For the second new CD we are back in familiar Guild Light Music territory

BURIED TREASURES

Rare Gems of Light Music – some Previously Unobtainable

1 Castles In The Air (Kenneth Essex, alias Rufus Isaacs)
CELEBRITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
2 Swing-Hoe (Robert Farnon)
DANISH STATE RADIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
3 Valse Serenade (Stanford Robinson)
BBC THEATRE ORCHESTRA, leader Alfred Barker, Conducted by STANFORD ROBINSON
4 Venezuela (Larry Coleman, Alfredo Corenzo)
WALLY STOTT AND HIS ORCHESTRA
5 Parlour Game (Ray Martin)
HARMONIC ORCHESTRA Conducted by WAL-BERG
6 Penny Whistle Song (Leroy Anderson)
SIDNEY TORCH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
7 London – March (George Melachrino)
MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
8 Song of Soho: Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra (Philip Green) – from the film
"Murder Without Crime"
ASSOCIATED BRITISH PICTURE CORPORATION ORCHESTRA Conducted by PHILIP GREEN – pianist WILLIAM McGUFFIE
9 Dickon O’Devon (John Holliday)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by CHARLES WILLIAMS
10 Effervescence (Edward White)
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
11 Pizzicato Rag (Malcolm Lockyer)
MALCOLM LOCKYER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
12 Rhythm For Romance (Trevor Duncan)
NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by FREDERIC CURZON
13 Target For Tonight – Theme from the Film (Leighton Lucas)
LEIGHTON LUCAS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
14 Automation (Hugo de Groot)
CELEBRITIY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Conducted by HUGO DE GROOT
15 There Is A Tavern In The Town – Juke Box Fantasy (arr. George Melachrino)
MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
16 The Girl From Cuba (William Hill-Bowen)
WILLIAM HILL-BOWEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
17 Serbian Sunset (Anita Mishell)
MISCHA MICHAELOFF AND HIS ORCHESTRA
18 Atlantis (Edward Stanelli alias Edward Stanley de Groot)
SIDNEY TORCH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
19 Secrets (Charles Ancliffe)
HARRY DAVIDSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
20 This Is The Business (Lambert Williamson)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
21 Selection of Popular Melodies by Robert Stolz
THE TONHALLE ORCHESTRA, ZURICH Conducted by ROBERT STOLZ

Guild GLCD5118

Apart from the compilers, this latest CD includes tracks contributed by no less than seven other keen collectors (all members of The Robert Farnon Society), who share the same aims of David Ades and Alan Bunting that as many rare Light Music recordings as possible should be made available once again. Every track is a gem in its own right, but perhaps the one which has surprised (and delighted) David the most is the very rare Columbia 12’’ 78 "Song of Soho". This comes from David Turner, who very kindly (and patiently!) made several dubs using different styli so that Alan could get the best possible sound from the digital restoration. The end result is a fascinating piece of film music by Philip Green, which captures the great Bill McGuffie on piano very early on in his illustrious career. A number of other tracks are included at the express request of RFS members, and other rarities include the only light music 78 issued by Planet and a 12’’ 78 from Nixa (by coincidence the label is one that Jim Palm chose for his special display mentioned elsewhere in this issue).

There are two more Guild Light Music CDs now available, each containing some rare recordings to complement the previous 14 CDs already on offer in this landmark series

Highdays and Holidays
Spotlighting the Bosworth Mood Music Library 1937-1953

1 The Playful Pelican (Peter Yorke)
Peter Yorke and his Orchestra or Louis Voss and his Orchestra (record labels differ)
2 Buddha’s Festival of Love (Heini Kronberger & Mary Marriott)
The West End Celebrity Orchestra
3 Wedgewood Blue (Albert Ketèlbey)
Louis Voss Grand Orchestra
4 Neapolitan Serenade (Gerhard Winkler)
Regent Classic Orchestra
5 In a Chinese Temple Garden (Albert Ketèlbey)
Louis Voss Grand Orchestra
6 Wedding March in Midget Land (Siegfried Translateur)
London Concert Orchestra
7 Sparrows’ Concert – Intermezzo (Erich Börschel)
Louis Voss Grand Orchestra
8 April Day (Barry Tattenhall)
London Concert Orchestra
9 Busy Business (Frederick George Charrosin)
International Radio Orchestra
10 The Ballet Dancer (Wilfred Burns)
Bosworth’s String Orchestra
11 Tequila – Paso Doble (Philip Green)
Louis Voss and his Orchestra
12 Wild Goose Chase (George Crow)
Louis Voss and his Orchestra
13 Cutty Sark (Charles Williams)
National Light Orchestra
14 Serenade to a Mannequin (Charles Williams)
Bosworth’s Symphonic String Orchestra conducted by Louis Voss
15 Highdays and Holidays (Peter Yorke)
Louis Voss and his Orchestra
16 Salute to Speedway (Charles Williams)
The West End Celebrity Orchestra
17 Jack and Jill – Miniature Overture (Henry Croudson)
Louis Voss and his Orchestra
18 Palace of Variety (Claud Vane)
National Light Orchestra
19 Sportsman’s Luck (John Bath)
The West End Celebrity Orchestra
20 Sabre Jet (David Hart) The West End Celebrity Orchestra
21 Big Dipper (Claud Vane)
Louis Voss and his Orchestra
22 Sketch Of A Dandy (Haydn Wood)
Louis Voss and his Orchestra
23 Flight of the Toy Balloon (Art Strauss & Robert Dale)
National Light Orchestra
24 Travel Centre (Kenneth Essex)
West End Celebrity Orchestra
25 Sleepy Grasshopper (Ray Hartley)
Regent Classic Orchestra
26 Typical Teenager (Gerald Crossman)
Louis Voss and his Orchestra
27 Harlequin’s Flirtation (Louis Mordish)
London Bijou Players

GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5115

Regular collectors of Guild’s "Golden Age of Light Music" series will not need reminding that London publishers operating libraries of pre-recorded background music were a fertile source of Light Music during the middle years of the last century. Indeed there were also publishers in many other countries who established their own collections of music aimed specifically at radio and television broadcasters, film companies and – particularly during the 1940s and 1950s – cinema newsreels.

Very few of these publishers ever permitted private enthusiasts to acquire their recordings, which were initially issued on 78 rpm discs, although some did experiment with sound film for a while. The result is that this area of the music business remained shrouded in secrecy as far as the general public was concerned. Only when a particular piece of music became popular (usually when chosen as a signature tune) did a commercial record company decide to make it generally available. However it was rare for the original recording to be issued: more often the record company would engage its own ’house’ orchestra to make the recording, which sometimes resulted in a degree of disappointment if keen collectors decided that the commercial release sounded inferior, or too different from the original.

Recorded music libraries still thrive today, with literally hundreds of new CDs being made available each year. Even more music (the modern term is ‘production music’) is being offered through the latest technology, with professional users being able to download what they require direct from the publishers through the internet. But it was rather different back in the 1930s, when two leading publishers in England (Boosey & Hawkes and Bosworth) took the first steps to establish their own mood music libraries on records, thus making it convenient to use and easy to license. Of course, early silent films were sometimes screened to the accompaniment of music specially composed for them, so the notion of ‘background music’ was not exactly new. However the use of 78s to deliver the music was a big step forward and it provided publishers with a valuable additional source of income at a time when sheet music sales were in decline.

Initially there was a temptation to make recordings of established repertoire, drawing upon the vast resources of published scores already held. Some of this music did fulfil the needs of the profession, but soon it became apparent that new material was required in order to provide a wide range of moods and styles. The outbreak of World War II in 1939 meant that newsreels needed vast amounts of ‘action’ music, not previously available.

This collection focuses upon the output of Bosworth & Co who operated from premises in Heddon Street, just off Regent Street in London. They also had offices in Europe, which explains why they published so much music from Germany and Austria (obviously this source dried up during the war). Some of their composers were household names in the 1930s, while others were better known only to their colleagues.

Peter Yorke (1902-1966) worked with many leading British bands during his formative years, some of the most notable being Percival Mackey, Jack Hylton and Henry Hall. In 1936 he began a fruitful collaboration as chief arranger with Louis Levy, one of the pioneers of music for British films, who employed several talented writers such as Clive Richardson, Charles Williams and Jack Beaver, but seldom gave them any credit on-screen. Later on Peter Yorke conducted one of Britain’s most popular broadcasting orchestras from the 1940s until the 1960s. He was also a gifted composer and he created many stunning arrangements that brought out some fine performances from the top musicians he always employed.  The opening track on this CD, The Playful Pelican, was one of the very first specially recorded for the Bosworth library, although there is conflicting evidence on the labels of different pressings as to who conducted the performance.  Another popular piece – Highdays and Holidays – provides the title for this collection. Later, several different London publishers including Chappell were happy to accept his work for their background music libraries.

Albert William Ketèlbey (1875-1959) was a highly successful composer, who earned the equivalent of millions of pounds during the peak of his popularity. Pieces such as In a Monastery Garden, The Phantom Melody, In a Persian Market and Bells Across the Meadows brought him international fame, no doubt assisted by his enthusiastic participation in the rapidly growing business of producing gramophone records. As well as also being an arranger and conductor, he was an accomplished pianist and organist, and was proficient on oboe, cello, clarinet and horn. Once he had achieved his fame, and a style that became closely associated with him, he seemed unwilling to adapt to the new rhythms and influences that were gaining popularity – particularly during the 1930s. His own music gradually went out of vogue, and the previous age of romance, that had its roots in the self-confidence of the Edwardian age, seemed to be in terminal decline. But Ketèlbey was far from forgotten, and the LP era of the 1950s resulted in a renewed interest in his beautifully crafted melodies. He was able to spend his later years in comfortable retirement on the peaceful Isle of Wight.

