Icons of British Light Music

Donald Macleod explores how the rise and fall of Light Music in
Britain


The names of the composers of British Light Music - Coates,
Ketèlby, Farnon, Dring or Tomlinson - might not be as well known
as those of Mozart, Beethoven or Bach, but some of their music
will be just as familiar to most listeners, and it still provides
the soundtrack to many people’s everyday lives through, among
other things, the theme music to their favourite TV and radio
programmes. Over the course of this week, Donald Macleod tracks
the rise and fall of Light Music in Britain over roughly 100
years, from the mid 19th century to the mid 20th. He’ll be
exploring the social history which led to this genre flourishing,
from the late-Victorian theatre crowds in want of more popular
fare after the successes of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operettas, to
the orchestras which sprang up to entertain the burgeoning UK
seaside resorts. Along the way, Donald will examine the explosion
of music in people’s homes, as at first pianos and other
instruments, and then radio and television sets, became
affordable to households across the country, and the transition
from silent movies to the talkies. Donald will also explore the
challenges which the genre faced as audiences moved towards new
ways of listening in the 20th century and the pioneers who have
sought to keep this music alive.


Music Featured:


Ronald Binge: Elizabethan Serenade Edward German: “If You Wish to
Appear As An Irish Type” from Emerald Isle Edward German: Nell
Gwyn Suite: Overture Edward German: Welsh Rhapsody Haydn Wood:
Roses of Picardy Haydn Wood: Mannin Veen John H. Glover-Kind: I
do like to be beside the seaside Albert Ketèlbey: In Holiday Mood
Eric Coates: The Merrymakers, a Miniature Overture Eric Coates:
Lazy night Eric Coates: Summer days Suite Reginald King: Song of
Paradise Albert Ketèlbey: In a Monastery garden Eric Coates: The
Dam Busters March Frederick Curzon: Robin Hood – March of the
Bowmen Richard Addinsell: Love on the Dole (excerpts) Frederic
Curzon: The Dread Tribunal Frederic Curzon: Bravada: Paso Doble
Richard Addinsell: Warsaw Concerto Ronald Binge: Sailing by
Ronald Binge: Alto Saxophone Concerto Robert Farnon: Little Miss
Molly Eric Coates: Calling All Workers Eric Coates: London Suite
III. Knightsbridge Robert Farnon: Portrait of a Flirt Robert
Farnon: A La Claire Fontaine Robert Farnon: Westminster Waltz
Ronald Binge: The Water Mill Madeleine Dring: Festival Scherzo
for piano and strings Ernest Tomlinson:Little Serenade Ernest
Tomlinson (under alias of Alan Perry): Eccentric March Ernest
Tomlinson: Capability Brown (test card music) Ernest Tomlinson:
Second Suite of English Folk Dances Madeleine Dring (orchestrated
by Roderick Williams): Take, O Take Those Lips Away Madeleine
Dring: Folk Song; Films from Cheapside at Cheapside (From 'Airs
on a Shoestring!') Madeleine Dring: Song of a Nightclub
Proprietress Eric Coates: Last Love


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Sam Phillips for BBC
Audio Wales and West


For full track listings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for Icons of British Light
Music https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001ptxr


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z