I am sure I am not alone in still doing a brief double-take
when I see the Guild label on a disc of Light Music. Yet, what
a service they are providing - excusing the pun given their
history of church music! To my enduring shame these are the
first two discs in this extensive series - the liner-notes list
another 57 releases - that I have heard and all I can say is
the loss is mine. I suspect that many readers of this will be
familiar with the style and content of these discs but for those
who are not it is worth making clear a couple of points. These
are historical performances all dating from the 1950s featuring
an enormous variety of composers, arrangers, conductors and
orchestras. So, there will be two key elements in ensuring the
success of this disc and indeed the series that goes above and
beyond the inherent quality of the music or the performances.
They are the technical quality of the transfers and re-mastering
and the coherence of the programming and track selection. I
have nothing but praise for both of these departments. Not that
that should be a surprise when one sees that the audio restoration
is in the safe hands of Alan Bunting and the series production
and compilation is overseen by phenomenally knowledgeable David
Ades. He has also written the extensive, informative and interesting
liner-notes. Allied to track-listings that include original
release information and quirky artwork and you have an exemplary
release. Before dealing with the discs separately and in greater
detail there are a couple of other general thoughts that struck
me while listening. The 1950s were a time when this was truly
a music industry. The sheer volume of music being written
and recorded - and performed live - was extraordinary. These
two discs total 48 tracks featuring about 39 orchestras with
nearly as many composers and the like. This was the golden age
for musicians who were part of the hallowed inner circle of
session players who could and often did achieve the holy grail
of the 21 session week - literally 3 three hour sessions every
day of the week. David Ades in his very illuminating notes goes
some way to explaining the complexities of contractual and union
rulings that meant orchestras and groups often appeared under
totally spurious names and this is an area that is both fascinating
and mind-boggling. But ultimately does that matter when you
can sit back and listen to such scintillating group of entertaining
pieces?
The first disc is the aptly named A Box of Light Musical
Allsorts. This is a perfect title. The delight of this selection
is exactly that of a box of chocolates. Everyone will have different
favourites, surprise new discoveries and occasional old favourites.
And if there's a piece that does not quite appeal, don't
worry, another will be along in a minute! Separating the artistic
from the technical again for a moment; I marvelled anew at the
sheer quality of the execution of all of these tracks. For sure,
different performance and recording styles were employed - generally
the sound is close and tight - but there is not a single piece
where you don't find yourself smiling with delight at some
aspect of the performance. The opening track My object all
sublime played and arranged by Robert Farnon and his Orchestra
is a case in point. It fairly rockets off - a really demanding
opening tossed off with cocky aplomb by the excellent orchestra
- with the new-fangled stereo recording allowing a tap dancer
to stroll across your hi-fi! From there on it really is nearly
eighty minutes of unalloyed pleasure. Every listener will enjoy
some tracks more than others. My favourites for what they are
worth are Three-Two-One Zero by Norrie Paramor and Canadian
in Mayfair - creating an instantly familiar atmosphere with
its combination of Holiday for Strings manic pizzicati
and multiple voice lush string voicings. The Concerto in
Jazz and Worcester Beacon - the earliest recording
- from 1946 - and the most sonically limited although not to
any excessive degree - and particularly St. Boniface Down.
This last was written by the wonderful Trevor Duncan. These
were happy discoveries although the latter moves away from the
library music style of most of the disc towards something a
little more individual and serious/light if that's not verging
on the oxymoronic.
Clearly, because this disc builds on the library of recordings
previously released they compliment those and allow other purchasers
to build their own collections. My only query is the inclusion
of the Mackerras/LSO Coates The Three Bears. This appears
to be the same recording that has graced the Classics for Pleasure
Coates compilation for so many years. Assuming that to be so,
and when surrounded by so much that is unfamiliar and rare,
it feels like a little piece of unnecessary potential duplication.
That being said it is fascinating to juxtapose the quite different
recording/performance of the LSO performance with the rest of
the disc - and it is a fine performance in its own right.
The second disc reviewed here is That's Light Musical
Entertainment. All of the high values of performance and
production that were mentioned above are in evidence here too.
As a matter of simply musical taste this album appeals to me
far less than the former. With the previous disc the bulk of
the performances are of original orchestral pieces. On this
disc the bulk are instrumental/orchestral versions of vocal
standards or show songs. So you are immediately into a debate
about the degree of 'intervention' of the arranger.
Is it to be a straight transcription or an elaborated treatment?
