Vocalion CDLK4104 Melody Fair / Canadian Impressions

Two superb LPs of Robert Farnon compositions.

Melody Fair, Jumping Bean, Joanne, A Star is Born, Journey Into Melody, How Beautiful is Night, Peanul Polka, Malaga, Portrait of a Flirt, In a Calm, Poodle Parade, Manhattan Playboy. "Canadian Impressions" – Gateway to the West, Main Street, A La Claire Fontaine, Pow Wow, Prairie Sunset, Alcan Highway, Ottawa Heights, Lake of the Woods, Mountain Grandeur, Canadian Caravan.

Vocalion CDLK4108 Something To Remember You By / Together (US title: Sunny Side Up)

"Something to Remember You By": Louisiana Hay Ride, Something To Remember You By, Alone Together, Maria, If There Is Someone Lovelier Than You, Got a Bran' New Suit, I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan, Then I'll Be Tired Of You, Dancing In The Dark, I See Your Face Before Me, You And The Night And The Music, A Shine On Your Shoes. "Together": Sunny Side Up, Just a Memory, The Best Things In Life Are Free, Button Up Your Overcoat, I'm A Dreamer, The Black Bottom, Birth Of The Blues, Just Imagine, You're The Cream In My Coffee, Together, If I Had a Talking Picture Of You, The Varsity Drag.

Vocalion CDLK4112 Two Cigarettes In The Dark / Pictures In The Fire

"Two Cigarettes In The Dark": Title tune, Cocktails For Two, The Touch Of Your Lips, Where Or When, By Candlelight, The Very Thought Of You, Isn’t It Romantic, I’m In The Mood For Love, The Way You Look Tonight, Moonlight Becomes You, A Door Will Open, Love Walked In, Come Dance With Me. "Pictures in the Fire": *Title tune, Love Is A Many-Splendoured Thing, *To A Young Lady, Hey There, Secret Love, *Lazy Day, Friendly Persuasion, *Sophistication Waltz, When I Fall In Love, *A Summer Love, The Story Of Tina, The Nearness Of You.(*Robert Farnon compositions)

Vocalion CDLK4118 Presenting Robert Farnon / Flirtation Walk

"Presenting Robert Farnon": Yes! We Have No Bananas, Always, Blue Skies, In The Blue Of The Evening, When I Grow Too Old To Dream, Don’t Blame Me, To A Wild Rose, Dawn To Dusk, Laura. "Flirtation Walk": Would You Like To Take A Walk, Reflections In The Water, It’s Always You, Two Little Girls In Blue, Sweet And Lovely, So Do I, Flirtation Walk, By A Waterfall, Can I Forget You, It’s Easy To Remember, Flirtation Waltz, Down By The River, My Foolish Heart, I Love A Lassie.

Vocalion CDLK4137 Victor Schertzinger Suite / Hoagy Carmichael Suite / Music Of Vincent Youmans

"Victor Schertzinger Suite": The Fleet’s In, Dream Lover, Sand In My Shoes, Marcheta, One Night Of Love, Kiss The Boys Goodbye – bonus tracks: Love Passes By, Tangerine. "Hoagy Carmichael Suite": My Resistance Is Low, Stardust, Little Old Lady, Georgia On My Mind, One Morning In May, Lazy Bones. "Music Of Vincent Youmans": Hallelujah, Tea For Two, Sometimes I’m Happy, Without A Song, Great Day, Orchids In The Moonlight, More Than You Know, Time On My Hands – bonus track: The Carioca.

Vocalion CDLK4146 The Wide World Of Robert Farnon

Stereo recordings licensed from Parry Music featuring Robert Farnon compositions

The Wide World, Olympian March, Rhapsody For Violin And Orchestra, Scenic Wonders, I Saw My Lady Weep, Swallow Flight, Lake Louise, The Magic Island, Cascades To The Sea, How Beautiful Is Night, Cruise World, Hollywood Stars, Sports Arena, Hockey Night.