Gerhard Winkler (1906-1977) was a highly respected composer and arranger on the German light music scene, and occasionally his charming melodies reached an international audience. Neapolitan Serenade will probably sound familiar to many people who might find it difficult to remember the title, but most music-lovers would be able to name his biggest success – Answer Me – thanks to an English lyric by Carl Sigman and several hit records including the Nat ‘King’ Cole version in 1954.

Frederick George Charrosin (d. 1976) was a prolific composer of mood music, with many titles to his credit. He also created many arrangements for various ensembles broadcasting regularly on the BBC.

Wilfred Burns has over 200 published titles to his credit. He seemed able to create incidental music to suit almost any kind of mood, and he achieved possibly his greatest success when his piece Saturday Sports was chosen by BBC Television for its "Sportsview" programme which began in 1954.

Philip Green (1910-1982) 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. A compulsive worker, he appeared in countless radio programmes and also composed numerous pieces of mood music for major London publishers including Chappell & Co., Francis Day & Hunter, Paxton and EMI’s Photoplay Music, where he ultimately became the only contributor to the catalogue.

Charles Williams (1893-1978) (real name Isaac Cozerbreit) began his career accompanying silent films, then played violin under the batons of Beecham and Elgar. 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 topped 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. By far the greatest volume of his composing skills was employed in mood music, providing hundreds of works for Chappell & Co. alone, many of them also conducted by him. Devil’s Galop will forever remind schoolboys of the 1940s of "Dick Barton – Special Agent", while early television viewers became familiar with Girls in Grey, the theme for BBC newsreels, and The Young Ballerina which accompanied the famous ‘Potter’s Wheel’ TV interlude. However Williams also contributed to other publishers’ mood music libraries, such as those on this CD which were recorded by Bosworth & Co.

Henry Croudson (1898-1971) began his musical career in 1925 as an organist playing for silent films at the Majestic Cinema in his home town of Leeds. He became one of England’s foremost players, eventually working at the top cinemas including the famous Gaumont State, Kilburn, and the Dominion, Tottenham Court Road, London. Henry also wrote many tuneful and well constructed pieces of light music, including the Miniature Overture Jack and Jill on this CD.

David Hart was a pseudonym for W. Granville Chapman, who published over 50 works. His contribution to this collection – Sabre Jet – was written to describe an American fighter aircraft, but it became familiar to millions of British television viewers during the 1950s when the BBC used it in a short film (screened many times) called "London to Brighton in Four Minutes", shot from the driver’s cab of a train.

Claud Vane and Kenneth Essex hide the true identity of Rufus Isaacs, who also used other pseudonyms such as Derek Dwyer and Howitt Hale. His many short works often had a ‘show business’ or holiday feel.

Haydn Wood (1882-1959) enjoyed much success during the early years of the last century with ballads, before concentrating on full scale orchestral works and suites. Roses of Picardy has been in the repertoire of most singers of the 20th century (even Frank Sinatra!), and that alone could justify Haydn Wood’s place among the great popular composers. Recent recordings of his works have demonstrated the depth and wide scope of his composing abilities, especially in suites. This native Yorkshireman often dedicated such works to London, and one can imagine the subject of his Sketch of a Dandy visiting the fashionable places in the capital city.

The German composer and conductor Erich Börschel (1907-1988) received his musical education at the Conservatory in Mainz, then became repetiteur and conductor at the local Staatstheater from 1927 to 1931. For the next four years he worked as a pianist at the broadcasting house in Königsberg (today part of Poland), before forming his own dance band and light orchestra in 1935. During this time he made various commercial recordings for the Telefunken label and in 1938 he composed the charming Sparrow’s Concert heard on this CD. From 1946 to 1962 he was leader of the Grosses Unterhaltungsorchester in Frankfurt, before completing his career as a freelance musician.

Gerald Crossman (b. 1920) came from a musical family, with three cousins playing in leading British dance bands such as Lew Stone, Jack Hylton and Ambrose. He studied the accordion and became proficient on the saxophone, clarinet and trumpet. His recording and broadcasting career was interrupted by war service in the Royal Air Force, although he soon found his niche as the RAF Central Band Sergeant Music Instructor; when hostilities ceased he was posted to India, where he fulfilled a similar role with the Royal Indian Air Force Band. Back in civilian life, Gerald became fully employed with broadcasting, recording and film music sessions, as well as performing at venues such as holiday camps and fashionable hotels, and on ocean going liners. His composing career gradually developed, resulting in over 100 titles – Typical Teenagerbeing a catchy example.

Louis Mordish (1908-1996) was a distinguished cinema organist, pianist, Musical Director and prolific composer. Although he played piano in many different ensembles during his long career, radio listeners in Britain will recall broadcasts by Louis Mordish and his Players for programmes such as "Morning Music" and "Music While You Work". He was also heard regularly on the cinema organ and continued to give occasional recitals until shortly before he died.

