The Golden Age Of Light Music: Portrait Of My Love

If you’re an admirer of contemporary artist Jerzy Marek, Polish-born but who has lived in Britain since 1948, you will recognise his The Love Birds. It graces the cover of this album from Guild and Love is very definitely In The Air. David Ades’s first paragraph in his booklet note skirts the cheesy, and indulges one especially wry gag, but his biographical and musical muscles are soon put to good use as he guides us through song, composer and band in this 79 minute collection.

We’re off to a fine start courtesy of Cyril Ornadel, whose luscious romance gives the disc its title. Can you get much better than ‘Farnon conducts Coates’? Try Impression of a Princess, Coates’s portrait of Princess Margaret, though Read more Ades reminds us that on the record label Farnon was disguised as that venerable Scandinavian ‘Ole Jensen’ – which, given as the orchestra doing the honours was the Danish State Radio is, I suppose, at least mildly explicable. Another royal connection is supplied via Dimitri Tiomkin’s The Prince and Princess Waltz – the two being Rainier and Grace, of Monaco fame.

Victor Sylvester’s Silver Strings meanwhile give a very full-bodied view of I Love You Samantha – a bit too much port wine in this interpretation, perhaps. Faux classical clarinet lines infuse Mantovani’s take on April Love and there’s genial Wedding Day by little known Douglas Brownsmith. Courtesy of the notes I can tell you that Brownsmith (1902-65) was a British composer who had hits from the late 1920s onwards but then also ran a bakery in Sussex, exchanging it for a restaurant in Bexhill-on-Sea. He loved music and cricket. Music, food, cricket: what more could you want from life?

Robert Stolz’s big-hearted waltz, Two Hearts In Three-Quarter Time, gets the big-hearted Kostelanetz treatment and there’s an anonymous concertante piano role in Like Someone in Love, played by the elite Paul Weston – his name Gentiled for mass consumption (he was born Wetstein). Mantovani throws plenty of sentiment over Can’t Help Loving That Man, but Peter Yorke gets caught in treacle when he tries to do likewise for If I Should Fall In Love Again. Jazz fans will recognise the beautiful sound of Bobby Hackett’s trumpet in You’re My Thrill whilst D.H. Lawrence would doubtless have spat at the ingratiating music to the film of Sons and Lovers. One of the very best performances here comes from Leslie Jones and his Orchestra of London as they perform Farnon’s gorgeous To A Young Lady. Percy Faith gets glitzy in Amor, and then we end with two weddings but no funeral, courtesy of The Wedding Dance and The Wedding Song; the former with pulsing vocals getting rather out of hand, the latter more clement. The last named is performed by Manuel and the Music of the Mountains. ‘Manuel’ was Geoff Love, and his mountains were located somewhere in the county of Yorkshire.

Lots of interesting music here on a variety of record labels. The discs span less than a decade. Good stuff for lovers one and all.

-- Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International

Track-listing

Portrait of My Love – (Cyril Ornadel) - Cyril Ornadel and the Starlight Symphony [2:26]
Impression Of A Princess (Eric Coates) – Danish State Radio Orchestra/Robert Farnon (‘Melodi Light Orchestra Conducted by Ole Jensen’ on disc label) [3:09]
I Love You Samantha (Cole Porter) – Victor Sylvester and his Silver Strings [2:18]
April Love (from the film 'April Love') (Sammy Fain) – Mantovani and his orchestra [3:58]
The Prince and Princess Waltz (Dimitri Tiomkin, Ned Washington) – David Carroll and his orchestra [2:13]
Wedding Day (Douglas Brownsmith) – New Concert Orchestra/R de Porten [2:34]
One Night Of Love (Victor Schertzinger, arr. Robert Farnon) – Robert Farnon and his orchestra [2:45]
You Are Too Beautiful (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, arr. Glenn Osser) – Glenn Osser and his orchestra [2:28]
Two Hearts In Three-Quarter Time (Robert Stolz) – Andre Kostelanetz and his orchestra [2:55]
Like Someone In Love (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen, arr. Paul Weston) – Paul Weston and his orchestra [3:41]
Beguine For Lovers (Joseph Kuhn) – Dolores Ventura (piano) and the Carnival Orchestra [2:39]
Can’t Help Loving That Man (from 'Show Boat') (Jerome Kern) – Mantovani and his orchestra [2:59]
Take Me In Your Arms (Alfred Markus, Fritz Rotter, Mitchell Parish) – Leroy Holmes and his orchestra [3:04]
If I Should Fall In Love Again (Jack Popplewell, arr. Peter Yorke) – Peter Yorke and his concert orchestra [2:16]
Tenderly (Walter Gross, Jack Lawrence) – David Rose and his orchestra [3:19]
Dancing in The Starlight (Trevor Duncan) – The Symphonia Orchestra/Curt Andersen [2:54]
Deep In My Heart, Dear (Sigmund Romberg, arr. William Hill Bowen) – The Melachrino Orchestra/George Melachrino [2:20]
You’re My Thrill (Jay Gorney, Sidney Clare) – Jackie Gleason and his orchestra with Bobby Hackett (trumpet) [2:39]
Star Eyes (Don Raye, Gene De Paul) – Cyril Stapleton and his orchestra [2:23]
If She Should Come To You (La Montana) (Augusto Alguero, G. Moreu, Alec Wilde) – Frank de Vol and his Rainbow Strings [3:27]
For Those Who Love (Frank Cordell) – Frank Cordell and his orchestra [2:25]
'Sons And Lovers' - Theme From The Film (Mario Nascimbene) – The Cascading Strings/Johnny Gregory [2:18]
To A Young Lady (Robert Farnon) – Leslie Jones and his orchestra of London [3:16]
You Are Beautiful, Love Look Away (from 'Flower Drum Song') (Richard Rodgers, arr. Brian Fahey) - Cyril Ornadel and the Starlight Symphony [4:00]
Amor (from film 'Broadway Rhythm') (Gabriel Ruiz, arr. Percy Faith) – Percy Faith and his orchestra [2:44]
The Wedding Dance (Paul Lincke) – London Promenade Orchestra/Eric Rogers [4:01]
The Wedding Song (Horan - real name Geoff Love) – Manuel and the Music of the Mountains [2:58]
Read less

1.

Portrait of My Love by Cyril Ornadel
Performer: Cyril Ornadel ()
Conductor: Cyril Ornadel
Length: 2 Minutes 27 Secs.

2.

Impression of a Princess by Eric Coates
Performer: Danish State Radio Orchestra ()
Conductor: Robert Farnon
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1956; England
Length: 3 Minutes 10 Secs.

3.

I Love You, Samantha by Cole Porter
Performer: Victor Silvester ()
Conductor: Victor Silvester
Period: 20th Century
Written: USA
Length: 2 Minutes 20 Secs.

4.

April Love by Sammy Fain
Performer: Annuncio Paolo Mantovani ()
Conductor: Annuncio Paolo Mantovani
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1957; USA
Length: 3 Minutes 59 Secs.

5.

The Prince and Princess Waltz (The Grace Kelly Wedding Waltz), for orchestra by Dimitri Tiomkin
Performer: David & His Orchestra Carroll ()
Conductor: David Carroll
Period: Modern
Written: 03/30/1956
Length: 2 Minutes 15 Secs.

6.

Wedding Day, for orchestra by Douglas Brownsmith
Performer: New Concert Orchestra ()
Conductor: R. de Porten
Period: Modern
Length: 2 Minutes 35 Secs.

7.

Hallelujah, I'm a Bum: You are too beautiful by Richard Rodgers
Performer: Glenn & His Orchestra Osser ()
Conductor: Glenn Osser
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1933; USA
Length: 2 Minutes 30 Secs.

8.

Zwei Herzen im Dreivierteltakt, film score: Two Hearts in Three-Quarter Time by Robert Stolz
Performer: Andre & His Orchestra Kostelanetz ()
Conductor: Andre Kostelanetz
Period: Modern
Written: 1929
Length: 2 Minutes 57 Secs.

