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Light music

Light music is a generic term applied to a mainly British musical style of "light" orchestral music, which originated in the 19th Century and had its heyday during the early to mid part of the 20th century, although arguably lasts to the present day. The style is also known as mood music or concert music.The Robert Farnon Society

Origins

The genre has its origin in the seaside orchestras that flourished in Britain during the 19th and early 20th century. These played a wide repertoire of music, from classical music to arrangements of popular songs and ballads of the time. From this tradition came many specially written shorter orchestral pieces designed to appeal to a wider audience. Notably, even serious composers such as Sir Edward Elgar wrote a number of popular works in this medium.Lyndon Jenkin's CD notes to "British Light Music" (EMI)

However, it was in the 1930s, with the introduction of radio broadcasting by the BBC that the style found an ideal outlet, particularly after the BBC Light Programme was launched in 1945, and featured programmes such as Friday Night is Music Night and Music While You Work. The halcyon days of the genre can be said to date from this period until the early 1960s.Brian Kay: "Music Everywhere" (2005 BBC Television programme)

Style

The light composer Ernest Tomlinson has been quoted as saying that the main distinction of light music is its emphasis on melody."Brian Kay in conversation with Ernest Tomlinson, on "Brian Kay's Light Programme", 17th February 2005 This is certainly a major feature of the genre, although the creation of distinctive musical textures in scoring is another aim, for example the close harmony of Robert Farnon or Ronald Binge's "cascading string" effect, which became associated with the "sustained hum of Mantovani's reverberated violins". Often, the pieces represent a mood, place or object, for example Farnon's Portrait of a Flirt and feature musical jokes at the expense of more "serious" works. The genre's other popular title "mood music" is a reference to pieces such as Charles Williams' A Quiet Stroll, which is written at an andante pace and has a jaunty, cheery feel. Light music pieces are usually presented individually or as movements within a suite, and are often given individual descriptive titles. These titles can sometimes be unusual or idiosyncratic, such as Frederic Curzon's "Dance of the Ostracised Imp".

The music is often linked to the easy listening and beautiful music genres. In the 1950s and 60s many light composers wrote royalty-free music for use in film and television, for example Trevor Duncan's March from a Little Suite being used as the theme to Dr. Finlay's Casebook in the 1960s. Several pieces of light music are used on BBC Radio 4 to the present day, with Eric Coates's "By the Sleepy Lagoon" being the theme of Desert Island Discs, Arthur Wood's "Barwick Green" the theme of The Archers and Ronald Binge's "Sailing By" preceeding the late-night shipping forecast.

Decline and resurgence

During the 1960s, the style began to fall out of fashion on radio and television, forcing many light composers to re-focus their energy on writing more serious works or music for film. Also, many orchestras specialising in playing light music were disbanded. The BBC began to discard its archive of light music, much which was fortunately saved by composer Ernest Tomlinson, and is now kept at his Library of Light Orchestral Music. However, the genre was kept in the public consciousness by its use in advertisements and television programmes, perhaps as a nostalgic reference to the past.Brian Kay: "Music Everywhere" (2005 BBC Television programme)

During the 1990s, the genre began to be re-discovered, and original remastered recordings were issued on compact disc. This was followed by new recordings of light music by orchestras such as the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, the New London Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra, as well as continued public concerts by orchestras such as the Cambridge Concert Orchestra, the Scarborough Spa Orchestra and Vancouver Island's Palm Court Light Orchestra. The style also found a new home on BBC Radio 3 on Brian Kay's Light Programme, although this programme was discontinued in February 2007.Brian Kay's Light Programme website, a formerly weekly light music programme on BBC Radio 3.Article about the cancellation of Brian Kay's Light Programme

Light music in other countries and eras

Although the genre was most prevalent in the United Kingdom, light music exists in many countries, particularly in America, which has many popular light pieces by composers such as Leroy Anderson and George Gershwin. It can also be argued that many famous works of classical composers class as being similar to light music, for example Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.

The genre is often associated with the easy-listening orchestral arrangements of Mantovani, Percy Faith and Henry Mancini, although these are slightly different in being arrangements rather than through-composed original compositions.

In Canada, Light Music can still be heard on some of the radio channels that specialize in classical music. Light music, particularly the music of Robert Farnon and Leroy Anderson, is often used as background music in stores and shopping malls.

Notable composers

Haydn Wood

For a more expansive list, see .

External links

Brian Kay's Light Programme website, a weekly light music programme on BBC Radio 3.

The Robert Farnon Society, offers detailed biographies of notable light music composers and arrangers.

Philip Scowcroft's "Garland" collection, 269 articles giving brief details of some famous and lesser-known light music composers.

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