The orchestras performing on Library Music recordings often contained some of the finest session players, and Bosworth was fortunate in being able to employ Louis Voss (1902-1980). He possessed a wide experience as a conductor, starting with silent films then specialising for a while in café and restaurant work providing gypsy, Hungarian and Viennese music. He formed the Louis Voss Grand Orchestra during the 1930s, which made many records for Bosworths; they also recorded under the pseudonym ‘The West End Celebrity Orchestra’. The leader was the famous violinist Alfredo Campoli. Eventually Louis Voss became one of the BBC’s regular broadcasters, and he combined this with theatrical engagements. Towards the end of his long career he was actually the anonymous conductor of the Sydney Thompson Old Time Orchestra.

Bosworth & Co. was one of the British pioneers of recorded music, and it is hoped that this small selection from their considerable output will illustrate the high quality of the music they provided to the entertainment industry during the last century. This famous name still exists as part of the Music Sales group.

David Ades

The second new Guild Light Music CD revisits the 1930s. Of special interest is the final ‘bonus’ track, which features a rare experimental recording from 1934 when EMI engineers were discovering that stereo recordings were possible. It took another 23 years, before they reached the record buying public.

The Golden Age of Light Music : the 1930s – Volume 2 "In Town Tonight"

1 Down The Mall (John Belton, alias Tony Lowry & Douglas Brownsmith)
PHILIP GREEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
2 Bitter Sweet Waltz (I’ll See You Again) (Noel Coward)
PARAMOUNT THEATRE ORCHESTRA Conducted by ANTON with AL BOLLINGTON (Organ)
3 Pony (Josef Rixner)
BARNABAS VON GÉCZY AND HIS ORCHESTRA
4 ‘Happy’ – Selection intro: I Want To Be Happy, Happy Days Are Here Again, Happy Feet, Back To Those Happy Days, Many Happy Returns Of The Day, Spread A Little Happiness, I Want To Be Happy.
COVENTRY HIPPODROME ORCHESTRA Conducted by CHARLES SHADWELL (piano soloist: Jack Wilson)
5 La Paloma (Sebastian de Yradier)
REGAL VIRTUOSI Conducted by EMANUEL STARKEY with SIDNEY TORCH, Organ.
6 Chinese Street Serenade (Ludwig Siede arr. Crook)
ALFREDO CAMPOLI AND HIS MARIMBA TANGO ORCHESTRA
7 Badinage (Victor Herbert)
HARRY HORLICK AND HIS ORCHESTRA
8 Squirrel Dance (H. Elliott Smith)
MAREK WEBER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
9 Kismet (Erich Börschel)
INTERNATIONAL RADIO ORCHESTRA
10 ‘Ice Rink Selection’ intro: Skaters Waltz, Wine Women And Song, Casino Tanz, Artist’s Life, Count Of Luxembourg, Valse Septembre, Nights Of Gladness, Amoretten Tanz, Gold And Silver Waltz, Wiener Blut, Espana.
DEBROY SOMERS BAND
11 In Town Tonight ("Knightsbridge" from "London Suite") (Eric Coates)
BBC DANCE ORCHESTRA Directed by HENRY HALL
12 Chinese Legend (Hermann Schulenburg arr. Etlinger)
RICHARD CREAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
13 Fingerprints (Harry Engleman)
HARRY ENGLEMAN’S QUINTET
14 ‘A Bouquet Of Flowers’ intro: Won’t You Buy My Pretty Flowers, Valse Des Fleurs, Roses Of The South, Hearts And Flowers, Wedding Of The Rose, Dear Little Shamrock, Won’t You Buy My Pretty Flowers, Pas Des Fleurs, Narcissus, Last Rose Of Summer, Valse Des Fleurs.
GAUMONT STATE ORCHESTRA Conducted by ALFRED VAN DAM
15 Donna Juanita – Paso Doble (Wilhelm Gabriel)
ROBERT RENARD AND HIS ORCHESTRA
16 Shadowsplay (Schattenspiele) (Herbert Küster)
HERBERT KÜSTER’S PIANO ORCHESTRA
17 Ecstasy Waltz (Sidney Baynes)
EDITH LORAND AND HER VIENNESE ORCHESTRA
18 Procession Of The Sirdar (from ‘Caucasian Sketches’) (Mikhail Mikhailovich Ippolitov-Ivanov, arr. Herman Finck)
COMMODORE GRAND ORCHESTRA Conducted by JOSEPH MUSCANT
19 "Mr. Whittington" – Selection (John W. Green, Jack Waller, Joseph Tunbridge) intro: Oceans Of Time, Whoops For The Derby Day, Weep No More My Baby, Who Do You Think You Are, The Sun Is Round The Corner, What A Pleasant Surprise, Finale.
NEW MAYFAIR ORCHESTRA Conducted by RAY NOBLE
20 BONUS TRACK: RARE EXPERIMENTAL STEREO FROM 1934
Excerpt from "Mr. Whittington" intro: The Sun Is Round The Corner, What A Pleasant Surprise, Finale.
NEW MAYFAIR ORCHESTRA Conducted by RAY NOBLE

GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5116

The first Guild Light Music collection from the 1930s (GLCD5106) received such a warm reception from aficionados of the period, that a second helping from this tuneful era became a ‘must’. Recognising some constructive comments about the earlier CD, this time some additional famous continental ensembles have been included, resulting in a truly international feel. After all, music knows no boundaries, and whatever the politicians may have been doing during those troubled times, musicians were simply intent upon supplying first-rate entertainment for their grateful audiences.

