Frank PERKINS
(1) Popgun Patrol [3:02];
Gilbert VINTER
(2)
Dance of the Marionettes
[3:20];
Alan
PERRY [real
name Ernest TOMLINSON] (3)
Jack-in-a-Box [2:37];
Roger
ROGER (4) Hunt the Slipper
[2:11];
José
FONTAINE (5) Dance of the
Pirate 4:13];
Robert
DOCKER (6) Ourselves when
young [7:23];
Horace
SHEPHERD (7) The Magic
Garden [2:28];
John
BRATTON (8) The Teddy Bears’
Picnic [3:01];
Cecil
WHITE (9) A Fairy Ballet
[3:06];
Nacio
Herb BROWN (10) Doll Dance
[3:06];
Josef
ENGELMAN (11) "Tales
from a Fairy Book" Suite in 4
movements [5:49];
Callo
ECKLEBE (12) Parade of
the Imps [2:48];
Charles
WILLIAMS (13) Sleepy marionette
[2:51];
Peter
YORKE (14) Whipper-snapper
[2:39];
Robert
FARNON (15) Toyland Tattoo
[2:06];
Douglas
BROWNSMITH (16) See-saw
[1:48];
Hans
MAY [real
name Johannes Mayer] (17)
Nine Naughty Gnomes [3:00];
Charles
WILLIAMS (18) Drummer Boy
[1:30];
Dolf
van der LINDEN (19) Marionette
March [2:49];
Henry
CROUDSEN (20) Pirouette
[2:51];
Walter
COLLINS (21) Paper Hats
and Wooden Swords [3:09];
Len
STEVENS (22) Golliwog on
the loose [3:20];
Julius
STEFFARO [real
name Jan STOECKART] (23)
Pinocchio March [2:50];
Fred
HARTLEY (24) Scherzetto
for Children [4:00]
Frank Perkins and his Pops Orchestra
(1); New Concert Orchestra conducted
by Dolf van der Linden (2,3); Roger
Roger and his Champs Elysees Orchestra
(4); Dolf van der Linden and his Orchestra
(5,14,19); London Promenade Orchestra
conducted by Walter Collins (6); Danish
State Radio Orchestra conducted by
Robert Farnon (7,15); Barnabas von
Geczy and his Orchestra (8); Bournemouth
Municipal Orchestra conducted by Sir
Dan Godfrey (9); Nat Shilkret and
his Orchestra (10); West End Celebrity
Orchestra (11); George Grohrock-Ferrari
and his Orchestra (12); Charles Williams
and his Concert Orchestra (13); International
Radio Orchestra (16); The Harmonic
Orchestra conducted by Hans May (17);
Queens Hall Light Orchestra conducted
by Robert Farnon (18); Louis Voss
and his Orchestra (20); Hilversum
Symphony Orchestra conducted by Anton
Durem (21); New Century Orchestra
conducted by Sidney Torch (22); Hilversum
Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hugo
de Groot (23); BBC Television Orchestra
conducted by Eric Robinson (24): Recorded
in various locations between 1927
and 1957
Guild’s by now
extensive series has restored many
fascinating and enjoyable recordings
to circulation, and its attraction
to those with a special interest
in the genre is obvious. For them,
no doubt, the mere announcement
of the issue of each new CD in the
series is sufficient incentive to
order them. There is much to be
said for this approach, but there
must be others who take pleasure
in light music of this period without
wanting more than a handful of examples
on their shelves. I can give them
immediate reassurance – this is
a prime candidate to be part of
that handful. The items are varied
and well chosen, including a number
of relatively rare pieces. The theme
of childhood can be interpreted
in many different ways, so that
although there are certainly several
typical "light, bright"
pieces they do not over-dominate
as has been the case on some other
occasions.
Roger Quilter’s
Children’s Overture is well known
but it is by no means alone in using
a series of nursery rhymes as the
basis for a longer work. Robert
Docker’s "Ourselves when young"
and Fred Hartley’s "Scherzetto
for Children" each adopt a
similar plan in markedly different
styles. Both are pleasing but the
latter is of especial interest and
ingenuity. The notes apologise for
the sound quality in this item as
it had to be taken from optical
film track, but I had no trouble
in quickly adjusting to it and thoroughly
enjoying it. It is also a good reminder
of the quality of Hartley’s arrangements
which could easily form the basis
for another CD in this series, perhaps
mixed with the ITMA arrangements
by Clive Richardson.
Other highlights
include stylish arrangements of
the Teddy Bears’ Picnic and the
Doll Dance, and Gilbert Vinter’s
delightful Dance of the Marionettes,
but the more I listened the more
I enjoyed almost everything on the
disc. Perhaps the short Suite by
Josef Engelman lacks individuality
- indeed the last movement ("Ali
Baba") is much too reminiscent
of "In a Persian Market"
for its own good - and Peter Yorke’s
"Whipper-Snapper" does
outstay its welcome after the first
few seconds. Apart from these, however,
I found this a well compiled collection
with a high proportion of unfamiliar
but worthwhile items. The transfers
are well up to the usual high standards
of this series, and, as always,
the notes by David Ades are very
interesting but maddeningly deal
with only a minority of the composers
represented here. Presumably there
is information about the rest in
other notes in the series but that
it of little consolation to the
purchaser who has only this disc.
Each time I have
listened to this disc I have increased
admiration for the musicality, ingenuity
and professionalism of those working
in the field of light music in the
first part of the last century.
Guild deserve considerable success
with this and the other discs in
this series which bring their work
back into circulation.
John Sheppard
GUILD
GLCD 5144 CD [77:25] 
