To my
mind, this piece epitomises much light music from the nineteen-fifties. Of
course, if I am honest I was only around for the second-half of that decade and
I was presumably hearing this music on the ‘Light Programme’- subliminally!
However, later years and the explosion of CD releases of this underrated genre
have allowed me (and many others) to gain a deeper understanding and a good
appreciation of this era.
Now, when
I first heard the title of this piece, it took me back in time. I was about 5
years old when my parents first took me to Morecambe in Lancashire. It was
round about the same time that ‘Larry’ Olivier was making the 1960 film The
Entertainer at that
resort. Morecambe was in its last flush of glory before Majorca and Costa Brava
caused it to become a shadow of itself. Please do not get me wrong, I still
love the town – with its long promenade and stunning views towards the Lake
District, the wide open expanse of the Bay and the impressive Victorian architecture.
It is what is gone that distresses me: the piers –both of them, the old sailing
ship, the amusement park with the big dipper and the miniature railway with
locomotives by Bassett-Lowke. But most of all I miss the Lido. It was where I
first learnt to swim in a somewhat splashy half-hearted manner. It was where I
first mused over beauty contests and swimming galas - before they became
politically incorrect. It is where I first marvelled at ‘older boys’ diving
from the top board – how I envied them! I never did manage to reach the top
board. And of course 'wiser' heads have now removed all such dangerous things
from what few swimming pools are left in this country.
So this
piece of music did not disappoint me. When I ‘spun the disc’ it brought all
this back for me. Of course I do not know what Len Stevens actually had in mind
when he wrote this tune – perhaps it was the Serpentine Lido, or the one at
Hastings or Plymouth – I guess it was not Morecambe. Or, it may even have been
named after it was written – simply as a tag for film directors who needed a
piece of music to accompany a specific scene in their documentaries or
features. Who knows? But to my ears this music recreates all that atmosphere of
Morecambe nearly half a century ago – the fun, the excitement and the
ice-cream, the cricket on the sands! It reminds me most particularly of my
first visit to England (I was born in Glasgow) and my first visit to a
‘classic’ Lancashire sea-side resort. I have never forgotten that fort-night –
and most probably never will.
The
actual score of Lido Fashion Parade is a cornucopia of ideas and images.
The mood of the music is positive, there is not an ounce of sadness, regret or
introspection here. Naturally it describes a sunny day – not a cloud in the sky:
not a drop of rain to dampen the proceedings. Of course why should there be! I
guess the only tears at the fashion parade would be from the winner. The losers
would hide their sorrow till after the crowds had gone…
Surely if
music can bring all these memories flooding into my mind, it must be a sign of
an impressive piece. The composer and the music have done their job well.
Hear this
piece performed by the Crawford Light Orchestra, and many other attractive
works on Guild GLCD 5142.
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