9.

Beguine for Lovers, for pops orchestra by Joseph Kuhn
Performer: Dolores Ventura (), Dolores Ventura (Piano)
Period: Modern
Length: 2 Minutes 40 Secs.

10.

Show Boat: Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man by Jerome Kern
Performer: Annuncio Paolo Mantovani ()
Conductor: Annuncio Paolo Mantovani
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1927; USA
Length: 3 Minutes 1 Secs.

11.

Take Me in Your Arms, song by Mitchell Parish
Performer: Leroy & His Orchestra Holmes ()
Conductor: Leroy Holmes
Period: Modern
Length: 3 Minutes 6 Secs.

12.

If I Should Fall in Love Again by Jack Popplewell
Performer: Peter Yorke & His Concert Orchestra ()
Conductor: Peter Yorke
Period: Modern
Length: 2 Minutes 17 Secs.

13.

Tenderly by Walter Gross
Performer: David & His Orchestra Rose ()
Conductor: David Rose
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1946; USA
Length: 3 Minutes 21 Secs.

14.

Student Prince: Deep in my Heart, Dear by Sigmund Romberg
Performer: Melachrino Orchestra ()
Conductor: George Melachrino
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1924; USA
Length: 2 Minutes 21 Secs.

15.

You're My Thrill by Jay Gorney
Performer: Jackie Gleason & His Orchestra (), Bobby Hackett (Trumpet)
Conductor: Jackie Gleason
Period: Modern
Length: 2 Minutes 40 Secs.

16.

Star Eyes, foxtrot by Don Raye
Performer: Cyril & His Orchestra Stapleton ()
Conductor: Cyril Stapleton
Length: 2 Minutes 24 Secs.

17.

La montaña, song ("If She Should Come to You") by Augusto Alguero
Performer: Frank De Vol ()
Conductor: Frank De Vol
Period: Modern
Length: 3 Minutes 29 Secs.

18.

For Those Who Love, for pops orchestra by Frank Cordell
Performer: Frank Cordell and His Orchestra ()
Conductor: Frank Cordell
Period: Modern
Length: 2 Minutes 27 Secs.

19.

Sons and Lovers: Theme by Mario Nascimbene
Performer: Cascading Strings ()
Conductor: Johnny Gregory
Period: Modern
Written: 1960
Length: 2 Minutes 20 Secs.

20.

To A Young Lady, for strings by Robert Farnon
Performer: Leslie Jones Orchestra of London ()
Conductor: Leslie Jones
Period: Contemporary
Length: 3 Minutes 18 Secs.

21.

You Are Beautiful / Love Look Away, medley for orchestra (from Richard Rodgers's "Flower Drum Song") by Brian Fahey
Performer: Cyril Ornadel ()
Conductor: Cyril Ornadel
Period: Modern
Length: 4 Minutes 2 Secs.

22.

Amor, amor by Gabriel Ruiz
Performer: Percy & His Orchestra Faith ()
Conductor: Percy Faith
Length: 2 Minutes 46 Secs.

23.

Wedding Dance, waltz by Paul Lincke
Performer: London Promenade Orchestra ()
Conductor: Eric Rogers
Length: 4 Minutes 3 Secs.

24.

The Wedding Song, for pops orchestra by Geoff Love
Performer: Manuel & the Music of the Mountains ()
Conductor: Geoff Love
Period: Modern
Length: 2 Minutes 58 Secs.

25.

Dancing in the Starlight, for pops orchestra by Trevor Duncan
Performer: The Symphonia Orchestra ()
Conductor: Curt Andersen
Period: Modern
Length: 2 Minutes 55 Secs.

26.

Like Someone in Love by James Van Heusen
Performer: Paul Weston & His Orchestra ()
Conductor: Paul Weston
Period: 20th Century
Written: USA
Length: 3 Minutes 42 Secs.

27.

One Night of Love, song for voice & piano by Victor Schertzinger
Performer: Robert & His Orchestra Farnon ()
Conductor: Robert Farnon
Length: 2 Minutes 47 Secs.

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