More artful arrangers take their cue from the series title to
display their wares in this latest release from the seemingly
endless well of the Light Music genre. As ever the compilation
ranges entertainingly, keeping ennui at bay, keeping to the
brief of never repeating the same track - something of a feat
given how many discs have been released. And it keeps up the
high level of booklet notes; and transfers present no problems
in this selection either.
Buddy Bregman gets things rolling with a lushly romantic A
Wonderful Guy complete with quasi-symphonic ending. There
are long piano and sax contributions in These Foolish Things,
a Wally Stott performance (or, as here, Angela Morley) though
it’s not their finest hour: very utilitarian. Hugely better,
indeed several leagues better, is David Rose’s work on
And This Is My Beloved which is luxuriously played and
sports some great counter-melodies. There’s a thoughtful
and colourful performance of Soliloquy (from Carousel)
from Cyril Ornadel and the Starlight Symphony.
Oh, Lady, Be Good starts all languorous and sexy, then
bursts into life via piano interjection, all courtesy of the
elite Frederick Fennell and his orchestra. Mantovani offers
shimmering and cascading strings at slow tempo in When You
Wish Upon a Star and goes on to dole out a very classy September
Song (from Knickerbocker Holiday). Percy Faith exudes
rude health and vigour in his work on Zandunga - Jesusita
e Chihuahua - or The Dancing Donkey if you prefer,
whereas it’s pure sophistication from the upholstered
Morton Gould in Where or When.
Compilers in this marque are not above amusing juxtapositions,
or themes within themes - there are a number of instances of
that in this extensive series. For example, they put Farnon’s
arrangement of The Lincolnshire Poacher - jolly, and
naughty - next to Frank Cordell’s sensitive arrangement
of Yesterdays. Then again there are things that really
do sound a bit naff, like William Hill Bowen’s chi-chi
If Ever I Would Leave You - all open plan Swedish furniture
and School of 1961. The same orchestra, The Living Strings,
but this time directed by Johnny Douglas (but for the same label,
RCA Camden), turns in opulent work on the gull-and-wave infused
Ebb Tide, composed by Robert Maxwell (no, not THAT one).
We also hear an old parlour favourite in the shape of Anton
Rubinstein’s Romance, dished up nicely by Melachrino,
and Scheherazade themes by David Carroll (Rimsky-Korsakov,
a classically inclined diptych - see what I mean about Guild’s
‘theme within theme ideas?). This last is played pretty
straight for four minutes, and then the cats go crazy for 30
seconds. Finally, Charles Williams and his concert orchestra
take on The British Grenadiers. This superior arrangement,
a fantasy in effect, is by Clive Richardson and he certainly
shows Farnon a clean pair of heels when it comes to traditional
English fare.
Plenty of variety once again, therefore, in Guild’s latest.
Meat, vegetables and a light garnish all round.
Jonathan Woolf
Guild's
The Golden Age of Light Music
Track listing
A Wonderful Guy (from South Pacific) - The Conrad Salinger Orchestra/Buddy
Bregman [2:53]
These Foolish Things - Angela Morley and her orchestra (as ‘Wally
Stott’) [2:30]
And This Is My Beloved - David Rose and his orchestra [4:00]
Soliloquy (from Carousel) - Cyril Ornadel and the Starlight
Symphony [4:51]
Oh, Lady, Be Good - Frederick Fennell and his orchestra [3:27]
When You Wish Upon a Star - Mantovani and his orchestra [3:59]
East of Fifth (a.k.a. Seaside Stroll) - Robert Farnon and his
orchestra [2:12]
September Song (from Knickerbocker Holiday) - Mantovani and
his orchestra [2:48]
Zandunga - Jesusita e Chihuahua - Percy Faith and his orchestra
[3:27]
The London I Love - Frank Chacksfield and his orchestra [3:09]
Where or When (from Babes in Arms) - Morton Gould and his orchestra
[4:34]
The Lincolnshire Poacher - Robert Farnon and his orchestra [2:55]
Yesterdays - Frank Cordell and his orchestra [3:22]
A Little White Gardenia - Ronald Binge and his orchestra [3:29]
Dancing on the Ceiling - Gordon Jenkins and his orchestra [3:02]
The Paratroopers' March (Marche des parachutistes) - Ray Martin
and his orchestra [2:07]
If Ever I Would Leave You (from Camelot) - The Living Strings/William
Hill Bowen [3:22]
Ebb Tide -The Living Strings/Johnny Douglas [3:36]
Volveré - Ambrose and his orchestra with strings/Laurie
Johnson [2:07]
Romance - The Melachrino Strings/George Melachrino [3:51]
Ill Wind - Nelson Riddle and his orchestra [2:59]
Elizabeth and Essex Love Theme - Ron Goodwin and his orchestra
[2:31]
The British Grenadiers - Charles Williams and his concert orchestra
[2:51]
Scheherazade Themes - David Carroll and his orchestra [4:37]
GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD 5193 [78:57] 