For 2014:  

GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5213

Light And Latin

1 Malaguena (Ernesto Lecuona)
WERNER MÜLLER AND HIS ORCHESTRA (as ‘Ricardo Santos’)
Polydor 224 002 SEPH 1960
2 Baia (Na Baixa do Sapateiro) (Ary Barroso, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia CS 8622 1962
3 Cuban Love Song (Jimmy McHugh; Dorothy Fields; Herbert Stothart)
PAUL WESTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia CL 572 1954
4 Tico Tico (Zequinha de Abreu)
CARMEN DRAGON Conducting THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL SYMPHONY
Capitol P 8314 1957
5 Poinciana (Nat Simon; Buddy Bernier)
XAVIER CUGAT AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Mercury CMS 18046 1961
6 Duerme (Time Was) (Miguel Prado)
TITO PUENTE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
RCA LSP 1479 1957
7 High In Sierra (Ernesto Lecuona)
STANLEY BLACK AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca SKL 4011 1958
8 I Love You (from "Mexican Hayride") (Cole Porter, arr, Robert Farnon)
ROBERT FARNON AND HIS ORCHESTRA (‘Jack Saunders’ on disc label)
Everest SDBR 1011 1958
9 Brazil (Aquarela do Brasil) (Ary Barroso, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia CS 8622 1962
10 Beguine By Night (Eric Winstone)
GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA
KPM Music KPM 070 1960
11 Adios (Enric Madriguera)
ANDRE KOSTELANETZ AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia ML 4082 1948
12 No Te Importe Saber (René Touzet, arr. Laurie Johnson)
AMBROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA WITH STRINGS Conducted by LAURIE JOHNSON
MGM E 3478 1957
13 Berceuse Cubaine (Frank Engelen)
THE BRUSSELS NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Southern MQ 516 1960
14 Oracion Caribe (Agustin Lara, arr. Mario Ruiz Armengol)
MARIO RUIZ ARMENGOL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
RCA LPM 1292 1956
15 Nightingale (Xavier Cugat)
XAVIER CUGAT AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Mercury PPS 6003 1961
16 Noche De Ronda (Be Mine Tonight) (Maria Toroso Lara)
TITO PUENTE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
RCA LSP 1479 1957
17 Quiet Village (Les Baxter)
CLEBANOFF STRINGS AND PERCUSSION
Mercury SR 60689 1961
18 Brazilian Butterfly (Ronald Hanmer)
THE CONNAUGHT LIGHT ORCHESTRA
Conroy BM 245 1960
19 Sweet Bolero (Hermann Garst)
EDDIE BARCLAY AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Mercury MG 20265 1955
20 The Moon Of Manakoora (from the film "The Hurricane") (Frank Loesser; Alfred Newman)
AXEL STORDAHL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Dot DLP 25282 1960
21 Cordoba (from "Cantos Dos Espana") (Isaac Albéniz)
ANDRE KOSTELANETZ AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia CS 8968 1962
22 Adios Mariquita Linda (Marcos A. Jiminez)
DENNIS FARNON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Oriole SEP 7063 1962
23 Siboney (Ernesto Lecuona)
STANLEY BLACK AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca SKL 4011 1958
24 Tropical Merengue (Rafael Merdina Munoz)
RICHARD HAYMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Mercury SR 60000 1958
25 Espana (Emmanuel Chabrier)
CARMEN DRAGON Conducting THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL SYMPHONY
Capitol P 8275 1955

Stereo tracks: 1, 2, 4-9, 15-17 & 20-25; rest in mono

Just as no two music lovers will probably ever agree on the precise boundaries that define Light Music, the aficionados of Latin American will also happily argue about its origins. There seems little doubt that most will accept that the vast continent of the Americas, from Mexico southwards, qualifies as being generally regarded as ‘Latin America’, so the rhythms and styles of more than twenty countries have contributed to its emergence – particularly from the 1930s onwards – as an enjoyable part of the popular music scene. Add to this the influence of music makers from the United States and Europe, and the result is a mix that may sometimes have corrupted the roots, but has succeeded in making what we all regard as ‘Latin American Music’ universally popular. It is therefore hardly surprising that many light orchestras have included it in their repertoire; some have even embraced it wholeheartedly.

