Reviews

GLCD 5128 The Golden Age of Light Music : Light Music While You work

Memory Lane Summewr 2007

Those of our readers who enjoy light orchestral music will surely have purchased one or more of the Guild CD’s that we have reviewed over the  last copule of years. The latest releases are covered here and first off is GLCD 5128 Light Music While you Work. I should make clear that this selection is not the kind of light popular music that many small ensembles played on the popular BBC programme Music While You work but legitimate orchestral music, waltz and marches taken mostly from special Decca 78s that appeared between 1942 and 1947. Mantovani and Harry Davidson are featured playing the kind of music for which they became famous, and also highlighted aare several tracks each from Richard Crean and Harry Fryer. The latter died failry young in 1946otherwise I am sure he would be better known today and the former is perhaps best remembered for his association with the London Palladium Orchestra.

5129 GLCD, Beyond The Blue Horizon, Guild, Memory Lane, Sommer 2007

takes colour as the Inspiration for an interesting selection of compositions. The excellent liner notes tell us that "Blue" was by far the most popular colour amongst composers and this is reflected in a selection of 14 tracks with blue in the title. A poor runner up is red with four tracks and the rest manage just one item apiece. Blue Blues might have counted as two, but doesn't, and is admirably handled by Helmut Zacharias. Royal Blue Waltz gets the Mantovani treatment and Mood Indigo is excellently interpreted by Andre Kostelantetz. The very fine George Melachrino Orchestra round off the compilation with a very interesting piece, the Little Brown Jug - Fantasy Ballet.

NEW CLASSICS MONDAY FEBRUARY 05 2007

Early on in the Second World War the BBC used to broadcast a daily programme of non-stop music called ‘Music While You Work’ intended to boost the morale of millions of British factory workers. When the show was not being broadcast, factories often played records on their own loudspeaker systems. Recognising the need for a series of discs offering catchy, tuneful music, in 1942 Decca started releasing 78s on its special ‘Music While You Work’ label. Many of these contained light music and a selection has been chosen for this CD, with popular orchestral and show music as well as true light music 'classics'. The BBC programme went on to become an institution in British broadcasting, lasting for 27 years. ‘Music While You Work’ was brought back for several editions to celebrate the BBC’s 60th anniversary in 1982 and the final broadcast was heard in 1995. Decca released an astonishing 400 78s in its ‘Music While You Work’ series, the last of which were issued 1947. The discs were deleted soon afterwards, so this is a rare opportunity to hear these enjoyable recordings. Most of the tracks here feature Harry Fryer and his Orchestra, and there are recordings by Richard Crean with the London Palladium Orchestra, Harry Davidson’s Orchestra (which played in 109 editions of ‘Music While You Work’ during the programme’s first year), the Reginald Pursglove Orchestra, Annunzio Paolo Mantovani’s world-famous orchestra (Adios, Conchita and Memories of Spain), the Studio Orchestra conducted by Philip Green and Ronnie Munro with the Scottish Variety Orchestra. The remastered sound quality is surprisingly good and the music makes an encouraging and wonderfully nostalgic background for spring cleaning. Other new releases in Guild’s excellent light music series include Beyond The Blue Horizon (GLCD 5129), Cornflakes (GLCD 5130) and Light Music On The Move (GLCD 5131).

Page revised Wednesday May 16 2007