prodigy on the violin by the time he reached sixteen. But he leaned more towards popular music, and fronted many different kinds of ensembles before long-playing records (especially when stereo arrived) brought him universal acclaim.

Noel Coward (1899-1973) composed Play Orchestra Play for his revue 'Tonight At Eight-Thirty', first staged in Manchester in 1935, and revived in London's West End in 1948. Around that time Mantovani was working closely with Coward in the theatre, and on recordings and radio productions. He conducted the theatre orchestra for Coward's 'Pacific 1860' (premiered in 1946) from which comes Invitation To The Waltz.

Imp on Broadway by the mysterious Abner C. Rosen seems to be a pseudonym for Mantovani and one of his main arrangers Ronald Binge (1910-1979). This 'Imp' has a humorous nod towards Richard Rodgers' Slaughter on 10th Avenue. Like several of the other pieces in this collection, it was written as a concert showpiece and was not considered for a commercial recording, thus making this the first time it has been available on record. It was first performed publicly in a Mantovani concert at Bournemouth on 27 September 1953.

Coronation Scot was the brainchild of Ronald Binge, who took the original arrangement by Cecil Milner of this famous Vivian Ellis melody and gave it a bright new livery. Described to Colin MacKenzie by Mantovani's recording manager, Tony D'Amato, as being 'masterfully scored with all the low instruments: probably two basses, cellos, trombones, euphonium, bottom piano keyboard, bassoon, bass drum (not tuned timps), tam-tam, wind machine (?), an "all aboard!" whistle, triangle, and so cleverly a horn and high woodwind (maybe flute, piccolo, oboe, clarinet) recreating in dissonance a doppler effect, like the wailing of an ambulance siren going out-of-tune as it moves farther into the distance.'

March Of The Robots finds composer/conductor Mantovani in typical tongue-in-cheek, stylish and fun mood. He was clearly a gifted composer (usually hiding behind nom-de-plumes such as Tulio Trapani and Pedro Manilla), but rarely pushed his own works in preference to others, unlike some of his peers.

Danse du Diable (Devil's Dance) is a widely admired piece of light music by Wal-Berg (born in Istanbul as Voldemar Rosenberg 1910-1994) who was a leading figure in the French popular music scene. It was first conducted live by Mantovani in November 1952 at the Municipal Hall, Tottenham and was regularly included in concerts throughout the 1950s, being performed in Canada, USA, South Africa and Holland as well as the UK. A great favourite with audiences, it was a showcase for percussionist Charles Botterill.

Jamaican Juggler (with more than a nod towards Arthur Benjamin's famous Jamaican Rumba) was written by William Arthur Davies (1921-2006). He was a pianist, organist, composer and conductor who became a household name in Britain, thanks to his regular appearances on the BBC Light Programme and later Radio 2, especially in connection with the programme 'Friday Night Is Music Night'. He occasionally introduced his own compositions into programmes such as 'Music Box', 'The Organist Entertains' and 'Just William', and he made his first appearance on Guild with his catchy Toy Town Trumpeters (GLCD5180).

Ronald Binge returns as composer of Snakes and Ladders, and he was also responsible for the inspired arrangement of Henry Croudson's (1898-1971) Rhapsody In Rhythm which brings Mantovani's segment of this CD to a rousing finale. It is interesting to compare this concert arrangement with the composer's own shorter version for the Bosworth mood music library (on GLCD5104).

Now the spotlight falls on Sidney Torch (born Sidney Torchinsky 1908-1990). When he was called up for war service in 1941 he was posted to Blackpool where there was a large Royal Air Force Unit that provided entertainment for the tens of thousands of service personnel in the area. Regular shows by and for the forces were produced at several Blackpool theatres, and contemporary theatre programmes show that many well known names from the world of light music were involved with these orchestras.

Sidney Torch conducted an RAF radio series for ORBS called 'March Of The Movies', devised by Harry Alan Towers, who later worked with Torch on various projects after the war, including the 'Cavalcade of Music' programmes which a young David Jacobs introduced. From being one of Britain's finest theatre organists during the 1930s, after his discharge from the RAF he emerged as a leading light music composer and conductor. He became a frequent conductor and composer of mood music recordings for the Chappell Recorded Music Library, and many of his pieces have already appeared on previous Guild CDs.

Among the rare tracks included here are four Torch compositions: Strike Up The Music (his theme for 'London Studio Melodies' programmes on the BBC Transcription Service); Barbecue (which only originally appeared in the Chappell Recorded Music Library); Amore Mio (in a longer version than the recording for Chappells - Torch never made a commercial recording); and Fandango which was one of his popular orchestral cameos.

Eric Coates (1886-1957) needs no introduction to Guild 'regulars', but anyone in the fortunate position of discovering his music for the first time can be assured that he composed some of the finest light music of the last century. Wood Nymphs was one of his shorter works, especially under the baton of Sidney Torch who was noted for his brisk tempi.

The other two works conducted by Sidney Torch are his own concert arrangements of two popular melodies from 1940s films - As Long As There's Music by Jule Styne, and Jerome Kern's Dearly Beloved. Neither of these brilliant performances has previously been available on a commercial recording.

In 1953 the BBC decided that it needed a new programme whose brief was: "to help people relax after the week's hard work and put them in the right mood for a happy weekend". With Sidney Torch's full participation, the formula for "Friday Night Is Music Night" was devised - with such foresight that the programme survives to this very day. The BBC Concert Orchestra had been formed the previous year, and Torch conducted it for almost twenty years in this series, until his retirement in 1972. It is still regarded by many as 'his' programme, and his own compositions and arrangements are still regularly performed by 'his' BBC Concert Orchestra. Few musicians could have a better memorial to their talents.

David Ades

GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5175

Confetti

1 Confetti (Bronislau Kaper)
MGM STUDIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by JOHNNY GREEN
MGM E 3694 1958
2 Champs Elysees Café (Joseph Kuhn)
PARIS THEATRE ORCHESTRA
Somerset SF 2500 1957
3 Manhattan Playboy (Robert Farnon)
LESLIE JONES and his ORCHESTRA OF LONDON
Pye-Nixa NSPL 83009 1959
4 Hora Staccato (Grigori Dinicu; Jascha Heifetz, arr. Morton Gould)
MORTON GOULD AND HIS ORCHESTRA
RCA Victor LSP 1656 1958
5 Musik Klingt Durch Die Nacht (Hartel; Woltmann)
HANS GEORG ARLT AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Ariola 71231 1959
6 In My Memoirs (Jimmy McHugh; Al Dubin, arr. Robert Farnon)
ROBERT FARNON AND HIS ORCHESTRA (LP label credits "Jack Saunders Orchestra")
Everest SDBR 1011 1958
7 Lina (Francis Lopez, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA with MITCH MILLER, oboe and cor anglais
Columbia CL 551 1954
8 I Concentrate On You (from "Broadway Melody of 1940") (Cole Porter, arr. Conrad Salinger)
CONRAD SALINGER ORCHESTRA Conducted by BUDDY BREGMAN
Verve MG VS-6012 1958
9 Pizzicato Rhumba (Salvatore "Tutti" Camarata)
MUSIC BY CAMARATA
Decca DL 5461 1952
10 Nota Per Nota (Guido Viezzoli)
GEORGE MELACHRINO Conducting the Orchestra of the 6^th San Remo Festival
HMV SCT 1519 1957
11 Via Amalfi (Joseph Kuhn)
ROBERTO ROSSANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Stereo Fidelity SF-4700 1959
12 Getting To Know You (from "The King And I") (Richard Rodgers; Oscar ammerstein, arr. William Hill Bowen)
WILLIAM HILL BOWEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
RCA Camden CAS 461 1958
13 Montevideo Bolero (Joseph Kuhn)
DOLORES VENTURA, Piano and the CARNIVAL ORCHESTRA
Valiant V-4926 1959
14 Bluebell Polka (F. Stanley, arr. Ron Goodwin)
RON GOODWIN AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Parlophone R 4094 1955
15 Joey"s Song (Joe Reisman)
JOE REISMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
RCA LPS 1519 1957
16 Twice Around The Island (Joseph J. Leahy; Abe Olman)
DAVID CARROLL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Mercury Wing SRW 12508 1957
17 Bees-A-Buzzin" (Edrich Siebert, real name Stanley Smith-Masters)
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Paxton PR 563 1953
18 Mischief (Frederic Curzon)
NEW CENTURY ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Francis, Day & Hunter FDH 010 1946
19 Gadabout (Cyril Watters)
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Paxton PR 639 1954
20 Utopia Road (Dolf Van Der Linden)
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA ("Paul Franklin" on disc label)
Paxton PR 612 1954
21 Violins In Velvet (Leslie Begueley)
BOSWORTH STRING ORCHESTRA Conducted by LOUIS VOSS
Bosworth BC 1232 1949
22 Market Day (Wilfred Josephs)
NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by CEDRIC DUMONT
Boosey & Hawkes O 2305 1958
23 Treble Chance (Peter Dennis, real name Dennis Alfred Berry)
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA ("Paul Franklin" on disc label)
Paxton PR 629 1954
24 Parade Of The Champions (George French)
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS METROPOLE ORCHESTRA
Paxton PR 585 1954
25 Florella (L.E. DeFrancesco)
GROSVENOR STUDIO ORCHESTRA
Synchro FM 242 1959
26 Who Killed Cock Robin? (Trad, arr. Paul Fenoulhet)
STUTTGART RADIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by KURT REHFELD ("Crawford Light Orchestra" on disc label)
Josef Weinberger Theme Music JW 152 1958
27 "Dear Miss Phoebe" - Selection (Harry Parr-Davies) Whisper While You Waltz, Spring Will Sing A Song For You, Living A Dream, March Of The Red Coats, I Can"t Resist The Music, All"s Well Tonight, When Will You Marry Me, I Leave My Heart In An English Garden

