JUMPING BEAN

Dateline June 2003

■ Belated congratulations to Don Lusher, who was made an OBE in the New Year Honours. The Editor congratulated DON LUSHER on his OBE, on behalf of Robert Farnon and all RFS members. This is his reply:

Dear David & members of the Robert Farnon Society,

Thank you very much for your congratulatory message on my being awarded the OBE. I am very proud to have received it and especially "for services to the music industry" and not just for being a trombone player or a bandleader. For fifty-five years I have been very happy and privileged to work in the music business and I trust that during that time I have made some contribution to it. Diana has pointed out that's seventy-three years practising the trombone and still only on Book Two Tune a Day! When I received the news in November, Diana explained to me just how many people had worked hard in presenting their request for me to have an award. This started, I believe, in late 1996! After the New Year's Honours List came out, we learnt that many other people had also been trying. I am very grateful to all those people without whom I would not have been awarded anything! Often one receives an award on retirement, now this, I hope, is not so in my case. I do hope to go on working in my various capacities for some time to come. It is always a tremendous privilege to work for Bob. DON LUSHER, Cheam, ENGLAND.

■ Ken Wilkins sent us a cutting from his local paper, the Leamington Courier, which reported the death of Mrs. Winifred German, who was married to Arthur German, nephew of the famous composer Sir Edward German. Arthur had inherited his uncle’s original scores including the light operas Merrie England and Tom Jones. Following her husband’s death, Winifred continued to actively promote Sir Edward’s music. She died in February aged 90, and had always been very active in local music circles.

■ Johnny McLain tells us that Bardic Edition has recently published his Psalm – Johnny’s setting of The Lord is my Shepherd. It started life as a tribute to the late Anthony Fones (1919-1997), the renowned BBC arranger, who became a close friend of Johnny towards the end of his life.

■ The world of ballet has discovered Light Music! On 8 & 9 July the English National Ballet will be including a new work Melody on the Move in its season at Sadler’s Wells. As well as the famous Clive Richardson piece of the same name, this new work by Michael Corder will include Robert Farnon’s Peanut Polka and Eric Coates’ Knightsbridge March. This work will also be included as part of the Autumn Tour. Sadler’s Wells box office: 020 7863 8000.

■ In this issue’s ‘Keeping Track’ we review a new CD of Bob Hope recordings, in tribute to his 100^th birthday on 29 May. If he had lived, Bob’s long-time friend and comedy partner in many films Bing Crosby would also have celebrated his centenary a few weeks earlier – on 3 May. In Tune magazine (May issue) included an interesting article by Ken Barnes who worked closely with Bing in the 1970s.

■ At long last it seems as though our dream of a new Charles Williams CD will soon become reality. The recording sessions took place last February, and we hope to have some firm news regarding a release date in our next issue.

■ Ray Clark recommends a recent addition to the ‘Yesterday’s Britain’ video series. YB29 features five films relating to the building of London’s Victoria Line, on which work began in the autumn of 1962. UK readers can get this video for £12.95 from The Signal Box, 1 Albion Street, Anstey, Leics, LE7 7DD. Ray also informs us that there is a society dedicated to the memory of the 1951 Festival of Britain. For details write to: The Membership Secretary, FoB Society, 23 Langton Avenue, East Ham, London, E6 6AN.

■ Alan Bunting had a message from a friend in Sweden advising him that the Robert Farnon Naxos CD filled 25 minutes on their Music Channel on 10 March.

■ Mark Fox (of the International Tony Bennett Appreciation Society) informs us that Tony will be appearing on 29 June at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham; 3 & 4 July at The Royal Albert Hall, London; 6 July at George Square in Glasgow; and 7 July at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester.

■ Brian Neale was planning to come to our recent London meeting, but the Queen asked him to sing for her at Windsor Castle instead. Brian often sings in the chapel at Windsor, and the Queen obviously didn’t realise that the RFS was meeting on the same day!

■ The name Associated-Rediffusion will conjure up pleasant memories for many British readers. Ex-BBC producer Graham Pass is now working with them on television musical documentaries, and you are encouraged to keep an eye on Radio Times in the coming months for a feature on Artie Shaw – possibly on BBC Four.