Henry Hall [1898-1989] takes pride of place in these notes for providing the CD’s title. "In Town Tonight" was a popular British radio programme for 27 years, and its signature tune Knightsbridge from Eric Coates’ "London Suite" firmly established the composer as the leading figure in pre-war light music. Several different versions appeared on record, and while purists may blink at Henry Hall’s dance band version, the superb playing of his musicians has to be admired.

Barnabas Von Géczy [1897-1971] was born in Hungary. He had arrived in Berlin in 1922 and by the 1930s he had one of the best known hotel orchestras in Germany.

‘Robert Renard’ is one of several pseudonyms adopted by Otto Dobrindt [1886-1963] - others included Odeon Dance Orchestra, Piano Symphony, Dobbri and Frank Sandlers. He was also respected as a conductor for classical music, and some of his recordings accompanying noted singers of the time are still available on CDs.

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.

Debroy Somers [1890-1952] could almost be described as a recording phenomenon of the 1930s. For a while his 78s occupied more space in the EMI Columbia catalogue than any other artist. Intriguingly, unlike other artists who were catalogued by surname, he was always listed under "D" rather than "S" and, whether fronting a small ensemble or conducting a large orchestra, the labels said "Debroy Somers Band". The vast majority of his records were medleys of popular songs, such as the Ice Rink Selection chosen for this CD. Somers was the son of an Army band-master from the 1^st Gloucestershire Regiment, and was born in Dublin in 1890 – the names on his birth certificate were William Henry – ‘Debroy’ came later. He could play virtually every instrument in the orchestra or the military band and mastered the oboe, cor anglais, piano, harp, clarinet, saxophone and xylophone. He was one of the first dance band leaders to broadcast, and was the originator of the Savoy Hotel Orpheans in 1923 – he remained their musical director until 1926. A prolific broadcaster, he remained an important figure on the British musical scene until he died suddenly at the age of 62 from a stroke.

Harry Horlick was the conductor of one of early American radio’s most popular salon orchestras, largely due to his regular appearances on the long-running "A & P Gypsies" show from 1924 to 1936. When this series ended, Decca signed him for almost twenty sets of 78s featuring what has been described as ‘musically sturdy, if somewhat careful, albums, with a number devoted to popular and theatre music’. From this period comes the Victor Herbert cameo Badinage.

The Gaumont State Cinema in Kilburn opened on 20 December 1937, and soon afterwards its own orchestra was making records, under its London-born conductor Alfred Van Dam [1902-1973]. He began a twelve-year association with the Gaumont-British organisation when aged only nineteen, and made his first broadcast in 1931. Immediately prior to his appointment at the flagship State cinema, he had been musical director at the Trocadero, Elephant & Castle in south London. During his later career he contributed no less than 140 broadcasts to the BBC’s famous ‘Music While You Work’ programme, his last broadcast taking place in 1958.

For decades the Far East inspired many artists from poets to painters and composers. The word ‘Chinese’ appears in numerous song titles, as evidenced by the two tracks in this collection. The first comes from Alfredo Campoli [1906-1991], one of the finest violinists working in Britain, whose brilliant playing enhanced numerous recordings, often unbeknown to the public since he was always in demand as a leader from the top orchestras. However he did get his own fair share of the limelight, through his recordings and broadcasts with the various groups he formed. His expertise is hardly surprising, since his father was a violin professor and orchestral leader, while his mother – the operatic soprano Elvira Celi – had toured with Caruso. The family moved to England from Rome while Alfredo was still a child, and he made his début at London’s Wigmore Hall in 1923. After enjoying great success in Britain for many years, he was widely praised when he appeared at the Carnegie Hall in New York in 1953, and other overseas tours took him twice to the Soviet Union.

Probably the best known British theatre orchestra during the 1930s was that of the world famous London Palladium which is featured on "British Cinema and Theatre Orchestras" (Guild GLCD 5108). In recording terms it was also the most prolific, with almost 150 recordings made between 1927 and the early 1940s, most of them conducted by Richard Crean who was in charge from 1930 to 1937. He also made recordings with his own orchestra and Chinese Legend is yet another classic example of the pseudo-oriental music that seemed to fascinate many music-lovers of that era.

The German composer and conductor Erich Börschel composed the charming Sparrow’s Concert which is included on the Guild Light Music CD "Highdays and Holidays" (GLCD5115). This was just one of a number of successful light pieces he wrote in the 1930s, and Kismet is another of the pieces specially recorded for the early Bosworth Mood Music Library.

Russian-born Joseph Muscant is credited with making the Commodore Grand Orchestra into one of the finest ensembles playing light music at that time. It was formed when the Hammersmith cinema opened on 14 September 1929, and soon became popular throughout Britain thanks to its regular BBC radio broadcasts.