During the 1950s the Ricardo Santos Orchestra became familiar to lovers of Latin American music. Eventually the secret came out, that ‘Ricardo Santos’ was actually the prolific German bandleader Werner Müller (1920-1998). Originally a bassoonist, he became the first conductor of the RIAS (Radio In American Sector) Dance Band based in Berlin, but it was not long before Müller began to realise that the public’s love affair with the swing era was gradually starting to wane. Sixteen strings were added to the line-up, and his orchestra built up a strong following through its Polydor recordings. Recognising the public’s appetite for LA music, he also recorded under the pseudonym ‘Ricardo Santos’ when playing Latin American music, and his fame spread far beyond the borders of his native Germany. Malaguena is a good example of the often flamboyantans Geoth style he adopted, using ‘cascading strings’ to enhance the infectious rhythms.

From his earliest days in the recording studios the Canadian conductor Percy Faith (1908-1976) revealed his passion for Latin American music. When LPs arrived two of his most popular albums featured music from Mexico and Brazil, and his contributions to this CD - Baia and Brazil - come from the latter.

The American conductor Paul Weston (born Paul Wetstein, 1912-1996) also fully embraced the opportunities offered by the longer playing time of the LP. His ‘concept’ albums helped to set standards that others would try to emulate, and his early days in the world of the top dance bands (especially Tommy Dorsey) taught him the advantages offered by including a strong brass section to counterbalance the strings. Cuban Love Song certainly benefits from the rich sound of the brass, lifting the melody to a new level.

Carmen Dragon (1914-1984) conducts the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra in two impressive performances: the popular Tico Tico and Chabrier’s famous Espana, which illustrates how the strong influence of Spain permeates so much Latin American music. Dragon was born in Antioch, California. His first success in Hollywood was collaborating with Morris Stoloff (1898-1980) arranging Jerome Kern’s score for the 1944 Rita Hayworth/Gene Kelly film "Cover Girl" which secured him an Oscar. He worked extensively in radio and television, and was a frequent visitor to recording studios conducting the Hollywood Bowl and Capitol Symphony Orchestras.

Xavier Cugat (1900-1990) was a Spanish born bandleader who spent his formative years in Havana, but achieved fame in the USA. He provided the resident orchestra at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria before and after the Second World War, and he was also a cartoonist and successful businessman. His four marriages provided fodder for gossip columnists, but his lasting legacy is appearances in several Hollywood films and many fine recordings of Latin American music. He first appears on this CD with Poinciana, then conducting his own composition Nightingale.

Ernesto Antonio ‘Tito’ Puente (1923-2000) was born and raised in the Spanish Harlem district of New York City. As a child the influence of Gene Krupa made him choose percussion to express his musical ideas, although there was a serious musician waiting to be discovered. After war service in the US Navy he attended the Julliard School of Music where he studied conducting, orchestration and musical theory. Through his albums, particularly during the 1950s, he attempted a fusion of Jazz with Latin American music, but he also concentrated on dance styles earning the accolade ‘King of the Mambo’. Adding strings to his usual line-up seemed a natural progression, with pleasing results: his Guild debut features his unique versions of Duerme (better known as Time Was) and Noche De Ronda (Be Mine Tonight).

Londoner Stanley Black (born Solomon Schwartz 1913-2002) was successful in many areas of music during his long career which began in his teens. While playing piano in Harry Roy’s dance band, during a tour of South America he became keen on Latin-American music, and several of his fine light orchestral albums focussed on this repertoire. His two numbers in this collection are both by the famous Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona (1895-1963) – High In Sierra and the more familiar Siboney.

Cole Porter’s I Love You is another track taken from the 1958 recording sessions at Walthamstow Town Hall in London, first featured in Guild’s "Strings And Things Go Stereo" collection (GLCD 5153). At the behest of Elizabeth Taylor, this involved an album of melodies associated with shows and films produced by her late husband, Mike Todd. Robert Farnon (1917-2005) was engaged to arrange and conduct his orchestra, although his name could not appear on the album for contractual reasons.