Vocalion CDLK4174 The Songs Of Britain / Stephen Foster Melodies – plus 12 extra tracks

"The Songs Of Britain": British Grenadiers, Drink To Me Only, Lincolnshire Poacher, Londonderry Air, Strawberry Fair, Annie Laurie, All Through The Night, Early One Morning. "Stephen Foster Melodies": Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair, Swannee River, Deep River, Camptown Races, Oh! Susanna, Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming, Sweet And Low, Beautiful Dreamer. Additional tracks: April In Paris, Invitation Waltz, Just One Of Those Things, Kiss Me Again, Shadow Waltz, Donkey Serenade, Persian Nocturne, The Waltzing Cat, *Proud Canvas, *Bird Charmer, *Jockey On The Carousel, *Westminster Waltz. (*Robert Farnon compositions)

Vocalion CDLK4238 Showcase for Soloists – plus 18 extra tracks: all composed by Robert Farnon

"Showcase For Soloists": Trumpet Talk, Two’s Company, Piccolo Flight, Gentle Vibrations, A Violin Miniature, The Snow Goose, Travellin’ Jazz, Flute Fantasy, The Dame In Red, Clarinet Melange, Walkin’ Happy, Blue Waters. Additional tracks: Globe Trotting, Country Girl, Westbound Passage, Horn-a-Plenty, Shepherds’ Delight, Toyland Tattoo, Pleasure Drive, Sounds Of History, Little Miss Molly, Here Comes The Band, Doing The Raccoon, Power And Glory, Winter Jasmine, Portrait Of Lorraine, Closing The Ring, The Grand Alliance, Shepherds’ Warning, Western Panorama.

Robert Farnon compositions can be found on the following QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA CDs from Vocalion:

CDEA6021 Jumping Bean, Portrait Of A Flirt, Pictures In The Fire, High Street, Taj Mahal, Willie The Whistler.
CDEA6061 Proud Canvas, The Huckle-Buckle.
CDEA6094 All Sports March, State Occasion, Grandstand.
CDLK4274 The First Waltz, Dominion Day, Mr Punch, New Horizons, The Big Night, Headland Country, Holiday Flight, City Streets.

■ The eagerly awaited new CD of Robert Farnon compositions and arrangements, featuring the flautist Jane Pickles is now scheduled for recording next January. Readers will recall that the original sessions planned for last summer were delayed. For more information see page 3 of JIM 155 (June 2003).

■ Chris Laurence is one of the most in-demand double bass players in the country, and his range encompasses classical, jazz and studio work. It is hardly surprising that he chose the music profession, because his grandmother was the internationally renowned harpist Marie Goosens, for many years a familiar member of the Robert Farnon Orchestra. The Goosens family was famous on the English musical scene, and their descendants seem to be keeping up the tradition. Chris’s father, Tony, is a pianist, and his brother, Patrick (also a double bassist) is a member of the London Symphony Orchestra. Whenever a major film score is recorded in London, there is a good chance that Chris will be there (he was on the soundtrack of Leaving Las Vegas) and he frequently tours with guitarist John Williams. ‘Musician’ (the magazine of the Musicians’ Union) recently asked Chris with whom he would most like to collaborate on a musical project. His reply was: Robert Farnon. (with thanks to Paul Lewis for supplying this information)

■ The talented British flautist Arthur Gleghorn gave a virtuoso performance of Robert Farnon’s arrangement of Chopin’s Fantasie Impromptu in C Sharp Minor, on a Decca 78 (F 8885) recorded by the Kingsway Symphony Orchestra conducted by ‘Toots’ Camarata. Leonard Statkin recently revealed on television that Gleghorn had been featured in the 1946 film Deception, which boasted a fine score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. In one scene an orchestra was rehearsing, and the conductor chided the flute player for making a mistake. The player (who was not at fault) was Arthur Gleghorn, who apparently played in the studio orchestra for a number of Hollywood film soundtracks around that time.

■ Marco Polo have recently deleted the CD of Robert Farnon compositions played by the Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava) conducted by Adrian Leaper (8223401) This was issued in 1992, so it has been in the catalogue for a longer time than most releases these days. In 1993 this album was awarded the prestigious Acadamie Charles Gros award in Paris. Fortunately all the compositions in this collection are available on other CDs, but if any members are anxious to get this particular CD please contact the RFS Record Service immediately – we only have a few copies left!

■ Several new Robert Farnon CDs are in the pipeline, so you can expect to read some good news in our next issue!