TOM JENKINS AND HIS PALM COURT ORCHESTRA
HMV B 10047 1951
Stereo: tracks 2-6, 8, 10-13, 15 & 16 : rest in mono

The word "confetti" describes small pieces of paper, of various shapes and colours, often thrown by guests at weddings. In musical terms it can equally apply to an assortment of pieces in different styles, conveying a variety of moods and emotions. In other words, almost a haphazard collection of tunes with no particular theme, except perhaps that they are all a little different. During the compilation of Guild Light Music CDs we sometimes come across enjoyable pieces of music which simply don"t fit in with particular projects. It seems a shame that they should suffer permanent neglect, which is why some previous compilations such as the earlier "Kaleidoscope" trio crop up every so often. Once more it is time to dust off some precious discs patiently awaiting rediscovery. Actually "rediscovery" may not be entirely accurate as many have never previously been available commercially and, for most of the others, this is their first appearance on CD, so it is unlikely that the majority of music-lovers will have heard them before.

New Yorker John Waldo Green, better known in the music business as Johnny Green (1908-1989), enjoys a lasting reputation for his work on MGM Musicals in the 1940s and 1950s, often in collaboration with his friend Conrad Salinger who gave Green the nickname "Beulah". To chronicle all his achievements would take several booklets such as this, since he combined songwriting (his biggest early hit was Body And Soul) with arranging, conducting and piano playing. Green"s contribution to this collection is the opening track Confetti, composed by Bronislau Kaper for the 1956 film "Forever Darling", in which he conducts the legendary MGM Studio Orchestra. Salinger (1901-1961) is featured as arranger of the Cole Porter classic I Concentrate On You.

When stereo discs were launched in the second half of the 1950s, record producers did not hesitate to tempt the public with exotic sounding titles that disguised the fact that they were probably not quite what they may have seemed. It is highly likely that The Cinema Sound Stage Orchestra, The Gaslight Orchestra, The (Rio) Carnival Orchestra, The Paris Theatre Orchestra, Roberto Rossani and his Orchestra and The New World Theatre Orchestra (all featured on various Guild CDs) are basically one and the same. Together with 101 Strings, they were names used by the American Miller International Company on their bargain basement priced Essex, Somerset and Stereo Fidelity labels. The recordings usually employed various European symphony and radio orchestras and were linked by the name of Joseph Francis Kuhn (1924-1962), Miller"s musical director, who composed, arranged, scored or conducted most of the early ones and was well known for his recording work in Hollywood, the US east coast and Germany. Unfortunately his untimely death at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital on 10 March 1962 at the age of 37 from a spinal cord injury meant he never attained the fame he was surely due. Kuhn has already been represented with five compositions on previous Guild Light Music CDs, but such was his prolific output during the early days of stereo that it is felt he deserves to have three more of his works made available once more. Champs Elysees Café and Via Amalfi are tuneful examples of the many pieces he wrote with a European flavour.

The pianist Dolores Ventura was married to British composer and oboe player Ivor Slaney (1921-1998), and it is possible that he was conducting the anonymous "Carnival Orchestra" in Kuhn"s Montevideo Bolero.

Manhattan Playboy was composed as the male counterpart to Portrait Of A Flirt (onGuild GLCD5120), one of the most successful pieces of light music ever, written by the Canadian Robert Farnon (1917-2005). He also excelled as an arranger, and In My Memoirs comes from his album of show tunes associated with Mike Todd.

On the subject of Light Music successes, one of the most played pieces in the last century was Hora Staccato, and the version by Morton Gould (1913-1996) ranks among the very best.

Hans Georg Arlt (b. 1927) started learning the violin at the age of six, and later studied under Professor Max Strub in Berlin. In 1946 he began his distinguished radio career, and when the RIAS Dance Orchestra was formed in 1948 he led the string section for a while. He was the Concert Master of choice for many leading German conductors, such as Werner Müller, Werner Eisbrenner, Heinz Kiessling and Hans Carste. In addition he recorded a vast amount of music for German radio stations with his own large string orchestra, employing the finest arrangers including Willy Hoffmann, Paul Kuhn, Jerry van Rooyen, Gustav Trost, Arno Flor, Günther Gürsch and Helmut Gardens.

For a while Mitch Miller (1911-2010) was Percy Faith"s recording manager at US Columbia. He was also regarded as a world class player on oboe and cor anglais, and Faith (1908-1976) recorded two albums which featured Miller as soloist. The bright melody Lina allows Miller to show off his expertise in a dazzling Faith arrangement.

Salvatore ("Tutti") Camarata(1913-2005) was an accomplished trumpet player, but he found his true musical niche during the 1930s as arranger for top bands such as Charlie Barnet, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and Paul Whiteman. For a number of years he was musical director of ABC and Decca Records, and was a co-founder of London Records (the US arm of Britain"s Decca).

The special tribute to George Melachrino (1909-1965) in the Guild CD "The Hall of Fame - Volume 3" (GLCD5162) included a rare track, Aprite le Finestre, which was one of the two Italian entries for the first Eurovision Song Contest back in 1956; it was also the 6^th San Remo winner the same year. Melachrino recorded all the entries with the San Remo Festival Orchestra for an HMV "stereosonic" tape which was later released as an LP on their International label. Nota Per Nota is another track from those sessions and is reminiscent of much atmospheric Italian film music of the period.

William Hill Bowen (1918-1964) was George Melachrino"s right-hand man in the years immediately following World War 2, often appearing on piano but, perhaps more importantly, as a brilliant arranger who managed to recreate his master"s famous style to perfection. In later years he fronted his own orchestra on many recordings for RCA and Reader"s Digest.

There was a time, back in the 1950s, where it was almost impossible to escape hearing Bluebell Polka. Happily the passage of time has dulled the memory of some of the many trite versions, leaving the bright Ron Goodwin (1925-2003) arrangement as something far more enjoyable.