Eric Winstone (born in London, 1915-1974) was one of Britain’s leading dance band leaders, who in his younger days was a virtuoso piano-accordionist. He could also compose attractive light music, sometimes with a humorous twist – as in The Happy Hippo (on Guild GLCD5157). This time we hear him in a slightly more exotic mood in Beguine By Night.

Andre Kostelanetz (born in St. Petersburg, Russia 1901-1980) became one of the biggest names in American light orchestral music during the middle years of the 20^th Century. His broadcasts and recordings were enjoyed by millions. It was his passion to ‘educate’ his audience to enjoy fine music, and his wide repertoire also extended to Latin American, from which we can enjoy Adios and Cordoba.

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". Early in his career he was asked by MGM to make a series of recordings as conductor and arranger, but at the time the bandleader Ambrose was still well-known, so it was his name that appeared on the labels. No Te Importe Saber was included on an LP of Latin-American melodies.

The writer of Berceuse Cubaine was Frank Engelen, a Belgian guitarist who was also highly respected as a composer and arranger.

Don Mario Ruiz Armengol (1914-2002) has been compared by some musicologists as being Mexico’s equivalent of David Rose, and his arrangements (such as Oracion Caribe) do contain certain snatches of Rose’s unique style. During the middle years of the last century he was regarded as Mexico’s foremost arranger and conductor of popular music, as well as one of its leading composers. From the 1930s onwards RCA used him to accompany many of the contract artists on their Mexican subsidiary label, and he also worked extensively in radio and films. He gradually became known across the border in the USA, where none other than Duke Ellington is reported to have dubbed him "Mr. Harmony".

In 1951 Les Baxter (1922-1996) wrote and recorded Quiet Village which he described as follows: "The jungle grows more dense as the river boat slowly makes its way into the deep interior. A snake slithers into the water, flushing a brilliantly plumaged bird who soars into the clearing above a quiet village. Here is a musical portrait of a tropical village deserted in the mid-day heat." Other arrangers and conductors were attracted to this piece in later years, and the choice for this CD is by Chicago-born Herman Clebanoff (1917-2004). He had a sound education in classical music and was an experienced violinist and concertmaster before he was 20. Usually just known as ‘Clebanoff’, he had a long association with NBC, and from 1945 he spent the next ten years as concertmaster of their Chicago-based orchestra, playing a wide repertoire from the classics to popular tunes. Mercury’s Chicago music director David Carroll (real name Rodell Walter ‘Nook’ Schreier 1913-2008) signed him to the label, and in 1960 Clebanoff moved to Los Angeles when Mercury consolidated their recording activities in Hollywood.

Ronald Hanmer (1917-1994) could make a legitimate claim to being the most prolific of all the composers featured on this CD. His career stretched from the 1930s (he was a cinema organist) until the end of his life, and over 700 of his compositions were published in various background music libraries (examples already on Guild include Proud and Free GLCD5136, The Four Horsemen and Intermission – both onGLCD5140). He was also kept busy as an arranger, and the bandleader Edmundo Ros (1910-2011) used many of his pieces. Hanmer’s Brazilian Butterfly is close to the style that made Ros’s Latin American music so popular in Britain in post-war years. Among his film scores were Made in Heaven (1952), Penny Princess (1952) and Top of the Form (1953). He was also in demand as an orchestrator of well-known works for Amateur Societies, and the brass band world was very familiar with his scores – sometimes used as test pieces. In 1975 he emigrated to Australia, where he was delighted to discover that his melody Pastorale (on Guild GLCD5212) was famous throughout the land as the theme for the long-running radio serial Blue Hills. In 1992 Ronald Hanmer received the Order of Australia for services to music, just before that country abolished the honours system.

Sweet Bolero introduces Eddie Barclay(1921-2005)(real name Edouard Ruault – he changed it in 1944 when he came into contact with American liberation forces) who was famous in France for two reasons: his music, and his nine wives. His career took off at the end of World War 2 when he realised that his jazz with a French flavour was much in demand. He launched what he claimed to be the first discothèque, Eddie's Club, based on the American clubs that had opened to serve US military personnel, and started his own band in 1947. Gradually he began expanding his talents into conducting and record production for several leading singers, and eventually he formed Barclay Records. Thanks to his contacts with the American record industry he was able to take a leading role in the production and distribution of LP records in France where he became known as the ‘king of microgroove’.