If the former, well listen to the song and if the latter at
what point does the arrangement overwhelm the melody? The Angela
Morley/Robert Farnon team responsible for A Canadian
in Mayfair above produce another gem with Farnon's justly
famous Westminster Waltz and I always have a soft spot
for pretty much any Ronald Binge so I enjoyed I'll see
you in my dreams. Conrad Salinger is the one arranger who
can inflate the simplest tune into something of spectacular
scale and yet somehow 'make it work' - the Straussian
brass writing has a lot to do with it! - so his version of That's
Entertainment! that opens the disc is a guilty pleasure.
By contrast I find the version of All My Life by Geraldo
and his New Concert Orchestra to be too predictable and saccharine.
Likewise, David Rose's take on Come Rain or come Shine
leaves me quite unmoved. It's a purely personal reaction
I know but I find that the orchestrations that are charming
in original scores become rather hackneyed in arrangements -
when does a piece cross that elusive barrier from 'light'
to 'middle of the road'? Obviously, the bulk of the
music on both these discs was written with little view to its
longevity - I suspect most of the composers and arrangers involved
would be tickled pink to think that their work was still being
listened to fifty years after the event. However, to my ear
the song arrangements wear their years less lightly and are
less interesting in consequence. But, if they do appeal, you
will find them here in exemplary performances and transfers
so do not hesitate.
Compulsory purchases for followers of this series and excellent
discs for nostalgia seekers everywhere.
Nick Barnard
Details - A Box of Light Musical Allsorts
Arthur SULLIVAN My Object
All Sublime (from 'The Hot Mikado' arr. Robert Farnon)
Robert Farnon and his Orchestra - rec. 1958 [3:08]
Felton RAPLEY Southern Holiday
The Connaught Light Orchestra - rec. 1958 [2:54]
Werner MÜLLER Take Me To Your Heart
Werner Müller and his Orchestra (as 'Ricardo Santos') - rec. 1958
[2:54]
Norrie PARAMOR Three-Two-One-Zero
Eric Jupp and his Orchestra - rec. 1957 [2:13]
Georges KOGER/Georges ULMER Pigalle
Boris Sarbek and his Orchestra - rec. 1956 [1:51]
Clive RICHARDSON Mannequin Melody
Queen's Hall Light Orchestra Conducted By Robert Farnon - rec. 1958 [2:49]
Alfred NEWMAN 'A Letter To Three Wives' Film
music
Alfred Newman and his Orchestra - rec. 1956 [3:17]
Angela MORLEY A Canadian In Mayfair
Sidney Torch and his Orchestra - rec. 1953 [3:00]
Richard RODGERS Thou Swell
Andre Kostelanetz and his Orchestra - rec. 1955 [2:12]
Ken JONES/Chris ARMSTRONG Vendetta
Ray Martin and his Orchestra - rec. 1951 [2:25]
John McGREGOR Military Samba
Edmundo Ros and his Orchestra - rec. 1954 [1:53]
Charles WILLIAMS Let's Go Shopping
Danish State Radio Orchestra Conducted By Robert Farnon - rec. 1957 [2:37]
Donald PHILLIPS Concerto In Jazz
The Melachrino Orchestra Conducted By George Melachrino Featuring Pat Dodd, piano
- rec. 1958 [7:04]
Andy THURLOW Super Six
Grosvenor Studio Orchestra Conducted By Dolf Van Der Linden - rec. 1958 [2:02]
Angela MORLEY Casbah
Queen's Hall Light Orchestra Conducted By Angela Morley - 1958 [2:53]
Eric COOK Polka Dot
The New Concert Orchestra Conducted By Cedric Dumont 1957 [2:15]
Alexander BORODIN arr. Percy
FAITH Rahadlakum (from 'Kismet')
Percy Faith and his Orchestra - 1954 [3:08]
Eric WINSTONE The Happy Hippo
The Connaught Light Orchestra - rec. 1958 [2:42]
Eric COATES The Three Bears - Fantasy
London Symphony Orchestra Conducted By Sir Charles Mackerras - rec. 1956 [9:17]
