Someone once said that the important thing which distinguished Light Music was the tune, rather than what you do with it. Listening to this collection he might have to change his mind, because the melodies on offer here would surely never sound so appealing without the magic woven in the glorious arrangements. Some are both arranged and composed by the same talented musician, such as the opening track Melody Fair, by that master of Light Music, Robert Farnon, and Mine At Last by the very talented, but lesser-known, Otto Cesana. Other memorable tunes have benefited from the attentions of brilliant arrangers Conrad Salinger, Paul Weston, Percy Faith, Bruce Campbell and others whose names are, sadly, unknown to us. The recordings come from the early 1940s to the late 1950s, a period when light music was subjected to many new influences, notably the emergence of new talents such as David Rose, Sidney Torch and the aforementioned Robert Farnon.

Artists

Dolores Ventura (piano)

Leslie Jones and his Orchestra of London, 101 Strings, Carnival Orchestra, John Scott Trotter and his Orchestra, Conrad Salinger Orchestra, Hans Georg Arlt and his Orchestra, Victor Silvester and his Silver Strings, Franck Chacksfield and his Orchestra, Paul Weston and his Orchestra, Melachrino Strings, Andre Kostelanetz and his Orchestra, Geoff Love and his Orchestra, Percy Faith and his Orchestra, Dolf van der Linden and his Orchestra, Bruce Campbell and his Orchestra, Otto Cesana and his Orchestra, Cyril Stapleton and his Orchestra, Mantovani and his Orchestra, David Carroll and his Orchestra, David Rose and his Orchestra, Harry Horlick and his Orchestra, Frank de Vol and his Orchestra, Robert Farnon and his Orchestra, Lewis Williams and his Orchestra, Rudolf Friml, Budd Bregman, George Melachrino