I first came across
Clive Richardson when a very good friend suggested that I listen to the London Fantasia, which was a wartime
work and purported to be ‘a day in the life of a city being blitzed’. It is a piece I have yet to hear. However,
many of his delightful pieces have come my way including Naval Splendour, Girl on the Calendar,
Beachcomber and Running off the Rails. One of my favourites is Melody on the Move. This work was composed around 1946 and was
recorded by the Queen Hall Light Orchestra in the late 1950s.
In 1958, the BBC
produced a breakfast-time light music programme entitled ‘Melody on the Move’
on the ‘Light Programme’, which is now Radio 2.
The music was performed by a different house orchestra from the BBC. The
programme ran until the early 1960s. The theme tune was, naturally, by Clive
Richardson.
The
Robert Farnon Society ‘page’ on Clive Richardson has noted that the composer
confessed that the ‘Dorabella’ variation from Elgar’s Enigma Variations was the
inspiration for this delightful piece.
Structurally
the work would appear to be in ternary form preceded by a short
introduction. The vibraphone announces a
melodic phrase which is largely made up of descending thirds with the odd major
second thrown in for good measure. There is a little section of some four bars
repeated before the main theme enters as patterns of light staccato chords.
This is busy chattering music played by the woodwind. The phrases are of
irregular length with the third being the longest and rising quickly to a
climax. These phrases are repeated with minimal alteration. The first ‘episode’
is based on similar material although now transposed into the B flat. The ‘vamping’ pattern of four bars is repeated
before the next episode in Eb major presents the romantic tune with the strings
to the fore. This makes a large number of modulations. The main theme is
reprised in its original key before the work concludes with an enigmatic coda.
The thing that strikes
about Melody on the Move is the orchestration. So often, light music composers
are accused of writing in clichés. However Richardson has a sure understating
of instrumental colour and turns what is a fine piece when played on the piano
into a magical score. A lot of the credit for this is the skilful use of the
percussion.
There are arrangements
of Melody on the Move for a number of
resources. The version heard on Hyperion under the baton of Ronald Corp was made
by Ronald Hanmer (1917-1994). The piano version also dates from 1946 as well as
one for military band by W. Duthoit.
Clive Richardson’s Melody on the Move can be heard on YouTube.
A modern day performance is available on Hyperion British Light Music Classics
Volume 3 CDA67148.
2 comments:
I think you can find the London Fantasy on Youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4wfuG3coGI
Ta!!!
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