Finally it is important to mention "Mr. Whittington" - a London show which, thanks to Ray Noble and EMI, formed an important landmark in the history of recorded sound. London-born Ray Noble (1903-1978) was one of the leading British bandleaders of the 1930s and, as well as being a talented pianist and arranger, he also composed several popular songs which have since become standards. Among his biggest successes were Goodnight Sweetheart, Love Is The Sweetest Thing, The Touch Of Your Lips, and The Very Thought Of You - all of them first introduced by singer Al Bowlly, who was a valued member of the Noble orchestra - called The New Mayfair (Dance) Orchestra on its numerous HMV 78s.

Alan Blumlein joined the Columbia Graphophone Company in 1929 with a brief to improve the then fledgling electrical recording process, which he did with notable success. By 1931 Columbia had merged with The Gramophone Company to form EMI (Electrical and Musical Industries) and Blumlein began experimenting with stereophonic recording (then known as "binaural") at their Hayes research laboratories. By 1934 these experiments were proving so successful that a complete binaural cutting system was installed in one of the studios at Abbey Road to enable recordings of orchestral and other music to be made and assessed.

Most of the results of these experiments – the "walking and talking" and classical music recordings - have already appeared on various LPs and CDs but it is not generally known that some light music was also recorded. In fact the very first Abbey Road binaural recording was made on the 11^th of January 1934 by Ray Noble and The New Mayfair Orchestra (called "Ray Noble’s Dance Band" in the documentation). The music chosen was part of a selection from the musical "Mr. Whittington" and the complete mono recording, made at the same time, is featured on track 19 while the binaural version forms the finale of this CD.

The sound is rather distant as the microphones were placed approximately 45 feet from the orchestra and the lack of additional ‘spot’ microphones (and the absence of a stereo mixing desk to accommodate them), means that certain instruments do not have the same prominence as on the mono recording. Even so, the resulting sound is quite exciting, perhaps giving the impression of sitting near the rear of a concert hall or theatre.

It is a pity that the economic climate and the obvious problems of playing such recordings domestically at that time meant that the experiments were abandoned, and the introduction of stereo discs into the home had to wait another 23 years. However Alan Blumlein was responsible for developing the disc cutting principles eventually adopted by the recording industry, although his patents expired in 1952, having never been commercially exploited by EMI. His system was "re-invented" by Westrex, and became the universal standard for stereo LPs.

David Ades

LIGHT MUSIC WAS STILL FLOURISHING IN AMERICA OVER FIFTY YEARS AGO, AS PROVED BY THIS NEW COLLECTION FROM 1948 to 1954

Great American Light Orchestras Volume 2 : Travellin’ Light

1 Travellin’ Light (Victor Young) WALTER SCHARF AND HIS ORCHESTRA
2 Blue Tango (Leroy Anderson) HUGO WINTERHALTER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
3 Laura (from the film "Laura") (Johnny Mercer & David Raksin) DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
4 Limehouse Blues (from "Andre Charlot’s Revue of 1924") (Douglas Furber & Philip Braham) MORTON GOULD AND HIS ORCHESTRA
5 Mine (from "Let ‘Em Eat Cake") (George & Ira Gershwin) ANDRE KOSTELANETZ AND HIS ORCHESTRA
6 The Grasshopper (Bernard Landes) CONDUCTED BY CAMARATA
7 The Very Thought Of You (Ray Noble) RICHARD HAYMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
8 The Girl With The Spanish Drawl (Wow! Wow! Wow!) (Fausto Curbelo & John A. Camacho) PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
9 The Continental (from film "The Gay Divorcee") (Herb Magidson & Con Conrad) BOSTON ‘POPS’ ORCHESTRA Conducted by ARTHUR FIEDLER
10 I Love Louisa (from "The Band Wagon") (Arthur Schwartz & Howard Dietz) THE PITTSBURGH STRINGS arranged and conducted by RICHARD JONES
11 Joyride (Billy Vaughn) BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
12 I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me (Clarence Gaskill & Jimmy McHugh) NELSON RIDDLE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
13 New York In A Nutshell (Nicholas Acquaviva & Ted Varnick) ACQUAVIVA AND HIS ORCHESTRA
14 The Little Toy Shop (Kermit Leslie & Walter Leslie) KERMIT LESLIE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
15 Calico Square Dance (Meredith Willson) MEREDITH WILLSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
16 All The Things You Are (from "Very Warm for May") (Oscar Hammerstein II & Jerome Kern) GORDON JENKINS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
17 Parade of the Wooden Soldiers (Leon Jessel, arr. Morton Gould) ROBIN HOOD DELL ORCHESTRA Conducted by MORTON GOULD
18 Kentucky Trotter (Frank Perkins) FRANK PERKINS AND HIS "POPS" ORCHESTRA
19 Tambourine Chinois (Fritz Kreisler) DAVID CARROLL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
20 Little Jumping Jack (Ralph Maria Seigel) CONDUCTED BY CAMARATA
21 I Concentrate On You (from film "Broadway Melody of 1940") (Cole Porter) ANDRE KOSTELANETZ AND HIS ORCHESTRA
22 My Silent Love (Jazz Nocturne) (Edward Heyman & Dana Suesse) MORTON GOULD AND HIS ORCHESTRA
23 The Flying Horse (David Rose) DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
24 The Piccolino (from film "Top Hat") (Irving Berlin) THE PITTSBURGH STRINGS arranged and conducted by RICHARD JONES
25 Tropical (Morton Gould) DAVID CARROLL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
26 Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo (from the film "Lili") (Helen Deutsch & Bronislau Kaper) VICTOR YOUNG AND HIS SINGING STRINGS
27 What’s Good About Goodbye? (from film "Casbah") (Leo Robin & Harold Arlen) DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA

GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5114 Readers of this magazine will need little introduction to many of the famous orchestras included in this collection, but it is hoped that there will be some pleasant surprises among the ‘old friends’. Camarata’s records were not widely distributed worldwide, and how many people can boast a recording by Kermit Leslie on their shelves? When enthusiasts talk about ‘The World of Light Music’ they often intend that their words should be taken literally, because there was a time – mainly during the middle years of the last century – when pleasant, tuneful melodies could be heard regularly emanating from radio loudspeakers in many parts of the world. This was reflected in commercial recordings, because listeners often wanted to be able to hear their favourite music and orchestras at times of their own choosing. Commercial pressures eventually forced changes as younger generations acquired more disposable cash for items such as records, but in countries where there was a strong public broadcasting ethos (mainly Europe and former British colonies) the commercial pressures were less keenly felt, resulting in radio orchestras surviving longer than in the ‘new world’. In America conductors such as Andre Kostelanetz, David Rose and Percy Faith built a strong following as a result of their radio work in the 1930s and 1940s, which translated into healthy record sales well into the LP era of the 1950s. Some of them managed to survive the arrival of Elvis Presley and The Beatles on the entertainment scene, but others simply could not afford the high expense of keeping an orchestra together for the diminishing radio and recording work on offer. There was also the ‘problem’ of adapting to changing musical tastes: orchestras were forced to play pop songs with a beat, and echo chambers and other electronic gadgets certainly didn’t help. The end result was that the pop-fed youngsters were totally unimpressed and disinterested, and the traditional fans of the orchestras hated the ‘new modern sounds’. Happily there was a ‘golden age’ for a while when music was more important than gimmickry, and recording managers were prepared to trust the good musical sense of conductors, arrangers and composers. Such a period in America is recreated in this Compact Disc. The selection takes its title from a sparkling composition by Victor Young (1900-1956). He excelled as a violinist, arranger, film composer, songwriter, conductor and record producer. This wide experience in all forms of music, from his first hit song, Sweet Sue, Just You in 1928 to his tremendous score for "Around the World in 80 Days" in 1956, was exceptional even by Tin Pan Alley and Hollywood standards, all the more so because his international reputation was achieved in such a short lifetime. Like so many of his contemporaries, he found work with various dance bands of the 1920s and 1930s, before eventually ending up in Hollywood, where he discovered the ideal outlet for his melodic gifts. Walter Scharf (1910-2003) was mainly a film score composer and arranger, who received ten Academy Award nominations. He also worked extensively in US television with stars like Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. Hugo Winterhalter (1909-1973) created arrangements for Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Claude Thornhill and others before several record companies recognised his true potential. Between 1948 and 1963 he was musical director at MGM, Columbia, RCA and Kapp, with several big sellers to his credit. Leroy Anderson’s Blue Tango was one of the first. David Rose (1910-1990) was born in London, England, and the family moved to the USA when he was just four-years-old. He began working in movies in 1941 and is credited with scoring 36 films. In 1943 he had a big hit with his own composition Holiday For Strings which firmly launched him as a light music composer in the eyes of the public. In total he won five Grammy awards and six gold records. 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. Among his best-known works were the ballet Fall River Legend and American Symphonette No. 3,which became better known as Pavanne (the mis-spelling was deliberate). From 1986 to 1994 Gould was President of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Andre Kostelanetz (1901-1980) was one of the biggest names in American light orchestral music during the middle years of the 20th century. He created a rich symphonic style of scoring that was to transform many popular melodies into minor masterpieces, and there is little doubt that he influenced many of his contemporaries. Born in Russia, in 1928 he became a naturalised American, and in the same year he began a long association with the Atlantic Broadcasting System (later CBS) which resulted in a series of very popular radio programmes which lasted from the early 1930s right through to the 1950s. His arrangements favoured light and shade, with extremely loud passages being followed (sometimes quite abruptly) by quieter phases, often involving only a few instruments. Early 78 discs found it difficult to cope, especially when the softer moments were aggravated by the hisses and crackles inherent in the poor quality pressings that were around in the 1940s due to war conditions. But that didn’t stop people from buying them: during the 1940s Columbia calculated that his sales had topped 20 million records in the USA alone. In 1950 his record company confirmed that he was their best-selling Masterworks artist, further adding to his prestige. 