A Return Trip To The Library

GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5183

A Return Trip To The Library
Marches : Majestic Atmosphere

1 With Pomp And Pride (King Palmer)
LONDON PROMENADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by WALTER COLLINS
Paxton PR 401 1946
Show Business
2 Happidrome (Paul Fenoulhet)
GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA
KPM Music KPM 021 1960
Romantic
3 Lovely Day (Tom Wyler, real name Toni Leutwiler)
THE HARMONIC STRINGS Conducted by TOM WYLER
Charles Brull/Harmonic CBL328 1952
Light Atmosphere
4 Rue De La Paix (Laurie Johnson)
GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA
KPM Music KPM 033 1960
5 Looking Around (Colin Smith, real name Lloyd Thomas)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
Chappell C 386 1950
6 Making Merry (Cyril Watters)
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA (as ‘Paul Franklin’ on disc label)
Paxton PR 661 1956
Scenic Grandeur
7 Wide Horizon (Cecil Milner)
THE SYMPHONIA ORCHESTRA Conducted by CURT ANDERSEN
Harmonic/Charles Brull CBL 419 1958
Animals
8 Dog Gone (George French)
GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA Conducted by ERIC COOK
KPM 008 1959
Children
9 Little Debbie (Trevor Duncan, real name Leonard Charles Trebilco)
NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by DOLF VAN DER LINDEN (as ‘Nat Nyll’)
Boosey & Hawkes OT 2340 1959
Small Groups
10 Secret Serenade (Reg Owen, real name George Owen Smith)
THE CLUB QUINTET
Conroy BM 161-A 1959
Dance Music
11 Dixielander (Robert Farnon)
THE DANCE ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
Chappell C 351 1948
Modern Movement
12 Transcontinental (Anthony Mawer)
THE CONNAUGHT LIGHT ORCHESTRA
Conroy BM 182-B 1959
13 Holiday Excursion (Peter Yorke)
TELECAST ORCHESTRA Conducted by PETER YORKE
Chappell C680B 1960
Humorous
14 This Old Man Came Rolling Home (Knick, Knack, Paddy Whack) (Traditional, arr. Clive Richardson)
GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA
KPM Music KPM 063 1960
National Character
15 Rickshaw Ride (Jos Cleber)
THE GROSVENOR STUDIO ORCHESTRA
Synchro FM 213 1959
16 Le Cabaret – French Overture (John Foulds)
LONDON PROMENADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by WALTER COLLINS
Paxton PR 406 1946
Sea
17 Sea Piece (Jack Beaver)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
Chappell C 640 1959
Sports
18 Ascot Parade (Jack Strachey)
LONDON PROMENADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by WALTER COLLINS
Paxton PR 455 1948
Comedy
19 Buffoonery (Van Phillips)
THE CONNAUGHT LIGHT ORCHESTRA
Conroy BM 106-A 1958
Novelty
20 Man From Mars (Dolf van der Linden)
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS METROPOLE ORCHESTRA
Paxton PR 581 1953
Pastoral
21 The Watermill (Ronald Binge)
THE LANSDOWNE LIGHT ORCHESTRA (probably STUTTGART RADIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by KURT REHFELD)
Impress IA 206-A 1959
22 Luccombe Common (Trevor Duncan, real name Leonard Charles Trebilco)
THE SYMPHONIA ORCHESTRA Conducted by CURT ANDERSEN
Charles Brull/Harmonic CBL 457 1960
Glamour
23 The First Waltz (Robert Farnon)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
Chappell C 639 1959
Costume Drama
24 Quality Street (Fredric Bayco)
GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA
KPM Music KPM 060 1960
Space
25 Stratosphere (Eric Spear)
THE NEW CENTURY ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Francis, Day & Hunter FDH 048 1948
Dramatic Atmosphere
26 Shades Of Destiny (Wilfred Burns, real name Bernard Wilfred Harris)
REGENT CLASSIC ORCHESTRA
Bosworth BC 1257 1950
War
27 Blood And Sand March (Ronald Hanmer)
NEW CENTURY ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Francis, Day & Hunter FDH 044 1948
Industrial
28 A Machine Ballet (Charles Williams)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by CHARLES WILLIAMS
Chappell C 228 1945

All tracks mono

The notes accompanying the first CD in this series ("A Trip To The Library" GLCD5164) explained in detail how leading publishers established libraries of recorded music to suit the requirements of the entertainment industry and documentary film makers. Although some had their origins in previous decades, it was during the 1940s that several major new publishers became involved, resulting in a surge in the availability of what were usually termed "Mood Music" recordings – partly to satisfy the requirements of newsreels during World War 2.

The positive response to the earlier Guild collection has prompted this sequel, which includes a number of vintage tracks included by special request. The opportunity has also been taken to widen the scope of music covered, because the talented composers who produced this specialised music catered for every kind of mood. Some pieces were very short, and not intended for listening on a CD such as this. Others were dramatic and, frankly, occasionally depressing. But some of the numbers describing ‘cops and robbers’ and the like deserve not to be dismissed entirely: who would have wanted Devil’s Galop by Charles Williams (on GLCD5162) to be consigned to oblivion?