The Moon Of Manakoora is conducted by Axel Stordahl (1913-1963) who will be familiar to many collectors of American popular music, mainly through his backing for Frank Sinatra during a period known as the singer’s ‘Columbia years’. In 1936 he joined Tommy Dorsey as a trumpet player, and was encouraged to develop his arranging talents. He realised that his style was more suited to slow, sentimental ballads, which became his trademark. In partnership with Paul Weston, he composed Day by Day, but during his later career he tended to concentrate on leading studio bands for radio and television.

Adios Mariquita Linda comes from a very rare stereo EP conducted by Dennis Farnon (b. 1923), who is the youngest of the three talented Canadian Farnon brothers; the first was Brian (1911-2010) and the second – the most famous of the three – was Robert Farnon (1917-2005). Dennis worked for ten years in Hollywood where his screen credits included the music for 12 ‘Mr. Magoo’ cartoons, and four humorous animated ‘Art’ films. For three years he was Artist and West Coast Album Director for RCA Records, and was one of the five founders in 1957 of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, who present the annual Grammy awards. His conducting and arranging assignments included albums with Harry Belafonte, Tony Martin, Gogi Grant, George Shearing and the Four Freshmen. Among his own LPs are ‘Caution Men Swinging’, ‘Enchanted Woods’ (from which comes his unusual, yet appealing arrangement of Cecelia on Guild GLCD5165) and ‘Magoo in Hi-Fi’. He came to Europe in 1962, and worked on TV series such as ‘Bat Out Of Hell’, ‘Spy Trap’ and ‘Bouquet of Barbed Wire’. He scored the 1966 Tony Curtis film "Drop Dead Darling" which was renamed "Arrivederci Baby" for its US release. Although officially retired, Dennis now lives in The Netherlands, where he continues to compose and teach.

Richard Warren Joseph Hayman (b. 1920) started at the age of 18 as a harmonica player in Borrah Minevitch’s Harmonica Rascals, but he decided to concentrate more on arranging and conducting. He worked on the MGM musical "Meet Me In St. Louis" and was put under contract by Mercury Records in 1950, for whom he made many singles and albums, the best-seller being his version of Ruby from the film "Ruby Gentry". He also arranged for the Boston Pops, serving as back-up conductor for Arthur Fiedler. Tropical Merengue is another example of Hayman’s ability to adapt to a wide range of musical styles. Which is a statement that can equally apply to many of the famous conductors represented in this collection.

David Ades

GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5214

The Composer Conducts – Volume 3

1 Mucho Gusto (Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia CS 8439 1961
2 Someday (from "The Vagabond King") (Rudolf Friml)
101 STRINGS Conducted by RUDOLF FRIML
Stereo Fidelity SF-6900 1959
3 Clarinet Candy (Leroy Anderson)
LEROY ANDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Soloists: Vincent J. Abato; Herbert S. Blayman; Roger Hiller; Bernard Portnoy
Brunswick STA 8524 1962
4 Aries (Hal Mooney)
HAL MOONEY AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Mercury SR 60073 1958
5 El Caballero (Richard Hayman)
RICHARD HAYMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Mercury SR 60103 1959
6 A Frenchman In New York (David Rose)
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
MGM E 3481 1957
7 "The Village Of Daughters" (Theme from the film) (Ron Goodwin)
RON GOODWIN AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Parlophone 45-R 4892 1962
8 Boy Meets Girl (Meredith Willson)
MEREDITH WILLSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Brunswick LA 8628 1953
9 Happiness Day (Roger Roger)
ROGER ROGER AND HIS CHAMPS ELYSEES ORCHESTRA
Chappell C 516 1955
10 "The Moonraker" (Theme from the film) (Laurie Johnson)
LAURIE JOHNSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
HMV 45-POP 404 1957
11 Sound And Vision – Associated TeleVision March (Eric Coates)
ERIC COATES AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Pye Nixa N 15003 1955
12 Romantic Mood (Walter Stott)
TELECAST ORCHESTRA Conducted by WALTER STOTT
Chappell C 728 1961
13 Here They Are (Hans May)
HARMONIC ORCHESTRA Conducted by HANS MAY
Harmonic HMP 276 1949
14 Journey Into Melody (Robert Farnon)
ROBERT FARNON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca F 9101 1949
15 The Falcons (Charles Williams, real name Isaac Cozerbreit)
CHARLES WILLIAMS AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Columbia DB 2992 1952
16 Comic Cuts (Sidney Torch)
SIDNEY TORCH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Parlophone R 3406 1951
17 Sensation For Strings (Philip Green)
PHILIP GREEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
MGM MGM 202 1949
18 Longing (Annunzio Paolo Mantovani)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca LK 4150 1956
19 Bright Lights (Victor Young)
VICTOR YOUNG AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca DL 8350 1956
20 My Love Is In Florence (Guy Luypaerts)
GUY LUYPAERTS AND HIS ORCHESTRA (as ‘GUY LUPAR’on LP label)
Capitol T 10024 1956
21 Autumn Song (Otto Cesana)
OTTO CESANA AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia CL 631 1955
22 Humpty Dumpty (Peter Yorke)
PETER YORKE AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Columbia DB 2569 1949
23 Twilight Serenade (Alfredo Antonini)
ALFREDO ANTONINI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Vogue Coral LVA 9031 1956
24 Mississippi (Frank De Vol)
FRANK DE VOL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Capitol H 198 1950
25 Chats De Gouttiere (Alley Cats) (Gérard Calvi, real name Grégoire Elie Krettly)
GÉRARD CALVI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Pye NPL 28003 1958

