Buried Treasures GLCD 5118 [JW]: Classical CD Reviews- February 2006 MusicWeb-International

The seemingly inexhaustible seam that is Guild’s Light Music series has produced more ore. The big names are here – Robert Farnon, Charles Williams and Philip Green and others conducting various aggregations. And the composers – in addition to Farnon and Green (no Williams this time around) - turn up Leroy Anderson, Hugo de Groot, and the always excellent Ancliffe and Melachrino. So the recipe is much as before except most of these recordings will be unknown to all but the most assiduous cultivators, the most dedicated tiller of the Light soil.

Most were only briefly available or not at all since they emanate from Mood Music libraries but as ever with this series the disparate charms and stylistic variety adds pleasurable tang and keeps listening sharp and keen. Castles in the Air is one of the better-known pieces, though not in this performance by the Celebrity Symphony Orchestra – it’s full of fresh air, boldly confident and with appropriately swirly string writing and it gets things off to a rousing start. Farnon’s Swing-Hoe has a touch – just a touch – of the Leroy Andersons about it and is judiciously perky. Quite a surprise for me to come upon Stanford Robinson in this context but of course he did write for the theatre and operetta, as well as his conducting work with BBC orchestras. His is a sophisticated contribution; rather like an entr’acte actually and very persuasively played, not least by the leader, the redoubtable Alfred Barker.

There’s some post-War slink here – Venezuela – and some genuine Anderson in the shape of his Penny Whistle Song. Melachrino cribs from Elgar - Pomp and Circumstance (No.4) and Cockaigne - for his London-March whilst Philip Green comes on all Gershwin for his pocket piano concerto Song of Soho, whose sub-title Rhapsody for piano and orchestra rather gives the game away. Apart from Rhapsody in Blue he half quotes Blue Moon, which I think takes musical punning to the edge. To balance this Leighton Lucas renews the Elgarian homage in his stirring and justly well-remembered music for the film Target for Tonight.

Genre pieces are to the fore, such as the Pizzicato Rag and the jukebox coins in the slot in There is a Tavern in the Town with its take off of contemporary bandleaders Glenn Miller, Harry James and Tommy Dorsey. Staid British hips must have swayed slightly at The Girl from Cuba though the czardas in Serbian Sunset are distinctly of the Monti kind. One of the most evocative of all the pieces is Stanelli’s Atlantis – Stanelli was actually Hugo de Groot – which is a rather attractive tone poem devoid of aquatic cliché.

Fine notes from the assiduous David Ades, who must be running out of things to say (but clearly isn’t), and good smooth transfers, except for what appears to be inherent muddiness in the Song of Soho. To be super critical I do think one or two of these tracks are slightly boxy but that won’t spoil your enjoyment of another fine layer of excavation from the Guild production team.

Jonathan Woolf

see also Review by Raymond Walker

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