The catalogues issued by the publishers often included sections identifying different styles of music. This assisted professional users to find exactly what they wanted without having to check through long numerical lists. Titles were important, and care was taken to describe the music through the chosen name, although this didn’t necessarily preclude certain pieces from being suitable for more than one kind of situation. For this collection this practice has been revived, with short sections each containing contrasting areas of production music. It is hoped that this will not prevent an enjoyable flow from one mood to another, but the advantage is that it will permit the inclusion of a greater variety of music reflecting the vast repertoire that was available.

Without exception, all of the composers included in this collection were important contributors to the production music libraries of the middle years of the last century. Many were also active in other areas of light music, but a few were content to concentrate on this frequently ignored niche of the music business which, in reality, was an essential ingredient in so many different productions. Not every composer could adapt to the requirements of these background music libraries, but those who were able to master this particular craft found themselves in constant demand for their special skills. They all deserve to be praised, and rather than place some on a higher pedestal than others we will simply give brief details in the order that they are represented on this CD.

Cedric King Palmer (1913-1999) was a prolific composer of mood music who contributed over 600 works during a period of 30 years to the recorded music libraries of several London publishers. He ceased composing mood music in the 1970s, and towards the end of his life he became a piano teacher.

If you lived in Britain during the middle years of the last century you will have been familiar with the name of Paul Fenoulhet (1906-1979) – even if you were unsure how to spell it! At one time he was conductor of the famous Skyrockets then moved on to work with several of the BBC’s light orchestras.

As ‘Tom Wyler’, the Swiss violinist and composer Toni Leutwiler (1923-2009) became known outside his homeland, partly due to the success of his charming composition Lovely Day, which Frank Chacksfield recorded commercially for Columbia. His music was in demand from many broadcasting stations, and he was reported to have created over 2,000 arrangements.

Laurie Johnson (b.1927) has been a leading figure on the British entertainment scene for 50 years. A gifted arranger and composer, Laurie has contributed to films, musical theatre, radio, television and records, with his music used in many well-known productions such as "The Avengers" and "The Professionals".

Rhys Donald Lloyd Thomas (1901-1961) was familiar to radio listeners with his popular organ recitals. He also wrote marches and light pieces, and as ‘Colin Smith’ he composed Looking Around for Chappells which was picked as signature tune for a popular BBC Children’s TV series "The Appleyards" in the 1950s. Born in South Wales, during his early career he played piano before becoming one of the major organists on the Granada circuit. His other pseudonyms included John Barclay and Pedro Gonzalez. 

Henry Cyril Watters (1907-1984) was chief arranger with Boosey & Hawkes from 1953 to 1961, often providing appealing arrangements for melodies supplied by other composers who were either too busy, or insufficiently skilled, to orchestrate their own creations. However his position at Boosey & Hawkes did not prevent rival publishers from commissioning music from him.

Edward Cecil Milner (1905-1989) was a respected backroom boy in London music circles, arranging for many top orchestras such as Mantovani, for whom he supplied around 220 scores. He was also an accomplished composer with his works willingly accepted by several background music publishers. Since their days involved in pre-war British films he was closely associated with Charles Williams, and arranged some of his compositions. In the cinema Milner worked on some 50 films (often for Louis Levy) most notably the 1938 classic "The Lady Vanishes".

George French (b. 1921) was a British violinist who broadcast frequently on the BBC, sometimes fronting his own orchestra, but more often as leader for many well-known conductors in programmes such as "Music While You Work". He clearly had a gift for composing, but his recorded output was not substantial.

Regular collectors of this Guild series of CDs will already be familiar with the music of Trevor Duncan (real name Leonard Charles Trebilco, 1924-2005). Over 20 titles have now been reissued, and among the best-known are his first success High Heels (on GLCD 5124), Grand Vista (GLCD 5124) and Panoramic Splendour (GLCD5111). Little Debbie was dedicated to his daughter.

Reg Owen (born George Owen Smith, 1921-1978) was regarded as one of England's leading orchestrators, and he published his book "The Reg Owen Arranging Method" in 1956. He is regarded as a ‘one hit wonder’ thanks to his best-selling recording of Manhattan Spiritual in 1958. His own film scores date from 1957 and include "Murder Reported" (1958), "Very Important Person" (1961), "A Coming-Out Party" (1961) and "Payroll" (1962). He moved to Brussels in 1961, though he continued to arrange, compose and conduct albums all over Europe, including France, Germany and Italy before moving finally to Spain where he died in 1978. His Secret Serenade came to prominence in Britain through its regular use in a TV coffee commercial.

Canadian born Robert Joseph Farnon (1917-2005) is featured as both composer and conductor in this collection. Light Music enthusiasts will not need reminding of his tremendous influence on this area of the international music scene during the second half of the last century. His beautifully crafted melodies, numbering several hundreds in total, have been heard throughout the world in radio, television and films.

