John Phillip
SOUSA King Cotton [2:40];
(1) Mischa
SPOLIANSKY Melba Waltz (arr
Ron Goodwin) [2:33]; (2) Abraham
HOLZMANN Blaze away (arr
Sidney Torch) [2:51]; (3) Victor
HERBERT Absinthe Frappé
[2:50]; (4) Archibald
JOYCE Royal Standard [2:38];
(5) David ROSE
One Love [3:10]; (6) GILBERT
"The Spirit of Youth" March
[2:51]; (7) Albert
KETÈLBEY A Mayfair
Cinderella [3:09]; (8) Eric
COATES Oxford Street (from
"London Again") [3:28]; (9)
Charles WILLIAMS
The Young Ballerina [2:35]; (10) Ronald
HANMER Proud and Free [1:40];
(11) Harry
WARREN Shadow Waltz [3:28];
(12) Ray MARTIN
Strings on Parade [2:23]; (13) Noel
COWARD "Someday I’ll
find you" (from "Private Lives")
[2:53]; (14) Family Album – Waltz (from
"Tonight at 8.30") [3:08];
(15) Hubert
BATH Empire Builders March
[2:44]; (16)
Oscar STRAUS Love’s Roundabout
[3:17]; (17) Robert
FARNON Out of Town March
[2:18]; (18)
Gypsy Seydell BEAL & Eddie MEDAL
Just the one I adore [3:03]; (19) Clive
RICHARDSON Tom marches on
[1:57]; (20)
Paul Jules DURAND Mademoiselle
de Paris (arr Percy Faith) [2:18]; (21)
Kenneth ALFORD On the Quarter
Deck [2:55]; (22) The Middy [1:35];
(23) Carl Michael
ZIEHRER Ziehrer Waltz Medley
[3:15]; (24)
C C MOLLER Battle March [2:43];
(25) Hans ENGELMANN
Melody of Love [3:01]; (26)
Trevor DUNCAN
Great Quest [6:19]
London Coliseum Orchestra, Reginald
Burston (conductor) (1); Ron Goodwin
& his Concert Orchestra (2); Sidney
Torch & his Orchestra (3); Al Goodman
& his Orchestra (4); West End Celebrity
Orchestra, Louis Voss (conductor) (5);
David Rose & his Orchestra (6);
London Palladium Orchestra, Jack Frere
(conductor) (7); London Concert Orchestra
(8); Tivoli Concert Orchestra, Svend
Christian Felumb (9); Danish State Radio
Orchestra, Robert Farnon (conductor)
(10,18); Symphonia Orchestra, Theo Arden
(11); Morton Gould & his Orchestra
(12); Cyril Stapleton & his Concert
Orchestra (13); Frank Chacksfield &
his Orchestra (14); Louis Levy &
his Gaumont British Symphony (16); Lou
Preager & his Charm of the Waltz
Orchestra (17); David Carroll &
his Orchestra (19); London Promenade
Orchestra, Walter Collins (conductor)
(20); Percy Faith & his Orchestra
(21); Old Tyme Orchestra, Jack Leon
(conductor) (22); Marek Weber &
his Orchestra (24); Aarhus Civic Orchestra,
Thomas Jensen (conductor) (25); Phoenix
Theatre Orchestra, Clifford Greenwood
(15); Regent Concert Orchestra (23);
Billy Vaughan & his Orchestra (26);
New Concert Orchestra, Dolf van der
Linden (27): recorded various locations
1936-1956
Like most of its predecessors
in Guild’s splendid series, this disc
is arranged around a general theme rather
than a single composer or performer.
In this case it derives from a radio
programme of the 1950s and 1960s with
the same title. It simply alternated
marches and waltzes. Let me say straightaway
that, perhaps surprisingly, this does
not in itself necessarily lead to monotony,
as the waltzes in particular vary greatly
in mood and character. Great care has
obviously been taken to ensure suitable
variety. Unfortunately that does not
guarantee that the music chosen will
be consistently interesting or that
a more generalized kind of monotony
does not set in at times. I found my
attention wandering frequently during
the first few tracks, during such waltzes
as "Absinthe Frappé"
and "Our Love", and somewhat
bombastic marches as "The Spirit
of Youth" and "Royal Standard".
Fortunately things improve with the
charming Ketèlbey waltz and with
the items by Eric Coates and Charles
Williams. These latter works are played
by Danish orchestras with a spirit and
delicacy respectively that put many
of the English orchestras to shame.
After those highlights the interest
and standard of performance continues
to vary. Again amongst the best are
two from foreign orchestras – the Robert
Farnon and C C Moller items. These do
suggest that such orchestras might provide
a theme for a future CD in this series.
As a whole however there are more items
that are interesting and well played
than are not, although it is a pity
to end with the Trevor Duncan piece
that greatly outstays its welcome and
does nothing for his reputation.
As you may gather,
I do not regard this as being one of
the better collections in a generally
very valuable series and it can be recommended
mainly to those buying them all. Such
purchasers will not be bothered by the
curious notes which discuss only a few
of the items included, presumably on
the basis that the others have been
covered in early collections. A more
cautious welcome should be given as
far as the more general collector is
concerned, with a warning that there
are other collections in the series
that are likely to prove of greater
overall interest.
John Sheppard
Various Orchestras