Joe Reisman (1924-1987) earned a good living from playing saxophone and arranging for top bands, until he became Patti Page"s conductor on many of her 1950s hits. Thereafter he was in constant demand for recording and television work.

David Carroll (1913-2008) - real name Rodell Walter "Nook" Schreier - was well-known in his native USA as a conductor and arranger. In the mid-1940s he joined the newly formed Mercury Records where he spent the next 15 years. Initially employed as an arranger and conductor, he progressed to being a producer and was later promoted as head of artists and repertoire. He was particularly successful writing TV jingles for advertising, and became familiar to the public through his work with The Smothers Brothers, eventually becoming their General Manager.

It is unusual to find a composition by Frederic Curzon (1899-1973) being published by a company other than Boosey & Hawkes, where he was their Head of Light Music for many years. No doubt rivals Francis, Day & Hunter were happy to accept his jaunty Mischief, which receives a suitably polished performance from Sidney Torch (1908-1990) conducting an orchestra of the top session players on the London scene in the 1940s.

Another musician well represented in this collection is Dolf Van Der Linden (1915-1999), who conducts on five tracks, one of them his own piece Utopia Road. He wrote several works in this style which might be called "industrial" because they lend themselves for so many uses in films, especially documentaries. His real name was David Gysbert van der Linden and he was the leading figure on the light music scene in the Netherlands from the 1940s until the 1980s. It could be said that the famous Metropole Orchestra was his "baby". Shortly after the end of the Second World War, he was approached by the local broadcasting authorities Herrijzend Nederland (Rising Netherlands) and asked to form an orchestra of 40 musicians specialising in light music. The Metropole Orchestra performed their first broadcast on 25 November 1945, and under Dolf's leadership it soon became one of the finest ensembles of its kind in Europe. This was due in no small measure to the fact that Dolf succeeded in happily combining his own enthusiasm and aspirations with the outstanding technical qualities of the Metropole Orchestra and its talented musicians. As well as broadcasting frequently, the Metropole Orchestra made numerous recordings for the background music libraries of major music publishers, notably (but not exclusively) Paxton (from which the tracks on this CD originate), Boosey and Hawkes (under the pseudonym "Nat Nyll") and Charles Brull (as "David Johnson"). Dolf"s commercial recordings (especially for the American market) were often labelled as "Van Lynn" or "Daniel De Carlo".

The other recordings by Dolf van der Linden"s fine orchestra feature works by Edrich Siebert, Cyril Watters, Peter Dennis and George French. Siebert"s real name was Stanley Smith Masters (1903-1984) and his early musical career was as a boy musician in the Cheshire Regiment. When he left the Army in 1946 he concentrated on composing, often for military and brass bands, although his works seemed to adapt well for concert orchestras - Bees-A-Buzzin" being a good example. Peter Dennis hides the true identity of Londoner Dennis Alfred Berry (1921-1994), who also composed (sometimes in collaboration with others) under names such as Frank Sterling, Charles Kenbury and Michael Rodney. For part of the 1950s he ran the Paxton Recorded Music Library, but also contributed titles to other publishers. His Treble Chance has been used extensively in British TV soap commercials in recent times. George French was a British violinist who broadcast frequently on the BBC, often as leader for many well-known conductors in programmes such as "Music While You Work". He clearly had a gift for composing, but his recorded output was not substantial. Parade Of The Champions is his third appearance on a Guild CD.

The other composer heard under Dolf van der Linden"s baton is Henry Cyril Watters (1907-1984). Originally a dance band pianist, Cyril realised that he had a talent to compose when he won a Melody Maker Song Contest in 1929, but throughout the 1930s he had to concentrate on performing because it was a continual struggle trying to get his music published. After serving in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, he became an arranger with several leading publishers, and his own works were soon being accepted by production music companies. One of them, The Willow Waltz, won an Ivor Novello Award in 1960. Although he was accomplished at writing in a variety of different moods, it is perhaps his bright and breezy pieces (such as Gadabout) that were so successful in the mood music libraries. Not content with just creating a strong main melody - always instantly appealing - his works are characterised by attractive middle themes which lift the composition to a higher level.

Leslie Begueley composed Canyon Canter which received much praise when it was included on GLCD5131. Violins In Velvet reveals another side to his composing talents.

The British composer Wilfred Josephs (1927-1997) probably first came to the attention of most music lovers through his work on top television series such as "The Great War" (1964) and "I Claudius" (1976). Newspapers frequently told their readers that he was really a dentist, who also happened to write music, but this trivialised his considerable achievements which included 12 symphonies, 22 concertos and numerous other works from overtures to film scores. His modest contributions to production music include Market Day which brilliantly captures the bustle and diversity of such happenings.

Every now and then one discovers an unusual piece of production music which fails to fit in with the usual recordings on offer. Florella is certainly a case in point: it was published in 1959 and, despite its 1920s style it sounds like it was a contemporary performance with musicians simply having fun.

If you lived in Britain during the middle years of the last century you will have been familiar with the name of Paul Fenoulhet (1906-1979) - even if you were unsure how to spell it! At one time he was conductor of the famous Skyrockets then moved on to work with several of the BBC"s light orchestras. No doubt his appealing arrangement of Who Killed Cock Robin was originally created for one of his numerous broadcasts.

For a while Tom William Jenkins (1910-1957) became a household name in Britain, when in 1948 the BBC asked him to succeed Albert Sandler (1906-1948) as conductor of the Palm Court Orchestra for the popular weekly Sunday evening radio programme "Grand Hotel". He was a brilliant violinist who was already highly regarded from his work in theatre and seaside orchestras. Sadly ill health cut short his career at the early age of 46. The music for the show "Dear Miss Phoebe" was composed by Harry Parr-Davies (1914-1955), who had been responsible for several of Gracie Fields" hits, such as Sing As We Go (played by the BBC Wireless Military Band on Guild GLCD5147). David Ades

GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5176

From The Vintage Vaults

1 "The Arcadians" Overture (Lionel Monckton; Howard Talbot, arr. Arthur Wood)
ARTHUR WOOD AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia DX 573 1934
2 Buffoon (Zez Confrey)
NEW LIGHT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
HMV B 4244 1932
3 Rondel (Sir Edward Elgar, arr. Haydn Wood); Mina (Sir Edward Elgar)
LIGHT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Conducted by HAYDN WOOD
HMV B8282 1935
4 Arpanetta (Ernst Fischer)
ROBERT GADEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Electrola EG 6286 1938
5 A Fantasy In Blue
The Birth Of The Blues, Blue Again, Blue Room, So Blue, There"s A Blue Ridge Round My Heart Virginia, Blue Is The Night, Beyond The Blue Horizon, Blue Hills Of Pasadena, Blue Skies, Where The Blue Of The Night, My Blue Heaven, Good-bye Blues.
FRED HARTLEY AND HIS QUINTET
Decca F 5168 1934
6 Lullaby Land (Reginald King)
LONDON CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Bosworth BC 1180 1944
7 The Dwarf"s Patrol - Fantasy (Otto Rathke)
THE LITTLE SALON ORCHESTRA
Columbia DB 459 1930
8 Suite Orientale (Francis Popy) Les Bayadères, Au Bord du Gange, Les Almées, Les Patrouilles.
MAREK WEBER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
HMV C 1845 1930
9 March Past Of The Kitchen Utensils (Ralph Vaughan Williams)
BBC THEATRE ORCHESTRA Conducted by CLARENCE RAYBOULD
BBC Transcription Service 27692 1945
10 Gipsy Wine (Helmut Ritter)
BARNABAS VON GECZY AND HIS ORCHESTRA
HMV B 8434 1936
11 Springtime Serenade (Jonny Heykens)
MAREK WEBER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
HMV B 8199 1934
12 In Playful Mood (Montague Ewing)
INTERNATIONAL RADIO ORCHESTRA
Bosworth BC 1032 1937
13 "Gasparone" Potpourri (Carl Millöcker)
EDITH LORAND AND HER VIENNESE ORCHESTRA
Parlophone R 2035 1935
14 Püppchen - Two Step Intermezzo (Little Doll) (Jean Gilbert, real name Max Winterfeld)
CONTINENTAL NOVELTY ORCHESTRA
Regal Zonophone MR 565 1932
15 A Day In Naples - Tarantella (George W. Byng)
NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by JAY WILBUR
Boosey & Hawkes O 2040 1945
16 Mon Bijou (Robert Stolz)
ALFREDO CAMPOLI AND HIS SALON ORCHESTRA
Decca F 5904 1936
17 Songs Of The Fair (Easthope Martin)
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Conducted by WALTER GOEHR (as "George Walter" on record label)
Parlophone E 11268 1935
18 Summer Evening In Santa Cruz (Jose F. Payan; Fred Hartley)
ALBERT SANDLER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia FB 2367 1940
19 Niagara (Carl Robrecht)
PALL MALL REVELLERS
Bosworth BC 1071 1938
20 Sousa Marches - Medley (John Philip Sousa, arr Major Williams) Washington Post, King Cotton, Stars and Stripes, Liberty Bell, El Capitan, High School Cadets, The Diplomat, Stars and Stripes.

