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John W
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« on: 19:52:18, 11-12-2007 » |
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A Christmas treat for light music fans:
Composer Of The Week – Eric Coates Ep 1/5
Christmas Eve Monday 24 to Friday 28 December
12.00noon-1.00pm BBC RADIO 3
Donald Macleod pays tribute to Eric Coates, a composer who seemed to have a unique ability to match a national mood with music.
For the first half of the 20th century, Coates's music seemed to pervade the national consciousness – stirring the war effort, celebrating the Dam Busters and defining some of the nation's best-loved radio and television programmes. Coates's music tells the story of the UK in the tumultuous first 50 years of the 20th century.
Accompanied by Desert Island Discs presenter Kirsty Young (Coates composed the show's signature tune), Donald explores the bright, brisk, uplifting and energetic musical style that Coates made his own.
The week's opening episode, Singing For Your Supper, begins on the shingle beach of Selsey Bill, in West Sussex, where Coates was inspired to write probably his most familiar work, The Sleepy Lagoon. There's also the Coates march that re-opened the BBC Television Service in 1946 and carried on being played at the start of daily transmissions for years after.
From there, Donald explores how the youthful Coates first caught popular attention. In Four Old English Songs, Stonecracker John, Reuben Ranzo and A Dinder Courtship, he turned out the perfect recipe for a popular song in the years before the First World War.
Presenter/Donald Macleod, Producer/Simon Jordan
BBC Radio 3 Publicity
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martle
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« Reply #1 on: 19:56:33, 11-12-2007 » |
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I'll be listening to some of that, John. I wouldn't say I'm a light music fan, but I have great respect for Coates, and other composers who could and can write that kind of music with integrity and skill (as opposed to money-grabbing cynicism).  |
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Green. Always green.
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pim_derks
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« Reply #2 on: 19:59:47, 11-12-2007 » |
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Many thanks, John. I hope that the "Saxo Rhapsody" will be included in this series. It's one of my favourite pieces by Eric Coates. Good to know that some of his lovely songs will be played on the programme. |
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"People hate anything well made. It gives them a guilty conscience." John Betjeman
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Stanley Stewart
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« Reply #3 on: 21:18:05, 11-12-2007 » |
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The Saxo-Rhapsody will be played by Jack Brymer, RLPO, conducted by Charles Groves on Boxing Day, Pim. Also included is London (London Every Day). London Bridge March, Suite: London Again, and The Seven Seas, played by various orchestras.
The programme for 26 Dec is headed, Eric Coates Goes To Town.
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pim_derks
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« Reply #4 on: 21:22:16, 11-12-2007 » |
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The Saxo-Rhapsody will be played by Jack Brymer, RLPO, conducted by Charles Groves on Boxing Day, Pim. Also included is London (London Every Day). London Bridge March, Suite: London Again, and The Seven Seas, played by various orchestras.
The programme for 26 Dec is headed, Eric Coates Goes To Town.
Many thanks, Stanley! What a wonderful way to end the year!   |
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"People hate anything well made. It gives them a guilty conscience." John Betjeman
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roslynmuse
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« Reply #5 on: 22:10:12, 11-12-2007 » |
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Bognor obviously did more for Coates than it did for George V...
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John W
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« Reply #6 on: 22:24:01, 11-12-2007 » |
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The programme for 26 Dec is headed, Eric Coates Goes To Town.
I have a few 78s of Coates music. In Town Tonight played by Henry Hall BBC DO (1934), arranged by Benjamin Frankel. There was a radio programme and later a TV programme of that name using that as theme tune. Another I have is By the Tamarisk by Jack Hylton's Orch. (1926). I'm sure there's some others with Coates conducting but haven't catalogued those yet, so a bit of digging around required in the boxes in the garage |
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Stanley Stewart
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« Reply #7 on: 00:06:03, 12-12-2007 » |
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As a child during the 1939/45 war years, John, I well remember In Town Tonight and the stentorian call to halt the traffic before the interviews began. Can't remember whether it was the Home Service but it was broadcast early in the evening before Saturday Night Theatre began and this was accompanied by an obligatory silence when we listened together as a family. It all seems rather quaint today but it gave me a gift for life with its introduction to world theatre.
I note, too, your enthusiasm for rummaging in the garage for recordings, or off-air videos in my case. Always a voyage of discovery with constant cries of "eureka!" when my safaris reveal discoveries like the 1969 "Peter Grimes" at Snape; the Pears/Britten Winterrreise; and the Hytner/Mackerras 'The Cunning Little Vixen' at the Paris Chatelet Theatre.
Eric Coates as COTW should be a heart warming end to the year in broadcasting. A chamber music recital follows before the 2007 Bayreuth Ring cycle; an act each day, over two weeks, except for the complete Das Rheingold on the afternoon of 24 Dec. Eureka!
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autoharp
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« Reply #8 on: 08:20:28, 12-12-2007 » |
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Yet another composer who was a viola player
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iwarburton
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« Reply #9 on: 11:16:17, 30-12-2007 » |
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Alas, I ended up hearing very little of this, owing to family commitments. Did anyone hear all or some of the programmes? If so, what did you think?
Perhaps they could do a similar series for Haydn Wood (1882-1959) in March 2009, though they may have to hunt about a bit to find enough material for five hours.
Ian.
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