London Pride
A capital compendium of songs dealing with the highs – and lows – of life in London
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: George Gershwin, Harold Fraser-Simson, Richard Rodney Bennett, Noel (Pierce) Coward, William Walton, Donald Swann, Madeleine Dring, Harry Dacre, Manning Sherwin, (John) Lionel (Alexander) Monckton, Bennett Scott, Jimmy Kennedy, Jonathan Dove, William Boyce, Ewan MacColl, Richard Sisson, Sandy (Alexander Galbraith) Wilson, David Owen Norris
Genre:
Vocal
Label: Hyperion
Magazine Review Date: 5/2003
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 0
Mastering:
Stereo
DDD
Catalogue Number: CDA67457

Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Chalk Farm to Camberwell Green |
(John) Lionel (Alexander) Monckton, Composer
(John) Lionel (Alexander) Monckton, Composer Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano |
(5) Betjeman Songs, Movement: Business girls |
Madeleine Dring, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano Madeleine Dring, Composer |
(The) Boy Friend, Movement: A Room in Bloomsbury |
Sandy (Alexander Galbraith) Wilson, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano Sandy (Alexander Galbraith) Wilson, Composer |
(A) Damsel in Distress, Movement: A Foggy Day |
George Gershwin, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano George Gershwin, Composer |
(A) Song for the Lord Mayor's Table, Movement: Rhyme |
William Walton, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano William Walton, Composer |
Big Ben Blues |
David Owen Norris, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Composer David Owen Norris, Piano |
Sweet Thames, flow softly |
Ewan MacColl, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano Ewan MacColl, Composer |
Spring Gardens |
William Boyce, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano William Boyce, Composer |
(5) Am'rous Sighs, Movement: Between your sheets you soundly sleep |
Jonathan Dove, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano Jonathan Dove, Composer |
(5) Am'rous Sighs, Movement: Finish! Finish, these Languours make me sick |
Jonathan Dove, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano Jonathan Dove, Composer |
(5) Am'rous Sighs, Movement: My heart still hovering round about you |
Jonathan Dove, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano Jonathan Dove, Composer |
(5) Am'rous Sighs, Movement: All these dismal looks and fretting |
Jonathan Dove, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano Jonathan Dove, Composer |
(5) Am'rous Sighs, Movement: Venus, take my votive glass |
Jonathan Dove, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano Jonathan Dove, Composer |
(A) Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square |
Manning Sherwin, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano Manning Sherwin, Composer |
Wimbledon Idyll |
Richard Sisson, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano Richard Sisson, Composer |
They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace |
Harold Fraser-Simson, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano Harold Fraser-Simson, Composer |
Mayfair merry-go-round |
Jimmy Kennedy, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano Jimmy Kennedy, Composer |
While London's fast asleep |
Harry Dacre, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano Harry Dacre, Composer |
Let's go and live in the country |
Richard Rodney Bennett, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano Richard Rodney Bennett, Composer |
Take me in a Taxi, Joe |
Bennett Scott, Composer
Bennett Scott, Composer Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano |
Joyful Noise |
Donald Swann, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano Donald Swann, Composer |
London Pride |
Noel (Pierce) Coward, Composer
Catherine Bott, Soprano David Owen Norris, Piano Noel (Pierce) Coward, Composer |
Author: Patrick O'Connor
David Owen Norris provides spirited accompaniments and also sings Billy Mayerl’s Mayfair Merry-go-round, as well as joining Bott in the duet from Sandy Wilson’s The Boy Friend. Two contrasting music-hall songs are both surprises. Harry Dacre’s melancholy waltz, While London’s sleeping describes the plight of the homeless and starving. Victorian Londoners were, as Bott writes in her introduction, ‘less afraid of sentiment’. Yet they were also heartily cynical about romance, and Take me in a taxi, Joe by AJ Mills and Bennett Scott, a number from the repertoire of Vesta Victoria, is my favourite item here.
The inevitable A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square, London pride and A foggy day provide the familiar nostalgic views of town, countered by Richard Rodney Bennett’s Let’s go and live in the country. Bott writes that there don’t seem to be enough songs about London’s river, and offers only Ewan MacColl’s Sweet Thames, flow softly. It would be interesting to hear, though, Howard Paul’s Up the Thames to Richmond, Philip Braham’s The gay river, Christiné’s All along the dear old tow path and James W Tate’s Row me on the river, Romeo – there must be loads of others – maybe that should be the next project?
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