JACK HYLTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca F 5216 1934

Famous composers of symphonies, marches, jazz and just about everything in-between can be found in this varied selection, mainly from the inter-war years, which surely qualifies for the adjective "eclectic". If anyone still needs convincing that the general term "Light Music" covers a wide variety of styles and performances, then surely the proof is here on this CD.

The reign of Edward VII lasted just nine years, following the death of his mother Queen Victoria in 1901, yet the Edwardian Era (as it has become known) witnessed considerable achievements in many fields, especially popular music. Lionel Monckton (1861-1924) was one of the main players, and most of his musicals reached the London stage during this period. Perhaps his most memorable was "The Arcadians" written in collaboration with Howard Talbot (1865-1928) which premiered at London"s Shaftesbury Theatre on 28 April 1909. The arranging and orchestrations of the music were usually entrusted to musicians well-known for these special skills, and the familiar Overture to "The Arcadians" is the work of Arthur Wood (1875-1953) whose lasting fame rests with his composition Barwick Green (on Guild GLCD5164), the signature tune of the long-running BBC radio serial "The Archers". Wood himself conducts his own orchestra in the 1934 recording which opens this collection.

Edward Elzear "Zez" Confrey (1895-1971) from Peru, Illinois, devoted most of his composing talents to jazz, but fame visited him while still in his twenties when his piano novelty Kitten On The Keys became a big hit in 1921. This prompted many other similar works such as Dizzy Fingers (on Guild GLCD5124) and Stumbling (GLCD5166). Equally popular in the 1930s was Buffoon which receives a charmingly measured performance from the New Light Symphony Orchestra with an unnamed conductor, although it is known that Clifford Greenwood sometimes conducted this kind of repertoire. This was HMV"s "house orchestra" for light music, novelty pieces and popular light classical works, and their previous appearances on Guild include Eric Coates" London Bridge March (GLCD5101) and Westward (GLCD5106).

Most of his major choral and symphonic works were written by Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934) during a relatively short period from 1898 to 1914, but he composed what can be accurately described as "light music" throughout his life. Notable works in this genre include his Bavarian Dances, Chanson de Matin and Salut d"Amour (on Guild GLCD5122). Less familiar is Elgar"s Rondel, originally a song, which was arranged for the 1935 recording in this collection by its conductor, Haydn Wood (1882-1959). It is followed by what is probably Elgar"s last completed work, a musical portrait of his pet dog Mina.

Arpanetta is a charming piece of light salon music by the celebrated German composer Ernst Fischer (1900-1975), whose most famous work is his orchestral suite Südlich der Alpen (South of the Alps). It is performed by Robert Gaden (1893-1985), a sophisticated violinist born in Bordeaux, France, who led dance orchestras in Germany that were noted for their elegant style. It seems that Arpanetta was unpublished, and the manuscript has been lost, so it is fortunate that Robert Gaden took his orchestra (known as his Tanzsinfonie Orchester) into the Elektrola studios on 18 March 1938 and committed this lovely melody to wax.

Fred Hartley (1905-1980) was a familiar name in British broadcasting for many years, having made his first appearance on the BBC as a solo pianist as early as 1925. He was then employed as an accompanist, and founded his famous Novelty Quintet in 1931. In 1946 he was appointed the BBC"s Head of Light Music.

Reginald Claude McMahon King (1904-1991) was an accomplished pianist, who performed under the baton of Sir Henry Wood at the Proms soon after he completed his studies at London"s Royal Academy of Music. In 1927 he took an orchestra into Swan & Edgar"s restaurant at their Piccadilly Circus store, where they remained until 1939. He also started broadcasting regularly (during his career his number of broadcasts exceeded 1,400), and he made numerous recordings, often featuring his own attractive compositions. He made his last broadcast in 1964, but throughout a long retirement he continued composing until shortly before his death. One of his major works, the concert overture The Immortals, was featured on Guild GLCD5106 spotlighting music of the 1930s, and in a lighter vein his tuneful orchestra can be heard playing popular melodies on several Guild CDs such as Lullaby Of The Leaves (GLCD 5134) and Roses At Dawning (GLCD 5139). Once again we feature him as a contributor to one of London"s production music libraries with his wistful Lullaby Land.

The Dwarfs' Patrol was composed by Otto Rathke, who wrote a number of similar novelty pieces which were popular in central Europe in pre-war years. Unfortunately the name 'The Little Salon Orchestra' offers no clues as to the real identity of the talented musicians on this recording.

But no doubts can exist regarding the two 78s on this CD by Marek Weber (1888-1964), who was a major recording artist in the 1930s. He was born in the Ukraine, developed his career mainly in Germany, then moved to London to escape the Nazis, before living briefly in Switzerland then emigrating in 1937 to the USA. His orchestra tended to specialise in show selections and novelty pieces. The clarity on his 1930 German recording of Francis Popy"s Suite Orientale is quite amazing, demonstrating the high standards being achieved by sound engineers in Berlin during the early years of electrical recording. Popy (1874-1928) was a French composer whose work epitomised the "Belle Époque" and there is a park named after him in his home city of Lyon. Jonny Heykens (1884-1945) was a Dutch composer who was particularly popular in Germany. His most performed work became known as Heyken"s Serenade (Ständchen)(the Marek Weber version is on Guild GLCD5120), and Springtime Serenade is one of several similar pieces - no doubt written in response to public demand.

The English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) has secured his musical legacy with some memorable symphonies, but this prolific composer also excelled in film scores, opera, choral music and in the adaptation of folk songs. March Past Of The Kitchen Utensils originated as incidental music for a Cambridge production of Aristophane"s comedy "The Wasps" (1909). Clarence Raybould (1886-1972) conducts the BBC Theatre Orchestra in this 1945 BBC Transcription recording. He joined the BBC in 1936 as Assistant Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, a post he held until 1945.

Barnabas Von Géczy [1897-1971] was born in Hungary although his family originally came from Venice. After the First World War his father was appointed concert master at Budapest Opera but Barnabas decided to try his luck in Berlin where in 1924 he obtained his first resident engagement at the Weinhaus Traube. From 1925 to 1937 he led the Hotel Esplanade house orchestra, and during this period he made numerous broadcasts and recordings and undertook frequent tours. He became one of the best-known hotel ensembles in Germany and gained an international reputation. After the Second World War he decided to relocate to the Munich area, and in 1952 he formed a new orchestra.

In Playful Mood is one of many works by Montague Ewing (1890-1957), who also composed under the name "Sherman Myers". He had a most successful career as a composer and arranger of light music and popular songs.