Wilfred BURNS Melody In Moccasins
Philip Green and his Orchestra - rec. 1952 [2:23]
Cecil MILNER Fly Past
Danish State Radio Orchestra Conducted By Robert Farnon - rec. 1951 [1:21]
Horace DANN Worcester Beacon
London Promenade Orchestra Conducted By Walter Collins - rec. 1946 [3:07]
Trevor DUNCAN St. Boniface Down
Stuttgart Radio Orchestra Conducted By Kurt Rehfeld - rec. 1957 [6:31]
Noel COWARD London Pride (arr. Angela Morley)
Angela Morley And Her Orchestra - rec. 1958 [2:58]
Details - That's Light Musical Entertainment
Arthur SCHWARTZ/Howard
DIETZ That's Entertainment (from 'The Band
Wagon') (Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz - arr. Conrad Salinger)
Conrad Salinger Orchestra Conducted By Buddy Bregman - rec. 1958 [2:09]
Robert FARNON Westminster Waltz
Angela Morley And Her Orchestra (as 'Wally Stott') - rec. 1958 [3:06]
Mitchell PARISH/Heinz
ROEMHELD Ruby (from the film 'Ruby Gentry')
arr. Percy Faith
Percy Faith and his Orchestra - rec. 1954 [6:29]
Franz LEHÁR Waltzes from 'Count
Of Luxembourg'
Andre Kostelanetz and his Orchestra - 1955 [3:01]
George MELACHRINO All My Life (Theme from
film 'Eight O'Clock Walk') (George Melachrino)
Geraldo And His New Concert Orchestra - rec. 1954 [3:29]
Richard RODGERS This Can't Be Love (from
the musical 'The Boys From Syracuse')
Richard Hayman and his Orchestra - rec. 1956 [1:41]
Gus KAHN/Isham JONES I'll
See You In My Dreams (featured in the film 'I'll See You in My Dreams')
arr. Ronald Binge
Ronald Binge and his Orchestra - rec. 1957 [2:47]
Johnny BURKE/James VAN
HEUSEN - But Beautiful (from the film 'The Road To Rio')
Glenn Osser and his Orchestra - rec. 1955 [3:08]
Alfred NEWMAN 'All About Eve' Film
Music
Alfred Newman and his Orchestra - rec. 1956 [3:28]
Robert FARNON Blue Theme (featured in the
film 'True Lies')
The All-Stars - rec. 1957 [3:13]
Hugh MARTIN/Ralph BLANE Love
(from the film 'Ziegfeld Follies')
Andre Kostelanetz and his Orchestra - rec. 1954 [1:42]
Sigmund ROMBERG 'The Girl In Pink Tights' -
Overture arr. Robert Farnon
Orchestra Conducted By Sylvan Levin - rec. 1954 [3:29]
Harry WARREN This Heart Of Mine (from the
film 'Ziegfeld Follies')
The Melachrino Orchestra Conducted By George Melachrino - rec. 1953 [2:41]
M. PRADO/B.
SANCRISTOBAL Time Was (original title Duerme) arr. Mario
Ruiz Armengol
Mario Ruiz Armengol and his Orchestra - rec. 1956 [3:29]
Richard RODGERS Here In My Arms (from the
musical 'Dearest Enemy') arr. Richard Jones
The Pittsburgh Strings Conducted By Richard Jones - rec. 1957 [2:20]
Hugh MARTIN/Ralph BLANE Buckle
Down, Winsocki (from the musical 'Best Foot Forward')
Hill Bowen and his Orchestra - rec. 1958 [2:20]
Johnny GREEN Body
and Soul (from the revue 'Three's A Crowd')
Morton Gould and his Orchestra - rec. 1950 [2:46]
Jerome KERN Make Believe (from the musical 'Show
Boat')
Geoff Love and his Orchestra - rec. 1957 [2:16]
Sergei RACHMANINOFF arr. William
HILL-BOWEN Theme from Piano Concerto No. 2 (featured in the film 'Brief
Encounter')
The Melachrino Orchestra Conducted By George Melachrino featuring Arthur Sandford,
piano - rec. 1958 [2:56]
Frank PERKINS Waltz For My
Lady
Frank Perkins and his Orchestra - rec. 1954 [2:26]
Frank DE VOL Inspiration Point
Frank De Vol and his Orchestra - rec. 1950 [2:47]
Leroy HOLMES Enchanted Night
Leroy Holmes and his Orchestra - rec. 1955 [3:08]
Harold ARLEN Come Rain Or Come Shine (from
the musical 'St Louis Woman')
David Rose and his Orchestra - rec. 1954 [3:17]
Max STEINER 'Since You Went Away' Incidental
Music from the film
Max Steiner and his Orchestra - rec. 1954 [9:23]
GUILD GLCD5157 [77:51] 