■ Alan Bunting was recently involved in the BBC Television programme "Cash In The Attic". A film crew visited Alan at his home in Stirling where he was transferring some old 78s to a CD for an elderly lady who wanted to hear them again. We don’t know if the programme will have been seen by the time you read this issue, but this series has been repeated in the past so it may be worth checking Radio Times.

■ Robin King is interested in the pianist Dick Katz who was a member of the Ray Ellington Quartet back in the 1950s. There was a Nixa LP "Kool for Katz" in 1959, but Robin has been unable to discover much more about his career. If any readers can tell us more about Dick Katz, please contact the Editor.

■ John Wilson was featured on the cover of the April/May issue of Crescendo & Jazz Music. Colour photos inside pictured John rehearsing with his orchestra at the Royal College of Music for the RFH concert on 22 March. All the musicians were mentioned by name, which is a very nice touch.

■ Eric White presented an excellent tribute to Ron Goodwin on BBC Radio Norfolk, which was broadcast on Easter Monday, 21 April. His special guest was Cy Payne, who received a lot of encouragement and practical help from Ron during the formative years of his own career.

■ Forrest Patten in April placed "Holiday Spirit" by Clive Richardson for a Hershey’s Kisses national TV spot in the USA. Perhaps some of our American readers noticed it.

JUMPING BEAN

Dateline March 2003

► Robert Farnon’s latest Vocalion CD features his Decca LPs "The Songs of Britain" and "Stephen Foster Melodies", together with other orchestral numbers from his days with Decca.

► Bob has recently composed a special piece for flute, which he has dedicated to his 10-year old granddaughter, Megan Walsh. She has recently taken up the flute (at her grandfather’s suggestion!), and she is the daughter of Bob’s own daughter Judith – the original ‘young lady’ to whom Bob dedicated To a Young Lady way back in the 1950s. Judith is married to a schoolmaster, and the family lives in Essex.

► The third volume of recordings by the Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra is due to be released by Vocalion in the Spring of 2003. Some compositions by Robert Farnon are included and, of course, he also conducts some of the tracks.

► The Naxos CD Journey Into Melody featuring Robert Farnon’s compositions [8.110849] has a 3-star rating in the latest Penguin Guide Yearbook 2002/3 – full details on page 13 of JIM 150, March 2002.

► The December 2002 issue of Gramophone included a prominent full colour advertisement for recent Vocalion releases. Top of the list was ‘The Wide World of Robert Farnon’.

► A new Anne Shelton CD from Vocalion (CDEA6081) includes three numbers that were arranged and conducted by Robert Farnon: Don’t Misunderstand originally on Decca F9704; Come Back to Angouleme (F9622); and Love Me My Love – a vocal version of Rubinstein’s famous Melody in F (F9622).

► Robert Farnon’s Song of Scandia has now appeared on CD, as previewed in this column last September (JIM 152). It is performed by the Innovation Chamber Ensemble (made up of Strings from the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra) with the cello solo by Richard Jenkinson – Blue Rhythm BR104. The rest of the CD includes works by Mozart, Elgar, Boccherini, Samuel Barber and Paul da Vinci, so Bob is in good company!

► A recent Robert Farnon composition is Conversation and Games for French horn and piano. It is published by Warwick Music Ltd., 1 Broomfield Road, Coventry, CV5 6JW, England – telephone 024 7671 2081.

► North American readers may be familiar with the name Fred Mills, who was leader of the Canadian Brass, now sadly disbanded. Fred has recorded Robert Farnon’s Scherzando for Trumpet and he performs it in concert with full orchestra.

► Robert Farnon has recently sent a special copy of the music of On the Lips of Lovers to Rachael Stirling, who is the daughter of Diana Rigg of "Avengers" fame. Like her famous mother, Rachael is also a talented actress. The music for On the Lips of Lovers is, of course, better know to us as the Lady Barbara Theme.

Belated congratulations to the distinguished German composer / conductor Werner Tautz who celebrated his 80^th birthday on 9 December 2002. A special CD has been issued by Bliss Records to commemorate this event, and you can read about it in this issue’s ‘Keeping Track’.