Edith Lorand [1898-1960] was born in Hungary, but spent most of her early career in Germany where she became world-famous as a violinist. She made numerous recordings, mostly light classical and "salon" works, but the changing political situation forced her to return to Hungary in the mid-1930s. Even in her homeland she felt unsafe, so in 1937 she went to the USA where she spent the rest of her life. "Gasparone" is an operetta in three acts by Carl Joseph Millöcker (1842-1899) with a German libretto by Friedrich Zell and Richard Genée.

We are back in unknown territory with "The Continental Novelty Orchestra" but this is likely to be a German ensemble. The catchy number Püppchen is by a composer who adopted the name "Jean Gilbert", but he was actually Hamburg-born Max Winterfeld (1879-1942). He was responsible for over 50 operettas before and after the First World War, but left Germany in 1933 and settled in Argentina where he died in Buenos Aires.

Born in Dublin, George W. Byng (1862-1932) was a busy conductor and composer, especially in London theatres. He was a regular visitor to the recording studios, and accompanied many leading artists such as Peter Dawson and Harry Lauder. At one time he conducted the famous Queen"s Hall Light Orchestra, and was also involved with scoring around 30 ballets. His orchestral suite A Day In Naples was among his most popular works.

The Italian violinist Alfredo Campoli (1906-1991) has occupied a warm place in the affections of British music lovers, since his debut at London"s Wigmore Hall in 1923. He played in many light orchestras, and was also a prolific broadcaster and recording artist in his own name. Mon Bijou is typical of the many light pieces that demonstrated the virtuosity of the maestro and the musicians who played with him. It was composed by Robert Stolz (1880-1975), an acclaimed Austrian composer, highly regarded in his homeland who went to Hollywood to escape the Nazis. In America he enjoyed success writing music for films such as "Spring Parade" and "It Happened Tomorrow".

Frederick John Easthope Martin (1882-1925) was known mainly for his popular songs, which proved popular at ballad concerts. There were three sets of Songs Of The Fair of which the most popular was the familiar Come To The Fair which features at the beginning and end of our recording. The noted English arranger Henry Ernest Geehl (1881-1961) arranged several of Martin"s songs into suites, and it is possible that he was responsible for this familiar score. Walter Goehr (1903-1960) was one of the many talented musicians who left Germany due to the developing political situation in the 1930s. Born in Berlin, he studied conducting with Arnold Schoenberg but was forced to leave his position with German radio in 1932. The Gramophone Company (later to become EMI) invited him to London as a music director, and he made many recordings for their labels, often using the pseudonym "George Walter". His varied career included teaching composition and conducting, and one of his pupils was Wally Stott (1924-2009), later to be known as Angela Morley who was widely praised for her work in Hollywood. In 1945 Goehr was appointed conductor of the BBC Theatre Orchestra, and he also composed several film scores, notably David Lean"s "Great Expectations" in 1946.

Albert Sandler (1906-1948) is remembered by many of the older generation in Britain through his BBC broadcasts "Grand Hotel" from 1943 to 1948. The music featured was known as "Palm Court" and Sandler"s own 1940 Columbia recording of Summer Evening In Santa Cruz is typical of a style that surprisingly still survived for quite a while after the war, although it had its roots decades earlier - Sandler himself had been musical director of the Grand Hotel, Eastbourne from 1924 to 1928.

Carl Robrecht (1888-1961) is remembered for his pseudo-oriental novelty Samum, still much loved by brass bands. The Henry Hall version was included on Guild GLCD5106 and another of his pieces in similar vein, Fata Morgana, was featured on GLCD5163. That came from the Bosworth Mood Music Library, which also recorded our version of Niagara by a group of anonymous session musicians. Robrecht appears to have been prominent in hotel band circles in Berlin between the wars, and there is reference to him using the pseudonym "Robby Reight".

Although some British Dance Band purists might disagree, possibly the most famous of the pre-war bands was fronted by Jack Hylton, born John Greenhalgh Hilton (1892-1965). The band made numerous records and toured widely in Britain and overseas. At times its repertoire ventured into light music circles, such as Wedding Of The Rose (on Guild GLCD5163) and Dancing Tambourine (GLCD5106). Hylton provides a rousing finale to this collection with a selection of Sousa marches arranged by a "Major Williams". John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) was universally regarded as the American "March King" and his music is still regularly performed today. David Ades

GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5177

The Composer Conducts - Volume 1

1 Jet Journey (Ron Goodwin)
RON GOODWIN AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Parlophone R 3649 1953
2 Courses de Toros (Bull Fights) (Gérard Calvi, real name Grégoire Elie Krettly)
GÉRARD CALVI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Pye NPL 28003 1958
3 Fun In The Sun (Angela Morley, as Wally Stott)
TELECAST ORCHESTRA Conducted by ANGELA MORLEY (as WALLY STOTT)
Chappell C 688 1960
4 Les Parfums De Paris (Cedric Dumont)
NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by CEDRIC DUMONT
Boosey & Hawkes O 2325 1958
5 Parisian Mode (Woolf Phillips)
WOOLF PHILLIPS AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Columbia DB 2873 1951
6 Sagittarius (Hal Mooney)
HAL MOONEY AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Mercury SR 60073 1958
7 The Phantom Regiment (Leroy Anderson)
LEROY ANDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Brunswick STA 3030 1960
8 City Of Veils (Les Baxter)
LES BAXTER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Capitol ST 868 1958
9 Puppets On Parade (Rudolf Friml)
101 STRINGS Conducted by RUDOLF FRIML
Stereo Fidelity SF-6900 1959
10 Subway Polka (Harold Geller)
HARRY GELLER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
RCA LPM 1032 1955
11 Bad Timing (from "Billion Dollar Baby") (Morton Gould)
MORTON GOULD, HIS PIANO AND ORCHESTRA
Columbia ML 4451 1951
12 Along The Avenue (Roger Roger)
ROGER ROGER AND HIS CHAMPS ELYSEES ORCHESTRA
Chappell C 644A 1959
13 Montana Round-Up (Kermit Leslie & Walter Leslie real surnames Levinsky)
KERMIT LESLIE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Epic LN 3452 1958
14 Huckleberry Duck (Raymond Scott, real name Harry Warnow)
RAYMOND SCOTT AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Coral CRL 57174 1957
15 Neiani (Axel Stordahl; Oliver)
AXEL STORDAHL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Dot DLP 25282 1960
16 Pam Pam (David Rose)
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
MGM D 149 1957
17 La Bardinetta (André Popp)
ANDRÉ POPP AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia WL 130 1958
18 Fiddle Derby (Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia 4-39491 1951
19 Without Your Love (Guy Luypaerts)
GUY LUYPAERTS AND HIS ORCHESTRA (as "GUY LUPAR"on LP label)
RCA Victor LP 3254 1955
20 Fandango (Frank Perkins)
FRANK PERKINS AND HIS "POPS" ORCHESTRA
Brunswick LA 8708 1955
21 Sports Arena (Wilfred Burns, real name Bernard Wilfred Harris)
HARMONIC ORCHESTRA Conducted by WILFRED BURNS
Harmonic HMP269A 1948
22 Trolley Bus (Charles Williams, real name Isaac Cozerbreit)
QUEEN"S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by CHARLES WILLIAMS
Chappell C 283 1946
23 Boulevardier (Frederic Curzon)
NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by FREDERIC CURZON
Boosey & Hawkes OT 2089 1946
24 Jack The Dancer (Dolf van der Linden)
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS METROPOLE ORCHESTRA
Paxton PR 582 1953
25 Blende Auf (Werner Müller)
RIAS DANCE ORCHESTRA Conducted by WERNER MüLLER
Polydor H 49 262 1954
26 Symphony In Jazz (First Movement) (Otto Cesana)
OTTO CESANA AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia CL 631 1955

Stereo: tracks 6-9 & 15 - rest in mono.