Stereo: tracks 1-5; rest in mono.

Composers are often envied by those who do not possess the necessary talent to be able to produce a musical work that others will enjoy. But a touch of genius can sometimes generate frustration. Few writers are completely satisfied with the way in which their works are performed by orchestras over which they have little or no control, so it is a bonus for both composer and listener when music is conducted by the original creator. Of course there are instances where arrangers and conductors can occasionally reveal hidden beauty that even the composer did not fully appreciate, but that is another story. Guild’s first two collections marrying the talents of composer and conductor (GLCD5177 & 5178) were well received, and it is hoped that this third CD will meet with similar approval.

Percy Faith (1908-1976) was born in Toronto, Canada, and an injury to his hands from a fire forced him to rethink his plans for a career as a concert pianist. He turned to arranging, composing and conducting and in 1940 he moved permanently to the USA where he quickly established himself through radio and recordings. From the 1950s onwards his fame spread internationally, due to the great success of his numerous long playing albums. Unlike most of his contemporaries, Faith arranged all his own material, and his exciting and vibrant scores made his work stand out among the rest.

Rudolf Friml (1879-1972) was a talented and prolific composer, born in Prague (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) where he studied piano and composition with Antonín Dvořák at the Conservatory. As a young man he moved to the United States where he found success as a composer of operettas, notably “Rose-Marie" and "The Vagabond King". These were just two of around 20 Broadway scores and two original screen musicals. The Miller International organisation (which embraced several new labels to promote early stereo in the States) engaged 79-year-old Friml to front their newly-titled ‘101 Strings’ in a collection of his own melodies, from which comes Someday.

Leroy Anderson(1908-1975) is probably the best-loved American light music composer of his generation. For many years he was the chief arranger for the Boston Pops, and its famous conductor, Arthur Fiedler, introduced many Anderson novelties to an appreciative world. He was so prolific that some of his numbers have tended to become overlooked, such as Clarinet Candy.

Hal (born Harold) Mooney (1911-1995) is making another Guild appearance with his composition Aries, which comes from a collection spotlighting each sign of the zodiac. Upon the completion of his music studies in his native New York he was invited to join the arrangers' roster for the popular Hal Kemp Orchestra, alongside John Scott Trotter (who was about to leave the band) and Lou Busch. After war service in the US Army he moved to Hollywood where he worked with many of the top stars such as Bing Crosby, Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra. In 1956 Mooney finally swapped freelancing for an exclusive contract and became A&R Director and chief arranger at Mercury Records, where he remained until Philips phased out the label towards the end of the 1960s. Mooney then moved to Universal Studios, working as MD on many of the top TV shows of the period, before retiring in 1977.