Anthony Mawer [1930-1999] recently made his debut in Guild with Painted Carousels (GLCD5180) from the De Wolfe library. He was born in Sale, Cheshire and educated at Manchester Grammar School. Musically he was mainly self-taught and started contributing occasional mood music pieces to De Wolfe in 1955 before joining the staff in 1959, where he remained until 1965. During this period he composed almost 500 titles exclusively for them. But his talents had been noticed by other London publishers and after leaving De Wolfe his name appeared on discs issued by almost all of the major production music libraries.

Peter Yorke (1902-1966) is a regular contributor to this series of CDs, as composer, arranger and conductor. After a period in British Dance Bands of the 1920s and 1930s, he graduated to arranging for Louis Levy before eventually forming his own concert orchestra for recording and broadcasting.

Clive Richardson (1909-1998) was part of ‘Four Hands in Harmony’ (with Tony Lowry), but that was just a small interlude in a long and successful career. He accompanied several artists on the piano, and was an early contributor of scores to British films (especially some of the Will Hay comedies, although he wasn’t credited on-screen). London Fantasia (GLCD5120) was a big success in the 1940s, and other well-known Richardson compositions to succeed were Melody on the Move GLCD5102) and Holiday Spirit (GLCD5120), that exuberant theme for BBC Children’s Television Newsreel. The BBC radio programme "ITMA" regularly featured amusing arrangements of well-known tunes, and Clive Richardson contributed several, including This Old Man Came Rolling Home.

Jos Cleber (also known as Jozef Cleber and Josef van Cleber, 1916-1999) was a Dutch composer and conductor. For a while he played trombone in Dolf van der Linden’s orchestra, and conducted his own ensemble De Zaaiers before leaving the Netherlands in 1962 to settle in South Africa.

John Herbert Foulds (1880-1939) was a classical British composer who also succeeded in writing light music and theatre scores. He was unfairly neglected for much of the later years of the 20^th century, but there has recently been a revival of interest in his work. From 1927 to 1935 he lived in Paris, which was obviously the inspiration for Le Cabaret.

Jack Beaver (1900-1963) was reputed to be a workaholic, who would dash between engagements in various parts of the country, often completing scores for theatrical productions during long train journeys en route. He also worked on well over 100 films and documentaries. Beaver contributed original works to most of the London publishers who ran their own recorded music libraries.

Jack Strachey (1894-1972) has ensured his musical immortality by composing These Foolish Things (GLCD5133). In the world of light music he is also remembered as the composer of In Party Mood (GLCD5120), the perky number he wrote for Bosworths in 1944 which was later chosen for the long-running BBC Radio series "Housewives’ Choice". This is just one of a series of catchy instrumentals that have flowed from his pen, and he seemed particularly gifted at writing marches with a sporting or show business theme. Ascot Parade falls into the former category; there was a time when it seemed to be heard in almost every newsreel containing horse racing scenes.

The American Van Phillips (1905-1992) was a respected member of London’s dance band fraternity from the late 1920s onwards, but after the Second World War he discovered a new talent for writing background music for publishers’ libraries. When this failed to satisfy his creative instincts he eventually became a highly regarded professional photographer.

Dolf van der Linden (real name David Gysbert van der Linden, 1915-1999) was the leading figure on the light music scene in the Netherlands from the 1940s until the 1980s. As well as broadcasting frequently with his Metropole Orchestra, he made numerous recordings for the background music libraries of major music publishers. He also made transcription recordings for Dutch radio and other companies. His commercial recordings (especially for the American market) were often labelled as ‘Van Lynn’ or ‘Daniel De Carlo’.

Ronald Binge (1910-1979) is destined to remain forever remembered as the gifted arranger who designed the ‘cascading strings’ effect for Mantovani, but his true achievements deserve far greater recognition. He was a prolific composer in his own right and The Watermill was widely praised.

London-born Fredric Bayco (1913-1970) was an organist and composer who contributed pieces to several libraries, sometimes with an historical feel. During the 1960s he was Chairman of The Light Music Society.

Eric Spear (1908-1966) will forever be associated with the theme for the TV series "Coronation Street", but this was only one of many light music works he composed.

Bernard Wilfred Harris, better known as ‘Wilfred Burns’ (1917-1990) was a prolific composer of mood music who has over 200 titles to his credit. After military service during the Second World War he worked at Elstree studios before eventually becoming a freelance film composer and musical director. He had many pieces accepted by various London publishers.

Former cinema organist Ronald Hanmer (1917-1994) composed over 700 pieces for various background music libraries, which must make him one of the most prolific composers specialising in this field.

Our final track features Charles Williams(born Isaac Cozerbreit 1893-1978), another composer/conductor whose work is now familiar once again through his many Guild appearances. He had numerous pieces published by Chappells when he was the main contributor to their Recorded Music Library, and his Machine Ballet was regarded as a landmark piece of industrial music when it first appeared in 1945. Like several pieces in this collection, it has been specially requested by production music enthusiasts, having never previously been available on a commercial release.

David Ades