When composers conduct their own music one assumes that it is being performed exactly as they intended. Therefore such recordings are particularly valuable, and Ron Goodwin (1925-2003) certainly needed no encouragement to pick up the baton. From the 1950s onwards the recording scene in Britain was treated to a succession of his inventive and charming instrumentals which still sound fresh and appealing today. Internationally Ron"s fame would depend largely on his successful film scores such as "633 Squadron" (1964), "Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines" (1965) and Alfred Hitchcock"s "Frenzy" (1972). After several recordings for smaller labels, Ron was signed to EMI"s Parlophone in 1953 and his first recording for them was his own Jet Journey. Although he recorded it later in stereo, it is the first version which opens this CD that many regard as the best.

Gérard Calvi (real name Grégoire Elie Krettly, born 1922) first came to the attention of the public in his native France when he contributed the music in 1948 to a show called "Les Branquignols". The following year he composed the score for "La Patronne", launching a career in mainly European films that would continue for the rest of the 20^th Century. By far his best known cinematic work was for the "Asterix" films, but Calvi was equally at home in the theatre and recording studio, and writing popular songs - over 300 in total. Probably his most successful composition internationally was One Of Those Songs - thanks to Will Holt adding the English lyric to a catchy orchestral piece called Le Bal de Madame de Mortemouille (on Guild GLCD5160). This time we feature his description of bull fights - Courses de Toros.

During the 1950s Angela Morley (1924-2009, at the time working as "Wally Stott") composed many light pieces for Chappell & Co., the leading London publishers of background music. Fun In The Sun is typical of the bright, tuneful pieces that became her trademark. Angela Morley went on to enjoy a long and successful career in recordings and films, eventually being much in demand in Hollywood to assist leading composers on major projects - working with John Williams on "Star Wars" being a prime example. Her TV credits included "Dallas" and "Dynasty".

Cédric Dumont (1916-2007) was born in Hamburg, Germany, but during his long career he became known as "Mr. Music Man of Switzerland". Growing up in the 1930s he came into contact with Jack Hylton in England, and over in the USA he seems to have worked briefly with Teddy Wilson, Harry James and Benny Goodman. He settled in Switzerland at the outbreak of World War 2 and was soon broadcasting from the studios in Basel. His career touched the classics as well as jazz, but it was in the sphere of light music that he became known throughout Europe. British mood music libraries engaged him to conduct their works when they were unable to record in Britain due to a Musicians" Union ban, particularly during the 1950s, and his own Les Parfums de Paris is one such example.

Woolf Phillips (1919-2003) did not have the same high public profile as many of his fellow British bandleaders in the middle years of the last century, yet his talent and accomplishments were greater than many of them. However he did get noticed when conducting the orchestra at the London Palladium between 1947 and 1953, and most big band fans knew him through his association with the Skyrockets and later the Geraldo and Ted Heath bands. Before the war he learned orchestration from his famous brother Sid, who played clarinet with Ambrose and contributed some of the most notable arrangements for that band. While at the Palladium Woolf conducted for visiting American stars such as Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and Tony Martin, and in 1966 his friend Donald O"Connor (of "Singin" In The Rain" fame) persuaded him to relocate to the United States, where he spent the rest of his life. His Parisian Mode was a rare orchestral recording, which was used for a while by BBC Television as the signature tune for the panel game "What"s My Line".

Hal (born Harold) Mooney (1911-1995) is making another Guild appearance with his composition Sagittarius, which comes from a collection spotlighting each sign of the zodiac. In 1956 Mooney became A&R Director and chief arranger at Mercury Records, where he remained until Philips phased out the label towards the end of the 1960s. Mooney then moved to Universal Studios, working as MD on many of the top TV shows of the period, before retiring in 1977.

Leroy Anderson(1908-1975) is probably the best-loved American light music composer of his generation. For many years he was the chief arranger for the Boston Pops, and its famous conductor, Arthur Fiedler, introduced many Anderson novelties to an appreciative public. He was so prolific that some of his numbers have tended to become unfairly overlooked, such as The Phantom Regiment.

Texas born Les Baxter (1922-1996) decided to abandon a career as a concert pianist, and chose to concentrate on popular music. He played the tenor sax and is reported to have been influenced by Coleman Hawkins and the Duke Ellington Band. At the age of 23 he joined Mel Tormé"s Meltones and recorded with Artie Shaw, but his heart was set on arranging. As his career progressed he worked for Capitol and RCA, and tended to be asked to record pieces with an "exotic" appeal, like his City Of Veils.

Once again we are pleased to welcome Rudolf Friml (1879-1972) to conduct one of his own compositions. Puppets On Parade seems a far cry from his famous operettas such as "Rose-Marie" and "The Vagabond King", but it surely serves to confirm his versatility.

Violinist Harold (Harry) Geller (1916-2005) was born in Sydney, Australia, but for most of his career he was based in London. He was a frequent broadcaster with his orchestra in BBC programmes such as "Morning Music" and "Music While You Work", but his commercial recordings were comparatively rare. Subway Polka comes from an album of tunes he composed about New York for the American market. Towards the end of the 1970s work in Britain had dried up, so he moved to the USA where he continued to compose and teach the violin and conducting.

Morton Gould (1913-1996) became one of the most highly respected American composers, and his distinguished career was crowned with a Pulitzer Prize (for his Stringmusic, commissioned by Mstislav Rostropovich for the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington) just a year before his death at the age of 82. His Bad Timing comes from a Broadway show that has been overshadowed by his other greater achievements as a composer.

Roger Roger (1911-1995) was a leading figure on the French music scene for many years, and his fine compositions and arrangements also won him admirers internationally. Along The Avenue is one of many works he wrote for the Chappell Recorded Music Library.

Kermit Leslie (born Kermit Levinsky in New York City) often composed with his brother Walter, and it seems a pity that he appears to have made relatively few recordings. Montana Round Up is the ninth work by the Levinsky brothers to appear on Guild.

Raymond Scott was an American bandleader and pianist who composed a melody that is instantly recognisable to the older generation - Toy Trumpet (the version by Reginald Pursglove and his Orchestra is on GLCD5137). This was just one of a number of quirky novelties with similarly quirky titles, such as Twilight In Turkey, Reckless Night On Board An Ocean Liner and Huckleberry Duck, the choice for this collection. Scott"s real name was Harry Warnow (1908-1994) but he used a pseudonym to avoid being accused of nepotism, since his older brother Mark conducted a CBS house orchestra which used to play his tunes.

The name Axel Stordahl (1913-1963) will be familiar to many collectors of American popular music, mainly through his backing for Frank Sinatra during a period known as the singer"s "Columbia years". In 1936 he joined Tommy Dorsey as a trumpet player, and was encouraged to develop his arranging talents. He realised that his style was more suited to slow, sentimental ballads, which became his trademark, and this is evident in his composition Neiani.

London-born David Rose (1910-1990) became one of the truly great light orchestra leaders in the USA, and his compositions such as Holiday For Strings (on Guild GLCD5120) and The Stripper sold millions. The choice of Pam Pam for this collection has been dictated by the fact that it is one of his lesser known works, yet his mastery of the light orchestra shines through in every bar.

André Charles Jean Popp (b. 1924) is a Frenchcomposer, arranger and screenwriter whose main claim to fame rests with his composition Love Is Blue which was a big hit for Paul Mauriat in 1968, reaching number one in the US charts. But Popp"s long career has embraced many styles, often leading to eccentric arrangements, much of it for his broadcasts on French radio. In contrast with some of his works, La Bardinetta is relatively sedate!

Percy Faith (1908-1976) hardly needs any introduction to Guild "regulars". Born in Toronto, Canada, in 1940 he moved permanently to the USA where he quickly established himself through radio and recordings. From the 1950s onwards his fame spread internationally, due to the great success of his numerous long playing albums. Unlike most of his contemporaries, Faith arranged all his own material, and his compositions such as Fiddle Derby confirm his mastery of the light orchestra.