We understand that the acclaimed trumpet player Mel Broiles has not been very well just recently. We send him our very best wishes for a speedy return to good health. Members will recall that Mel made the first, breathtaking, recording of Robert Farnon’s Schertzando for Trumpet.

Andrew Lamb contributed a survey of the British Light Music scene to Gramophone magazine in their November 2002 issue. Under the heading "Sound Good, Feel Good" is was well written and should have alerted many of the magazine’s readers to the riches on offer. Andrew kindly mentioned our Society, describing it as a "haven for light music enthusiasts, issuing an especially impressive magazine." We hope that the Editor of Gramophone will invite Andrew to contribute a follow-up article soon, because the subject of Light Music is far too wide embracing to be covered in a couple of thousand words.

Philip Brady is well-known to our members in Australia, as one of their leading television personalities and broadcasters. He also has many friends in Britain, who met him some years back at one of our London meetings. If you are on the internet you can catch up with Philip’s exploits on 3AW, Melbourne. The weekly ‘Nightune Newsletter’ can be accessed (free) via Nightline@3AW.com.au - you can also hear the shows on the internet at www.3AW.com.au

Lancaster University holds the Jack Hylton Archives, and they have created a fine website, which includes a link to our own Billy Ternent biography. You can visit the University Library through www.libweb.lancs.ac.uk

Britain's greatest musical archive, containing Beethoven's score for his Ninth Symphony and a letter promising to write his Tenth, has been saved for the nation after an appeal raised £1 million. The archive of the Royal Philharmonic Society, the world's second oldest musical society, founded in 1813, is to be bought by the British Library despite a better offer from an American university. It is the most important source of information about concert music in the 19th and 20th centuries in Britain. It contains more than 250 original scores and correspondence with most of Europe's leading composers, including Berlioz, Brahms, Britten, Dvorak, Elgar, Debussy, Delius, Grieg, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninov, Sibelius, Richard Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Wagner and Vaughan Williams. The society was founded to promote music and performers. The sale of its archive, which it could not afford to conserve or catalogue, will allow it to continue to commission orchestral work and to support young musicians. For a fee of £50, the society commissioned Beethoven to write his Ninth Symphony for its orchestra. But the cunning composer accepted the same commission from the forerunner of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. When the symphony was completed, Beethoven conducted it himself in Vienna in 1824, not in London. The archive also contains the manuscript score of Mendelssohn's First Symphony and Edward Elgar's score of The Dream of Gerontius, as well as a begging letter from Elgar when he was little known.

During the month of January 2003, for the second year running, SHALOM FM RADIO took to the airwaves on 101.4 MHz, broadcasting on a Restricted Service Licence to the Jewish Community in North-West London. The station’s output embraced a very broad spectrum, including talks, current affairs, religious programmes, and naturally much music. On Sunday evenings the 2-hour "Shalom FM Classics" programme was entrusted to the capable hands of Rodney Greenberg (presenter), and Tony Clayden (producer). All the music had some sort of Jewish connection, however tenuous – this could be the composer, arranger, conductor or soloists. Many genres were covered, including orchestral, instrumental, ballet, operatic, choral, film and musical theatre; within the sphere of Light Music were featured such names as Elmer Bernstein, Leonard Bernstein (no, they are not related!), Stanley Black, Vivian Ellis, Jule Styne, Sidney Torch and Charles Williams. Due to work commitments it was not possible to do the broadcast ‘live’, so Tony converted Rodney’s dining room in High Wycombe into a makeshift (albeit totally satisfactory) studio, and pre-recorded the entire 4-part series over a number of weeks in December and early January.

Ron Shillingford, Ron Goodwin’s manager had a message from the daughter of that great musician Eric Jupp to say that he passed away peacefully in Tasmania on 2 January2003 aged 80.