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). He also worked for the Disney Studios and helped to establish Disneyland Records. During one of his periods based in England, in 1948 he recorded Robert Farnon’s arrangement of the famous Chopin work Fantaisie Impromptu in C sharp minor (Decca F8885 – recently reissued on Guild GLCD5101). An updated version, featuring Jane Pickles on flute, is included in the Vocalion CD "Hey There" (CDSA 6811). As well as being a respected arranger and conductor, Richard Hayman (b. 1920) 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 and Skipping Along. 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. 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. 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 elsewhere. At the time when The Continental was recorded, Leroy Anderson was the full-time arranger, so it seems most likely that he was responsible for this inventive score. During the post-war years, Anderson enjoyed considerable fame with his own compositions, especially Blue Tango played on this CD by the Hugo Winterhalter orchestra. During the 1950s and 60s many record companies became obsessed with albums featuring strings.  Recordings by the Victor Young Singing Strings (featured in Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo), The Castaway Strings, The San Sebastian Strings, The September Strings, The Knightsbridge Strings, The Clebanoff Strings, The Living Strings, 101 Strings and many others were released in abundance.  Capitol had the famous Hollyridge Strings created by Stu Phillips in 1964 but, like most "string" ensembles, they often included brass and woodwind, either as solo instruments or, a contradiction in terms, as complete sections of the orchestra. However, Capitol had first ventured into this genre some 11 years earlier when they commissioned Richard Jones to arrange for, and conduct, the complete string section of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, led by their famous concertmaster Samuel Thavin, in several albums which were 100% strings. Our two tracks come from their second album, "Moonlight And Violins". Billy Vaughn (1931-1991) 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 No. 1 in 1960 with Theme from ‘A Summer Place’. Nelson Riddle (1921-1985) was a trombonist during his early career, which could explain why that particular instrument was featured in some of his most inventive arrangements for Frank Sinatra. Riddle’s scores also enhanced the recording careers of many top stars, from Nat ‘King’ Cole and Dean Martin to Judy Garland and Peggy Lee. He made a few instrumental albums on his own, but one is left with the impression that he could have achieved more in this area, had he not been so successful accompanying the finest singers around. Nicholas Acquaviva was not a frequent visitor to the recording studios, but he gained recognition in the USA through his involvement with the Symphony of the Air orchestra and as conductor of the New York ‘Pops’ Symphony Orchestra. Kermit Leslie (real name Kermit Levinsky)was born in New York City, and was working as a professional musician by the time he was fourteen. In 1939 he joined Alvino Rey’s band as saxophonist and arranger, until he was conscripted during the Second World War. Later he studied harmony and counterpoint, and for a while became an arranger with Tommy Dorsey. He was a prolific composer (often with his brother Walter) with over 50 published titles to his credit, although Walter’s total is even higher. Meredith Willson (b. 1902) achieved his biggest success as composer of the Broadway musical "The Music Man" which was also turned into a popular film starring Robert Preston. Willson originally played the flute in John Philip Sousa’s band, then in the New York Philharmonic. A busy career in radio and films followed, punctuated by a spell as a major in the Armed Forces Radio Service during World War 2. Calico Square Dance is unusual in that it is actually in two keys at once. There are two basic melodies in the piece – one of them the familiar Old Joe Clark, while the other was Willson’s own creation. Gordon Jenkins (1910-1984) arranged for many of the top bands in America during the two World Wars, and he soon carved out an impressive career in radio and films. He signed with US Decca in 1945, and eventually became their managing director. Under his guidance the label had several big hits, although it has to be said that his own instrumental records sometimes disappointed. Far better were his arrangements for Nat ‘King’ Cole (especially Stardust) and Frank Sinatra (the album No One Cares). All The Things You Are comes from a collection of Jerome Kern Melodies, indicating that Jenkins could have created a far greater amount of tuneful orchestral scores, given the chance. Frank Perkins (b. 1908) has written some catchy novelties, including Kentucky Trotter, althoughone of his biggest hits was Fandango (with the benefit of an added lyric by John Bradford). David Carroll (b. 1913) was musical director of Mercury Records from 1951 to the early 1960s, during which time he accompanied many of the label’s contract singers as well as making some instrumental recordings of his own. Several of his LPs had a ‘dance’ theme, often including his own compositions, and he employed the cream of Chicago’s session musicians. Sometimes he used the solo voice of Betty Gilchrist to add an extra special dimension. For much of the 20^th century the USA acted like a magnet for numerous people facing oppression in their own homelands. Many creative artists and musicians discovered a welcome refuge where their talents could be freely expressed, and the result was a flowering of popular culture such as had never been witnessed previously. The world of light music certainly shared in this Golden Age, fuelled by emerging technologies such as radio, the cinema and eventually television. Sound recordings played a major role in the enjoyment of the masses, and they allow us to participate again in the tuneful music of that unique period in history. David Ades