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CD Review
The Golden Age of Light Music
In Town Tonight – The 1930's Volume 2
- John Belton, alias Tony Lowry & Douglas Brownsmith: Down The Mall - Philip Green And His Orchestra
- Noel Coward: Bitter Sweet Waltz - Paramount Theatre Orchestra/Anton
- Josef Rixner: Pony - Barnabas Von Géczy And His Orchestra
- Sebastian de Yradier: La Paloma - Regal Virtuosi/Emanuel Starkey
- Ludwig Siede: Chinese Street Serenade - Alfredo Campoli And His Marimba Tango Orchestra
- Victor Herbert: Badinage - Harry Horlick And His Orchestra
- H. Elliott Smith: Squirrel Dance - Marek Weber And His Orchestra
- Erich Börschel: Kismet - International Radio Orchestra
- Eric Coates: In Town Tonight ("Knightsbridge" from "London Suite") - BBC Dance Orchestra/Henry Hall
- Hermann Schulenburg: Chinese Legend - Richard Crean And His Orchestra
- Harry Engleman: Fingerprints - Harry Engleman's Quintet
- Wilhelm Gabriel: Donna Juanita - Paso Doble - Robert Renard And His Orchestra
- Herbert Küster: Shadowsplay - Herbert Küster's Piano Orchestra
- Sidney Baynes: Ecstasy Waltz - Edith Lorand And Her Viennese Orchestra
- Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov: Procession Of The Sardar from 'Caucasian Sketches' - Commodore Grand Orchestra/Joseph Muscant
- John W. Green, Jack Waller, Joseph Tunbridge: "Mr. Whittington" - Selections - New Mayfair Orchestra/Ray Noble
- 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/Charles Shadwell
- '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, España - Debroy Somers Band
- '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/Alfred Van Dam
Guild GLCD5116 76m ADD
Highdays and Holidays
- Peter Yorke:
- Highdays and Holidays - Louis Voss and His Orchestra
- The Playful Pelican - Peter Yorke And His Orchestra or Louis Voss & His Orchestra (Record labels differ)
- Albert Ketèlbey:
- In a Chinese Temple Garden - Louis Voss Grand Orchestra
- Wedgewood Blue - Louis Voss Grand Orchestra
- Charles Williams:
- Salute to Speedway - The West End Celebrity Orchestra
- Serenade to a Mannequin - Bosworth's String Orchestra/Louis Voss
- Cutty Sark - National Light Orchestra
- Claud Vane:
- Big Dipper - Louis Voss and His Orchestra
- Palace of Variety - National Light Orchestra
- Art Strauss & Robert Dale: Flight of the Toy Balloon - National Light Orchestra
- Barry Tattenhall: April Day - London Concert Orchestra
- David Hart: Sabre Jet - The West End Celebrity Orchestra
- Erich Börschel: Sparrows' Concert - Intermezzo - Louis Voss Grand Orchestra
- Frederick George Charrosin: Busy Business - International Radio Orchestra
- George Crow: Wild Goose Chase - Louis Voss And His Orchestra
- Gerald Crossman: Typical Teenager - Louis Voss and His Orchestra
- Gerhard Winkler: Neapolitan Serenade - Regent Classic Orchestra
- Haydn Wood: Sketch Of A Dandy - Louis Voss And His Orchestra
- Heini Kronberger & Mary Marriott: Buddha's Festival of Love - The West End Celebrity Orchestra
- Henry Croudson: Jack and Jill - Miniature Overture - Louis Voss And His Orchestra
- John Bath: Sportsman's Luck - The West End Celebrity Orchestra
- Kenneth Essex: Travel Centre - The West End Celebrity Orchestra
- Louis Mordish: Harlequin's Flirtation - London Bijou Players
- Philip Green: Tequila - Paso Doble - Louis Voss and His Orchestra
- Ray Hartley: Sleepy Grasshopper - Regent Classic Orchestra
- Siegfried Translateur: Wedding March in Midget Land - London Concert Orchestra
- Wilfred Burns: The Ballet Dancer - Bosworth's String Orchestra
Guild GLCD5115 77m ADD
These two CDs continue to add lustre and importance to this memorable collection of British Light Music which now reaches its 16th volume. As usual, the indefatigable David Ades provides the liner notes and contributes his exhaustive knowledge to this series that is fast becoming a labour of love and THE definitive collection for all lovers of this wonderful genre.
'In Town Tonight' Volume 2 takes us back to the heady 1930's when the ominous sounds of war were already on the horizon. Amongst the most memorable pieces here we have 'Down the Mall' with Philip Green and his orchestra, 'Knightsbridge March' by Eric Coates which was also the signature tune of the radio programme 'In Town Tonight' and a delightful selection from 'Mr Whittington' that concludes the CD in the form of a potpourri' of melodies, as is normally the case with these collections.
The real corker on this CD is the reproduction of a rare experimental stereo track from the legendary Alan Blumlein's efforts to record two-channel sound. This is surely one of the most important discoveries in the field of light music and all classical music in general and should serve as a stimulus for those who have such important material in their collections to release it to the public.
'Highdays and Holidays' is a more relaxed scenario and also includes some memorable tunes from those nostalgic post war days. I was not very familiar with the music here but the classic 'Wedgewood Blue' by Ketelbey immediately caught my ear alongside the delightful 'Jack and Jill' Overture by Croudson that is given a rousing interpretation by Louis Voss and his Orchestra. Add that to Haydn Wood's unbearably nostalgic 'Sketch of a Dandy' and other pieces by Charles Williams, Peter Yorke and Ketelbey's 'In a Chinese Temple Garden', then you have a truly wonderful compilation on all counts.
As already expected in this series, the remastering is of high quality throughout with the ghosts of the past salon orchestras chillingly resurrected in what could easily be termed as up to the minute sound. David Ades provides his usual essential notes and the front cover paintings add quality and ambience to what can only be termed as a wonderful collection of music.
Copyright © 2005, Gerald Fenech