Message from Gerry Atkinson in Dorset:

I recently contacted Pip Wedge to ask if he might be able to supply a recent address for a company in the Toronto area. I had some misgivings at the thought of asking someone I didn’t know for a small favour out of the blue, but I can only say that I have been totally overwhelmed by the kindness he has shown and the help subsequently given. What a very nice man! I thought it would make a nice start for 2003 for you to hear that the RFS includes such exceptionally kind and helpful people. I found a similar generosity of spirit when I was in contact with Paul Clatworthy several years ago and I believe that the outlook of a society has much to do with the attitude of those involved in its organisation, in addition to the example set by the artists they admire and respect. Whilst writing I would also like to say that I’m sure members are always on the lookout for good music to add to their collections, so if any member is interested in tasteful, sensitive and intelligent piano playing why not give the recordings of Gene DiNovi a try. They are not always easy to locate, but the effort will be more than worthwhile. Several can be found on Candid and Hep as well as on Marshmallow, a Japanese label.

Peter Burt wishes to thank Philip Lane for pointing out an error in his report of our Spring 2002 London meeting. He incorrectly credited Rondoletta to Peter Hope, whereas the composer was actually David Lyon.

It is with great sadness that we have to report the death of Rosemary Monica McGuffie (nee McCheane). The devoted husband of the late Bill McGuffie, for many years Rosemary was the driving force behind the Niner Club Charity, which she and Bill had started in 1975 to support Autistic children and adolescents. In total the charity raised in excess of £350,000. It was wound up following its last event in January this year. Rosemary had a successful career in radio and television, working on programmes such as "Monty Python’s Flying Circus" and "Top of the Pops". She died aged 75 on Sunday 10 November, 2002, after a courageous fight against emphysema and cancer. She was a member of the Robert Farnon Society, and had been a great help to David Ades and Vocalion Records in the release of the CD "The Piano Artistry of Bill McGuffie" CDLK4103.

John Wilson conducted the Liverpool Philharmonic in a concert of British Music from Films and TV in Liverpool and Blackburn on 30 & 31 January 2003. He included Robert Farnon’s Sounds Familiar.

"Ralph Enriquez Started It …!"

What do you call a Rock Band which plays pianissimo?

Unemployed

The famous Austrian composer Franz Schubert once wrote a piece of music in an empty room. What did he call it?

The Unfurnished Symphony

If someone dropped a grand piano down a coal mine, which chord would you expect to hear first?

A flat minor

…. thanks [?] to John Govier!

The Edinburgh Light Orchestra, conducted by James Beyer, will be back at the Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, on Saturday 24 May 2003 with the usual mix of popular works from the light music repertoire. If you are not already on the mailing list, you can get the necessary information re booking etc. from James Beyer, 4 St John’s Gardens, Edinburgh, EH12 6NT, - tel. 0131 334 3140.

Malcolm Frazer has come across two interesting interviews with Robert Farnon, which originally appeared in the magazine Crescendo way back in 1967. They can be found on the Ron Simmonds website: www.jazzprofessional.com

Jeff Hall has advised us that he has found it necessary to cease the printed version of his Film Music Bulletin, although he has plans to continue providing information on the internet. We have invited Jeff to contribute a regular column on film music for Journal Into Melody, because this is one area of the music scene which your Editor feels is not adequately covered by us at present. Another film music magazine that has ceased publication is Soundtrack, after 27 years.