Guy Luypaerts (b. 1917) was born in Paris to Belgian parents during the First World War and he became well-known in French musical circles through conducting an orchestra called the Nouvelle Association Symphonique de Paris. Guild has previously included his imaginative sounds in the Cole Porter tribute (GLCD5127) and conducting inventive cameos such as The Sleepwalker of Amsterdam (GLCD5131), Masquerade In Madrid (GLCD5132), Jose Fontaine"s catchy Whimsy, and his own composition Chatter Box (both on GLCD5160). This time it is the turn of his more conventional Without Your Love.

Bernard Wilfred Harris, better known as "Wilfred Burns" (1917-1990) was a prolific composer of mood music who has over 200 titles to his credit. After service during the Second World War he worked at Elstree studios before eventually becoming a freelance film composer and musical director. His first of over twenty films was around 1949, with his final score in the 1970s. His best-known was probably the large screen version of the popular BBC television series "Dad"s Army" in 1971. Sports Arena is one of his many pieces accepted by various London publishers.

Charles Williams(real name Isaac Cozerbreit, 1893-1978) is yet another composer/conductor whose work is now familiar once again through his many Guild recordings. Trolley Bus is one of numerous pieces published by Chappells at a time when he was the main contributor to their Recorded Music Library.

Frederic Curzon (1899-1973) spent most of his early career working in the theatre and like so many of his contemporaries he gradually became involved in providing music for silent films. Later he was appointed Head of Light Music at London publishers Boosey and Hawkes, for whom he composed many highly praised pieces. Several appear in a special concert selection in the second volume of this series, but on this CD we hear his famous Boulevardier in the original full-length version.

Dolf van der Linden (real name David Gysbert van der Linden, 1915-1999) was the leading figure on the light music scene in the Netherlands from the 1940s until the 1980s. As well as broadcasting frequently with his Metropole Orchestra, he made numerous recordings for the background music libraries of major music publishers and his own Jack The Dancer remains one of his most popular works.

Werner Müller (1920-1998) was a bassoonist who became the conductor of the RIAS (Radio In American Sector) Dance Band based in Berlin, which gave its first concert on 24 April 1949. The band soon built up a strong following through its Polydor recordings, with exciting performances such as his own Blende Auf.

Italian born Otto Cesana (1899-1980) spent much of his early career in California where he lived from 1908 to 1930. His piano studies commenced at the age of ten, and he became an accomplished organist; he also learned about orchestration and harmony which he put to good use working in radio and Hollywood film studios. Most critics regarded Cesana"s work as being "easy listening", although the distinguished jazz critic Leonard Feather considered him worthy of an entry in the 1960 Encyclopaedia of Jazz through his acclaimed composition Symphony In Jazz. The first impressive movement makes a fitting finale to this collection. David Ades

GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5178

The Composer Conducts - Volume 2

1 March from "Things To Come" (Music from the film) (Arthur Bliss)
LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIR ARTHUR BLISS
Decca SDD 255 1959
2 "Pinky" Music from the film (Alfred Newman)
ALFRED NEWMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Mercury MPL 6500 1956
3 Scherzofrenia (from Symphony No. 5 ½ - "A Symphony For Fun") (Don Gillis)
NEW SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF LONDON Conducted by DON GILLIS
Decca LM 4510 1950
4 State Occasion (Robert Farnon)
QUEEN"S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
Chappell C294 1947
5 Dawn Fantasy (Peter Yorke)
PETER YORKE AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA with ARTHUR SANDFORD, piano
Columbia DB 2639 1950
"The League Of Gentlemen" Music from the film (Philip Green)
6 Golden Fleece Theme
7 League Of Gentlemen March
PINEWOOD STUDIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by PHILIP GREEN
Top Rank International JAR-355 1960
8 Salute The Soldier (Eric Coates)
LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Conducted by ERIC COATES
EMI JG 214 1944
9 Les Jeux (Playing) (George Melachrino)
THE MELACHRINO STRINGS Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
HMV C4250 1954
10 Amethyst March (soundtrack recording from the film "Yangtse Incident") (Leighton Lucas)
LEIGHTON LUCAS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Parlophone 45-R 4342 1957
11 Strings In The Mood (Walter Collins)
LONDON PROMENADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by WALTER COLLINS
Paxton PR454 1948
12 Naval Occasion (Hubert Clifford)
MELODI LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by HUBERT CLIFFORD
13 Chappell C428 1953
13 "The Dancing Years" - Three Ballet Tunes (Ivor Novello)
THE DRURY LANE THEATRE ORCHESTRA Conducted by IVOR NOVELLO
HMV B 8897 1939
14 International Sports March (Sidney Torch)
QUEEN"S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Chappell C299 1947
15 Rendezvous With Curzon (Frederic Curzon) Cachucha from "In Malaga" Suite; Maid Marian from "Robin Hood" Suite; Bravada; Serenade Of A Clown; March Of The Bowmen from "Robin Hood" Suite
NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by FREDERIC CURZON
Boosey & Hawkes OT 2090 1946
16 Selection of Radio Novelty Tunes (Montague Ewing) Fairy On The Clock; Soldier On The Shelf; The Queen Was In The Parlour; Butterflies In The Rain; Little Dutch Clock
MONTAGUE EWING, Piano, with NOVELTY BAND
Rex 8364-A 1935
Three Dale Dances (Suite founded on Yorkshire Folk Tunes) (Arthur Wood)
17 First Movement
18 Second Movement
19 Third Movement
ARTHUR WOOD AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia DX 971 1940
20 Wedgewood Blue (Albert William Ketèlbey)
ALBERT W. KETÈLBEY, Piano, and his CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Columbia DX 27 1930
21 Thrills (Charles Ancliffe)
CHARLES ANCLIFFE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia DB 339 1932
22 Cornish Rhapsody (featured in the film "Love Story") (Hubert Bath)
LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Conducted by HUBERT BATH, with HARRIET COHEN, piano
Columbia DX 1171 1944

Stereo: track 1 - remainder in mono.

The second collection of composers conducting their own works opens with a significant work for British cinema of the 1930s. When Arthur Bliss (later to be "Sir" Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss, 1891-1975) composed the music for the film of H.G. Wells" 1933 novel "The Shape Of Things To Come" it proved to be the most important score provided up to that time for a British film. It also influenced film music internationally, with many composers embracing more symphonic aspects in their work. While the film was in production during 1935 Bliss was apparently only partly satisfied with the way in which his music was used, although it seems that he was prepared not to apply any kind of veto. When the film appeared, the music was widely acclaimed and Bliss recorded part of the score for commercial release on Decca. For some reason it was left to the film"s musical director, Muir Mathieson (1911-1975), to conduct the famous March, which soon achieved fame through many other uses especially in newsreels. As stereo arrived towards the end of the 1950s Bliss was commissioned to record his Concert Suite of music from the film with the London Symphony Orchestra, and on this occasion the March was finally conducted by the composer.

Alfred Newman (1901-1970 - some references give his birth date as 1900) is occasionally overlooked as an important film composer, yet for much of his career he was probably the most influential and respected among his peers. His Hollywood career began in 1930 and one of his early scores was "Street Scene" in 1931 (the music is included on Guild GLCD5153), and until John Williams finally overtook him in January 2006 he was the most Oscar-nominated composer/conductor, with a tally of 44 nominations resulting in 9 Academy Awards. From 1939 until 1959 he was the musical director at 20^th Century Fox, reputed to have worked on around 225 films. "Pinky" from 1949 supposedly dealt with racial problems in southern USA; as one respected critic observed "it has about as much daring as a cheese-mite".

