Conductor and pianist Stanley Black wore many hats in the world of light music, including that of music director for Decca from the 78 era through such innovations as Phase 4 stereo. Now Chandos, with the BBC Concert Orchestra under their principal conductor Barry Wordsworth, presents another side of Black’s multifaceted musicianship with an eclectic programme of music he composed for the screen embracing comedy, horror, adventure films and one dip into musical comedy.

In The Battle of the Sexes, directed by Charles Crichton, Black relishes the fun opportunities that arise from this post-Ealing comedy. The spiky opening March, illustrating the forthcoming ‘battle’, the interpolation of a light music classic for track 2 and a tuneful and witty third movement with a measure or two of some Scottish airs to underscore the film’s setting, demonstrate his art at its most resourceful.

It’s clear that the orchestra love playing Black’s music in this vein, as they do The Young Ones, part of his cheerful incidental music for the Cliff Richard musical, and Sands of the Desert, a vehicle for the diminutive Charlie Drake which brings to mind an advertising slogan of the day for Turkish Delight: ‘full of Eastern promise’. There are some piquant touches which include a minor/major theme for the ‘main title’ (0’44” in on track 4), a soft-focus dance of the seven veils and picture-book music for a camel ride (track 6). As the CD notes by Mervyn Cooke aptly put it, this music represents ‘a lost age of innocently witty film writing’.

As ever, Chandos has done this repertoire proud with a luminous and full-bodied recording.