JUMPING BEAN

Dateline September 2002

The Musical Museum (at 368 High Street, Brentford, Middlesex) is closing down in October this year (reports John Playle). Hopefully it will re-open sometime after April 2004 in relocated premises, purpose-built, very close by, but a little further towards Kew Bridge. The telephone number for enquiries is 020 8560 8108 – on Saturdays and Sundays between 2.00 and 5.00pm until October. Ernie Gipson included Robert Farnon’s Royal Occasion in a special concert of recorded music he presented at Southend’s Civic Centre on Tuesday 28 May. RFS member David Noades supplied two of the illustrations for the artwork on the CD booklet accompanying the reissue of the Johnny Harris album "Movements". He has rightly received a credit in the booklet: "It’s a dream come true for me, with my name mentioned alongside Johnny Harris" he tells us. The Music of Robert Farnon will be celebrated by Charles Job and the Palm Court Orchestra next March in two Canadian concerts on Friday 21 March and Saturday 22 March. The British pianist Philip Dyson will be a featured soloist. Tickets can be booked on (250) 748-9964 (Canada). John Wilson did a magnificent job arranging and conducting Howard Goodall’s music for the excellent BBC Film The Gathering Storm (about Winston Churchill in the 1930s) shown in July. Readers living to the east of London may fancy a trip down to the coast one evening. At the Boatyard Restaurant at Leigh-on-Sea (on the Essex coast) they can enjoy good food, plus the delights of the John Wilson Orchestra on the following dates: Fridays 27 September, 25 October and 29 November. The price is £45 per person, and you can telephone your booking on 01702 475588. James Beyer will be conducting his Edinburgh Light Orchestra at the Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, at their next popular concert on Saturday 9 November. This will be a special event, celebrating the Orchestra’s 25^th Anniversary, and we send our warm congratulations to James on this splendid achievement. To be on the mailing list just send your name and address to James Beyer at 4 St. John’s Gardens, Edinburgh, EH12 6NT. He will also keep you informed of the entertaining Sunday afternoon concerts at the same venue by the Edinburgh Palm Court Orchestra. The next two will take place on 29 September and 16 February 2003. You can combine the concert with a meal beforehand. Our website on the internet continues to establish contacts with many interesting people, who often leave messages in our Guest Book. We recently heard from Mrs. Geri Tamburello, widow of the late Tony Tamburello, who worked with Robert Farnon back in the 1960s and was also a talented light music composer. Geri wondered if we still remembered her husband; we assured her that we did! Rosemary Squires will be taking her charming show "Day By Day" (a celebration of the life of Doris Day) to the Hippodrome Theatre, Eastbourne, on Saturday 21 September, and the Georgian Theatre, Richmond, Yorkshire, on Friday 25 October – both shows commence at 7.30. The Hastings Light Orchestra continues to flourish (reports Allan Bula). They performed their third concert in Hastings at the St. Mary-in-the-Castle Arts Centre on 28 April, followed by appearances at the Komedia, Brighton on 28 May (as part of the Brighton Festival), and also appeared at the refurbished bandstand in Alexandra Park, Hastings on Jubilee Day Tuesday June 4^th. Brian Henson was recently impressed with a video of Vera Lynn on Thames TV in 1977 with George Shearing. It is currently available on Revelation PAR 50147. Malcolm Frazer had his request for Robert Farnon’s Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra played on BBC Radio-3 on Saturday afternoon, 27 July. Frank Southern has given us details of two forthcoming concerts featuring John Wilson conducting the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester: 25 January "The Bard on Broadway", and Saturday 22 February "Memories of the Light Programme" with music by Farnon, Coates, Strachey, Williams … and many other ‘greats’. Barry Wordsworth will be conducting the BBC Concert Orchestra in a gala concert "Celebrate!" at the Royal Festival Hall on Wednesday 18 September. Brian Kay will introduce a superb programme by Eric Coates, Sidney Torch, Robert Farnon, Stanley Black, Malcolm Arnold, Elgar, etc. The orchestra will also be at the RFH on Tuesday 10 December when John Wilson will be waving the baton for "Christmas Classics". Don Lusher visited a car showroom in Bournemouth on 21 June (reports Terry Tredget) together with Digby Fairweather and Tommy Whittle. They were supporting local impresario Bernie Farrenden, who had organised a concert in aid of the Macmillan Unit at nearby Christchurch Hospital.  

JUMPING BEAN

Dateline June 2002

"Journal Into Melody’s" own Gossip Column

♫ Sir William Walton’s original score for the film "Battle of Britain" is finally going to be restored to the soundtrack in this, his centenary year. Barely four minutes of his 25-minute composition were heard on the soundtrack (the marvellous Battle in the Air sequence), after the producers decided that they wanted the ‘typical American movie epic score’, and engaged Ron Goodwin. Walton’s score will not be new to his admirers: in 1999 Rykodisc issued a CD containing both the Walton and Goodwin scores (RCD 10747) and we revealed the story of how the ‘lost’ tapes had been rediscovered in JIM 139 (page 69). Apparently there are plans to issue a DVD of "Battle of Britain" with separate soundtracks containing both scores. When interviewed about this in April, Ron Goodwin said: "It’s a good idea. It will be a collector’s item. I never heard Walton’s score, apart from the ‘Battle in the Air’ section. I purposely didn’t because it would have been difficult to hear it first and then write a new score." Walton, who wrote the Coronation March for King George VI, and 16 years later for his daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, as well as the scores for Henry V and Hamlet, had been particularly inspired writing music for the film because he had been so devastated by the war, his widow recalled. Lady Walton remembered the pain of rejection, which was all the more acute because he had been so proud of his work for the film. "He couldn’t sleep for weeks," she said. "Nothing like that had ever happened to him." Director Guy Hamilton said: "The producers caved in to the demands of United Artists, thus ruining Walton’s carefully crafted score. I think the idea of resuscitating William’s tremendous score is entirely valid." Footnote: When asked to step in at the last minute, Ron Goodwin wrote the 50-minute score in two to three weeks. It turned out to be one of his great works for the screen, alongside Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, Where Eagles Dare and 633 Squadron.