During his lifetime it seems that the American composer Donald Eugene Gillis (1912-1978) did not get the full attention from the American record industry which his talents deserved. It was the British Decca label that brought him to London in 1950 for several sessions at the Kingsway Hall which have preserved for posterity some of his best - and most quirky - creations. Anyone who can compose a piece of music called "Symphony No. 5½" is almost demanding not to be taken too seriously, and to make sure that nobody missed the joke Gillis subtitled his work "A Symphony For Fun". The first movement Perpetual Emotion is on Guild GLCD5156; now we have the third movement Scherzofrenia, which is so typical of the carefree, almost whimsical, work that he offered to music lovers in the middle years of the last century.

Canadian-born Robert Farnon (1917-2005) is widely regarded as one of the greatest light music composers and arrangers of his generation. His melodies such as Portrait Of A Flirt (on Guild GLCD5120) and Jumping Bean (GLCD5162) are familiar to millions around the world. He composed a vast amount of background music for the Chappell Recorded Music Library, and one of his most used pieces was State Occasion. Strangely he was never asked to make a commercial recording, but we can hear him conducting the original version for Chappell in 1947.

Peter Yorke (1902-1966) was a leading arranger, composer and conductor in Britain for many years, with many recordings and broadcasts to his credit. Among his compositions the mini-concerto Dawn Fantasy ranks as one of the best. It comes from the era when the Warsaw Concerto (composed by Richard Addinsell for the 1941 film "Dangerous Moonlight") spawned a glut of similar works, which broadcaster Steve Race astutely dubbed "the Denham Concertos", after the film studio which often featured such works on their soundtracks.

Philip Green (born Harry Philip Green 1911-1982) began his professional career at the age of eighteen playing in various orchestras. Within a year he became London"s youngest West End conductor at the Prince of Wales Theatre. His long recording career began with EMI in 1933, and he is credited with at least 150 film scores, including "The League Of Gentlemen". The music has been sequenced on this CD as it was used in the film.

Eric Coates (1886-1957) was asked to write a piece of music to assist the National Savings Movement during the Second World War. The result was Salute The Soldier which was the name given to the campaign to raise as much money as possible during those difficult times. Although he conducted the work in Trafalgar Square to gain maximum publicity, the special recording issued was made in No. 1 Studio, Abbey Road on 1 February 1944 with Coates and the London Symphony Orchestra.

George Miltiades Melachrino (1909-1965) was one of the big names in British light music from the 1940s to the 1960s. Born in London, he became a professional musician, competent on clarinet, alto and tenor saxophone, violin and viola, and he worked with many British dance bands in the 1930s. After war service he built an orchestra which became one of the finest in the world; when long playing records arrived, Melachrino"s sold in vast quantities, especially in the USA. He was also a very good composer, and his strings are shown in their full splendour in his Les Jeux.

Leighton Lucas (1903-1982) seems to have been at home in the fields of more serious music (especially ballet and opera) yet he also produced some pleasing light music and enjoyed success with scores for several prestigious films. In 1954 he wrote the incidental music for "The Dam Busters" (Eric Coates only contributed the famous march), and other projects included "Target for Tonight" (1941 - the theme is on Guild GLCD5118) and "Yangtse Incident" (1957) from which comes the Amethyst March, named after the ship involved in the action.

Walter R. Collins is remembered for his days as the distinguished Musical Director of the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea, and also for conducting the London Promenade Orchestra for the Paxton Recorded Music Library during the 1940s. Several of his own compositions have already appeared on Guild CDs (Laughing Marionette on GLCD5134; Linden Grove GLCD5112; possibly his best loved piece Moontime GLCD5168; Paper Hats And Wooden Swords GLCD5144; and Springtime GLCD5138). Strings In The Mood can now be added to this list.

Born in Tasmania, Hubert Clifford (1904-1959) composed several mood music pieces for Chappell"s Recorded Music Library, one of them being Naval Occasion. He provided scores for three British Transport Films in the 1950s, and "Round The Island", which featured the Isle of Wight, impressed him so much that he made his home there.

Ivor Novello (born David Ivor Davies 1893-1951) was a Welsh composer, singer and actor who created some of the most popular shows in London"s West End during the first half of the last century. He was not particularly known for orchestral recordings, so it is nice to be able to include some less familiar music from one of his best shows, "The Dancing Years", in this collection. Apart from many of his songs which have become standards, he continues to be remembered for the annual music awards which bear his name, held in London each Spring.

Sidney Torch, MBE (born Sidney Torchinsky 1908-1990) is well-known in Britain for his numerous Parlophone recordings, as well as his long tenure as conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra in the "Friday Night Is Music Night" BBC radio programme. He was also a frequent conductor and composer of mood music recordings for the Chappell Recorded Music Library, which is the source of his International Sports March.

For some years Frederic Curzon (1899-1973) was the Head of Light Music at London publishers Boosey and Hawkes. His famous Boulevardier was included in the first volume of "The Composer Conducts" (GLCD5177) but this was just one of many well crafted piece of light music that flowed from his pen. In 1946 he recorded a Concert Suite which he called "Rendezvous With Curzon" featuring five contrasting pieces. Alongside the better known numbers is the middle section of a charming rarity, Serenade Of A Clown, which he does not appear to have recorded in full for the Boosey & Hawkes Recorded Music Library.

Next to its tunefulness, perhaps the greatest appeal of Light Music is its variety of styles. This aspect is surely displayed in his Selection of Radio Novelty Tunes by London-born Montague Ewing (1890-1957), who sometimes used the American-sounding pseudonym Sherman Myers to make his music more acceptable in the USA. The composer himself plays and conducts a selection of his catchy melodies which audiences of the 1930s certainly appreciated and would have instantly recognised.

Arthur Wood (1875-1953) was a busy theatrical conductor (like many of his fellow composers at that time), and at the age of 28 had the distinction of being the youngest musical director in London"s West End. For a while he was a staff composer with Boosey and Hawkes, creating dozens of short suites, and he was a frequent visitor to the recording studios pre-1914. He made at least two early acoustic recordings of his Three Dale Dances, but fortunately EMI invited him back in 1940 for electrical re-makes.

When Gustav Holst sat an entrance examination for the Trinity College of Music, he was just beaten for a place by Albert William Ketèlbey (1875-1959) who later went on to become one of the most distinctive Light Music voices of his era. Fortunately for posterity, Ketèlbey was a regular visitor to the recording studios as well as a prolific composer. Wedgewood Blue has the bonus of the composer conducting his orchestra from the piano.

Irishman Charles W. Ancliffe (1880-1952) will forever be associated with Nights Of Gladness, (the Mantovani version on Guild GLCD5113 does the famous waltz full justice) but he was a military bandmaster as well as a successful composer. This was illustrated in his march The Liberators (GLCD5163) but he is back in familiar waltz territory with Thrills - his seventh composition to be featured on a Guild CD.

Hubert Charles Bath (1883-1945) composed another of those "Denham Concertos" (mentioned above) for the 1944 British film "Love Story". It told the story of a concert pianist who learned that she had an incurable illness, so she moved to Cornwall. Cornish Rhapsody was the appropriate title of her major concert piece in the film, performed on screen in London"s Royal Albert Hall by Margaret Lockwood; the actual pianist on the soundtrack was Harriet Cohen (1895-1967). Although he worked on around twelve feature films (one was "Rhodes of Africa" which included his Empire Builders March - on GLCD5136), Hubert Bath is almost forgotten today. His composition Out Of The Blue was used for many years to introduce BBC Radio"s "Sports Report", but he had died before it was chosen in 1948. His son John Bath (1915-2004) was also a composer (he wrote Sportsman"s Luck on GLCD5115).Although Rawicz and Landauer, with Mantovani and his Orchestra, gave a splendid rendition in stereo of Cornish Rhapsody around fifteen years later (on GLCD5153), it is perhaps the distinctive sound of the original 1944 recording that suits the atmosphere of the work so perfectly. It provides the climax to two collections featuring some possibly historic occasions when composers allowed us to hear their music, presumably just as they intended. David Ades