Richard Warren Joseph Hayman (b. 1920) - as well as being a respected arranger and conductor - was also a harmonica virtuoso, and he sometimes adapted his scores of popular melodies so that he could perform on his favourite instrument. This formula brought him two chart successes in the early 1950s, with 78s of Ruby and April In Portugal. He followed Leroy Anderson as an arranger for the Boston ‘Pops’ Orchestra over a period of more than 30 years, and also served as Music Director of Mercury Records. He was regularly in demand to orchestrate Broadway shows and film soundtracks.

David Rose (1910-1990) was one of the biggest names in American light music circles during the middle years of the 20^th century. Born in London, England ‘lost’ him when the family moved to the USA when he was aged just four, but he retained a love for his birthplace and in his later years his fascination with steam railways often brought him back across the Atlantic. A prolific composer and arranger, he is an established Guild favourite, and A Frenchman In New York may have been one of his lesser known works, but it has the hallmarks of the master musician stamped all over it.

Ronald (Ron) Alfred Goodwin(1925-2003) was a brilliant British composer, arranger and conductor, whose tuneful music reached the furthest corners of the world. As he gained recognition for his original compositions he became in demand for film scores, and the success of "The Trials Of Oscar Wilde" (1960) undoubtedly enhanced Goodwin’s reputation. This led to major commissions in the following years, like "633 Squadron" (1964), "Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines" (1965) and Alfred Hitchcock’s "Frenzy" (1972).

Meredith Willson (1902-1984) will always be remembered for his hit musical "The Music Man", which was a big success on Broadway and later a Hollywood film. But he also composed and conducted some attractive pieces of Light Music, some to be found on an early Brunswick 10" LP called "Encore". Several have already appeared on Guild CDs, and Boy Meets Girl can now be added to the list.

Roger Roger (1911-1995) was a leading figure on the French music scene for many years, and his fine compositions and arrangements also won him many admirers internationally. He started writing for French films towards the end of the 1930s, and after the Second World War he played piano and conducted a 35-piece orchestra for a major French weekly radio series "Paris Star Time". His own instrumental cameos that were featured in the show brought him to the attention of the London publishers Chappell & Co., who were rapidly expanding their Recorded Music Library of background music at that time. Roger’s quirky compositions soon became available to radio, television and film companies around the world, one of the earliest being The Toy Shop Window (La Vitrine aux Jouets) on Guild GLCD 5119. His works often possessed a childish air, and Happiness Day fits neatly into this category.

Laurie Johnson (b.1927) has been a leading figure on the British entertainment scene for over 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".

Eric Coates (1886-1957) is widely regarded as the foremost English composer of light music during the first half of the 20^th century. Towards the end of his life he wrote one of his most enduring works, the march from the 1954 film "The Dam Busters" (on GLCD5147 & 5202). He composed many signature tunes, and Sound And Vision was commissioned by Associated TeleVision when commercial television started in Britain in 1955.

Walter ‘Wally’ Stott, born in Leeds, Yorkshire (1924-2009) is today widely recognised as one of the finest arrangers and film composers. When Wally became Angela Morley she left England for the USA where she worked on several big budget movies (one example is the "Star Wars" series assisting John Williams), and on TV shows such as "Dallas" and "Dynasty". But during the 1950s and 1960s she made numerous recordings under her former name, also contributing many light music cameos to the Chappell Recorded Music Library.

Hans May (real name Johannes Mayer, 1891-1959) was a Viennese-born composer and music director who devoted much of his musical life to composing for the screen and stage. Initially he worked in the German film industry, but in the mid-1930s the developing political situation forced him to relocate briefly in France before eventually settling in England, like so many other mid-European musicians at that time. His numerous films included scores for the Boulting Brothers, Gainsborough Films and the Rank Organisation, and he conducted many early 78s for the Harmonic Music Library which was established in the mid-1940s. Here They Are finds him as both composer and conductor, and previously he has been included on Guild CDs with Rippling Down The Mountain (GLCD5112) and Nine Naughty Gnomes (GLCD5144).

Canadian-born Robert Joseph Farnon (1917-2005) is widely regarded as one of the greatest light music composers and arrangers of his generation. His melodies such as Portrait Of A Flirt (on Guild GLCD 5120) and Jumping Bean (GLCD5162) are familiar to millions around the world.

