(From Birmingham)
Conducted by E. A. PARSONS
RONALD FRANKAU (Entertainer)
Thelma Tuson (Soprano)
Burton Harper (Baritone)
Thanks to the enthusiasm of such musicians as Hubert Langley and Julian Herbage, the music of the great Dr. Arne is beginning once more to take something like the place in our programmes to which it is so richly entitled. This song, often ascribed to him, is really by his son Michael, a wayward mortal who divided his interest between music and alchemy. Twice in the course of his career, he practically gave up music to set up laboratories in which to search for the philosopher's stone and discover how to make gold.
His musical career began at an early age, his father training him carefully as a singer, and his aunt, the famous actress, Mrs. Cibber, teaching him all she could of stage-craft. After one or two appearances, the young man gave himself up to composition, and produced a number of successful stage pieces, of which the music to Garrick's Cymon was probably the best, as it was the most popular in its own day. He experienced vicissitudes and hardships as well as success, and carried on his musical work abroad as well as in this country. He had the distinction of conducting the first performance in Germany of Handel's Messiah; that was in 1772. He was born either in 1740 or 1741, and died in Lambeth in 1786. THE composer of this little song was not the Martini who is affectionately known to players of stringed instruments as 'Padre' (father) Martini, the Franciscan who was in his own day one of the foremost figures in European music. The real name of the composer of this song was Schwartzendorf, and it was when he had run away from home to seek his fortunes in France that he adopted the name by which he has ever since been known. His contemporaries called him Martini il Tedesco (the German). He composed in many different forms - good deal of military music, symphonies, operas and small theatre pieces, as well as chamber music, Masses, Requiems, and Psalms. Most of these are long ago forgotten, but there is still in existence a Cantata which he wrote for the marriage of Napoleon and Marie Louise. As listeners know from this song, he had a real gift of very charming melody.
(From Birmingham)
' The Evening Primrose,' by Beryl Wooldridge
CHRISSIE THOMAS and her Musical Glasses
' Ivan Ivanitch ' from Petersburg, by J. E. Cowper
PHYLLIS NORMAN in Light Songs
Amprican Songs and Impressions
('The Blues')
(By permission of Lieut.-Colonel
Lord ALISTAIR INNES-KER , D.S.O.)
Conducted by Lieut. W. J. DUNN , M.C.
Relayed from the National Trades and Industrial
Exhibition at Bingley Hall, Birmingliam
Act I
Pre-Dissolution Series—Conservative Address
Acts II and III