♫ We know that many of our readers show a keen interest in music chosen for various TV programmes and commercials. Ray Clark recommends a reference book which should appeal to RFS members in Britain – "Tele Tunes 2002". The lists also extend to films and shows, and cover well-known shows from years ago, as well as more recent productions. UK members can get a copy by sending a cheque for £18.50 to the publishers, Mike Preston Music, The Glengarry, Thornton Drive, Morecambe Bay, Lancashire, LA4 5PU.

♫ Tony Bennett is back in the UK for more concerts this summer. If you’re lucky enough to get tickets, you can catch him at Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow on 2 July; London’s Royal Festival Hall on 4 & 5 July; and Liverpool Kings Dock on 7 July. Thanks to Mark Fox for this information. Early in April Tony made a flying visit to London, including an appearance on Michael Parkinson’s TV show. His former manager Derek Boulton caught up with him, and Tony expressed a wish to have as much Farnon orchestral music as possible on CD. Thanks to the current seven Vocalion reissues of Decca and Rediffusion albums, plus a few more recent CDs, the RFS Record Service was very happy to oblige! A parcel was promptly despatched to Derek, which soon found its way to Tony at the Dorchester.

♫ In this issue you will find a review of Steven Wills’ latest CD "A Girl For All Seasons", plus details of his previous release "Girl in a Suitcase". Readers will know that proceeds from these CDs go to Winchester Hospital Radio, and during 2001 Steven collected a total of £970, which was supplemented by a further £736 from Barclays Bank re their ‘pound-for-pound’ employee scheme from Test Card Convention sales. The latest CD includes a number of tracks composed by Jimmy Kennedy, which have been made available to Steven by Jimmy’s son Derek and his wife Rosemary. Jimmy Kennedy’s centenary is July 20^th 2002, so this release provides a timely tribute to a talented songwriter.

♫ ‘Society Century’ prompted a certain amount of brain cell activity in our last issue. Hucklebuckle mentioned three anagrams by Brian Henson of famous Farnon compositions. John Govier wrote to put us all out of our misery. SO NICE AT ASCOT is "State Occasion"; LET JUNIOR MEND YOYO is "Journey Into Melody"; and I WISH TO LIFT A HUGE BUN becomes "How Beautiful Is Night".

♫ As we go to press we have learned that the Birmingham Civic Society will be unveiling a plaque in honour of one of their city’s most famous musicians – Albert W. Ketèlbey. The event is due to take place on Wednesday 22 May at the Birmingham and Midland Institute. Tony Clayden has been invited to attend on behalf of our Society, and in our next issue we hope to have his report and a photograph.

♫ Philip Brady gave our Society a generous ‘plug’ in the Nightline Newsletter for 3AW Melbourne on 8 April (available on e-mail).

♫ Alexander Schatte writes from Berlin with some news that will interest German RFS members. This year the Munich Radio Orchestra celebrates its 50^th anniversary, and a fascinating book is now available – 50 Jahre Münchner Rundfunkorchester 1952-2002, edited by Doris Sennefelder – ISBN 3-7618-1530-1, price €24.90.

♫ We have heard that John Wilson is working on the score for a new television production about Winston Churchill.

♫ Gavin Sutherland has composed a musical based on "Little Women", which will be performed at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London during July. Antony Askew tells us that the music is magnificent, perhaps slightly reminiscent of "Oklahoma".