Londoner Charles Williams (born Isaac Cozerbreit, 1893-1978) composed a vast amount of music for films and production music libraries. He is one of the top contributors to Guild CDs.

Sidney Torch, MBE (born in London, Sidney Torchinsky 1908-1990) is well-known in Britain for his numerous Parlophone recordings, as well as his long tenure as conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra in the "Friday Night Is Music Night" BBC radio programme. He wrote some excellent light music cameos for the Chappell Recorded Music Library, where Comic Cuts first appeared.

Philip Green (born Harry Philip Green in Whitechapel, London 1911-1982) began his professional career at the age of eighteen playing in various orchestras. Within a year he became London’s youngest West End conductor at the Prince of Wales Theatre. His long recording career began with EMI in 1933, and he is credited with at least 150 film scores.

Annunzio Paolo Mantovani (1905-1980) became the conductor of one of the most famous light orchestras in the world from the 1950s onwards. Born in Venice, his family came to England when he was aged four and he was something of a prodigy on the violin by the time he reached sixteen. But he leaned more towards popular music, and fronted many different kinds of ensembles before long-playing records (especially when stereo arrived) brought him universal acclaim. Despite a very busy schedule embracing radio, television, concerts and recordings he also found time to compose and arrange for his magnificent orchestra.

Chicago-born Victor Young (1900-1956) enjoyed a successful career on Broadway and in Hollywood films, although his greatest triumph – the score for the film "Around The World In Eighty Days" – was completed shortly before his death, so he never knew that it gained him a posthumous Oscar.

Guy-Claude Luypaerts (b. 1917) was born in Paris to Belgian parents during the First World War and he became well-known in French musical circles through conducting an orchestra called the Nouvelle Association Symphonique de Paris. Guild has previously included his imaginative sounds in the Cole Porter tribute (GLCD 5127) and conducting quirky cameos such as The Sleepwalker of Amsterdam (GLCD 5131), Masquerade In Madrid (GLCD 5132), Jose Fontaine’s catchy Whimsy, and his own composition Chatter Box (GLCD5160). This time it is the turn of his more romantic My Love Is In Florence.

Italian-born Otto Cesana (1899-1980) spent much of his early career in California where he lived from 1908 to 1930. His piano studies commenced at the age of ten, and he became an accomplished organist; he also learned about orchestration and harmony which he put to good use working in radio and Hollywood film studios. Although his recorded output was not large compared with some of his contemporaries, he usually conducted his own compositions which were of a consistently high standard – as already illustrated on several previous Guild Light Music CDs.

Peter Yorke (1902-1966) is a regular contributor to this series of CDs, as composer, arranger and conductor. After working 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.

Alfredo Antonini (1901-1983) was born in Italy and studied at the Milan Conservatory under Toscanini. By the 1930s he had established himself as both a composer and conductor and became well-known to the American public through his radio programmes in the 1940s – notably with the CBS Symphony, the CBS Pan American Orchestra and the Columbia Concert Orchestra. He worked with many leading singers, and frequently appeared at the top concert halls in the Americas. In the 1950s his television shows brought classical music to the masses, and his programmes with stars such as Julie Andrews, Eileen Farrell and Beverly Sills received critical acclaim.

In the USA Frank De Vol (1911-1999) is known primarily as the composer for the radio and TV series "The Brady Bunch", but light music fans appreciate that his career has been far more substantial. It was not uncommon to see the credit ‘Music by De Vol’ on many films, and he had an executive position at Columbia Records, for whom he made a number of successful mood music albums.

Gérard Calvi (real name Grégoire Elie Krettly, born 1922) first came to the attention of the public in his native France when he contributed the music in 1948 to a show called "Les Branquignols". The following year he composed the score for "La Patronne", launching a career in mainly European films that would continue for the rest of the 20^th Century. By far his best known cinematic work was for the "Asterix" films, but Calvi was equally at home in the theatre and recording studios, and writing popular songs – over 300 in total.

Sadly the available space in this booklet only permits brief pen portraits of each of the 25 talented composer/conductors featured in this collection. But they have all been previously included on earlier Guild Light Music CDs, where it may have been possible to give fuller details of their achievements.

David Ades