Composer - Conductors

A crop of composer-conductor Centenaries this year; this month, April, Percy Faith; later in year, George Melachrino; Sidney Torch. A trio of magnificent master melodists whose music is still heard and played throughout the world.

Visit record counters, enquire at Libraries for newly-pressed CDs; many of us have loved this trio for most of our/their lives, others are discovering them anew. Blowing my own small trumpet, I've been involved with all three:

• with Percy in a radio series including interviewing the great man in his Hollywood home.

• With Melachrino compiling his complete post-war Radio and Record Date;

• with Sidney Torch working alongside him in radio series with the BBC Concert Orchestra.

A complete pleasure all three tasks. Sidney Torch was extremely formidable at first, actually scowling at me when I complimented his arrangements of Valse Grise and a film tune I had the Craziest Dream.

I hardly dared mention the Cinema Theatre Organ of which Sidney was a terrific exponent - seek out his album of same, recalling hey days and nights at the console of either the Regal, Edmonton and the massive Gaumont State Theatre, Kilburn. In World War 11 he conducted the RAF Symphony Orchestra leading to broadcasting with same, and writing and performing much of the most illustrious light music of our time.

Among these glorious pieces discover or relish again; On A Spring Note, Shooting Star, Wagon Lits to mention all too few. Many of these still heard on the famed radio show Sidney helped launch Friday Night is Music Night.

When the BBC turned down the Torch archive, Sidney chose to burn everything! Thankfully at least his scores were available elsewhere and still heard. Similarly multi-talented instumentalist­vocalist Melachrino (pre-war with Carroll Gibbons and the Savoy Hotel Orpheans) and astride WW2's massive British Band of the AEF.

It was here the Melachrino Organisation came into full flair, the gigantic Orchestra, the marvellous, melodious Melachrino Strings. Discover anew hours of lovely music from Vocalion (PO Box 609, Watford; 01923 803001) splendid sound incorporating an remembering George Melachrino, arranger and composer, ear openers recalling the great 1950s musical stage shows alongside MGM movies at the Empire, Leicester Square.

As for wonderful Percy Faith, from early 1940s Canadian and American radio (I first discovered Percy through Voice of American radio, and later transcripts of same). Much of these on Columbia Records (now Sony) big hits of their time: Delicado, Rainfall, Swedish Rhapsody and that other chart favourite A Summer Place.

When LP albums were launched Columbia Records were often involved with sponsoring big time Broadway shows, hence Percy Faith and his fantastic sound gave extra-added credence to such memorable scores as A'fy Fair Lady and Subways Are For Sleeping. He too arranged and conducted the orchestra for Doris Day and the M-G-M Ruth Etting biopic: Love Me Or Leave Me.

Get to that record counter, music library, or like me scour charity shops so as not to be left out of the terrific triple centenary year of Percy Faith; George Melachrino and Sidney Torch.

Three loud musical cheers!

Neil Stevens