Few people will have been to
Copenhagen, Denmark and not made their way to visit the Little Mermaid. When I
was last there, this iconic statue had been lent to Japan and had been replaced
by a hologram. Equally essential to any visit to this great city is an
exploration of the renowned Tivoli Gardens. This is a large amusement park and
pleasure garden that dates from 1843: it is the original ‘Disneyland.’ There are so many attractions here, but the
secret of the Garden’s success is that there is something to suit every taste.
From historic rides such as the 1914 roller coaster, to the latest high-powered
dare-devil adventures there is something for all the family. Coupled with this,
is the attractive and imaginative architecture, the historic buildings and the
transformation of the Gardens by night into a veritable fairy-land.
Music plays an important role in
the daily events with classical concerts, rock music and the Garden’s own Big
Band and Late-Night Orchestras. Part of this musical activity is the Tivoli
Youth Guard Band founded in 1844. This consists of girls and boys aged from
around 8 to 16 years of age. The liner notes for this CD point out that the
average age is 13 ½. There are several sections: the Corp of Drums, the
Marching Band and the Honour Guard Platoon.
There is also a small eight-piece band selected from the Guard. The
Guards dress in uniforms which evoke the ‘senior’ Royal Danish Guard who are
frontline troops, protect the Royal Family and provide ceremonial duties.
The present CD is divided into
three sections. Firstly, a selection of ‘formal’ concert pieces performed at
the Tivoli Gardens. Secondly, a recording of a parade through the Gardens with
nearly 100 members of the entire Guard. And finally, two ‘bonus’ pieces played
by the eight-piece band.
Just a brief overview of the
highlights (for me). Several pieces played here were composed by the Guard’s
composer in residence, David Palmquist. The main event is the challenging Tivoli Suite, composed in 2016. This
work is eclectic and features several musical styles. The Suite presents a
march, oriental tunes, a pantomime waltz, a rip-roaring, big-band infused,
roller-coaster ride, late-night jazz and fanfares accompanying the traditional
firework display. It is my favourite work on this CD, and is splendidly played.
H.C. Lumbye is most famous for
his Champagne Galop, complete with
popping corks. His other masterpiece is the Copenhagen
Steam Railway Galop (not included here). Several other Lumbye pieces are featured
on this CD: King George I's Honorary
March, the Hesperus Waltz, and
the charming Princess Thyra Polka
I was delighted to find
Canadian-born composer Robert Farnon’s music represented on this CD by the Farnon Fantasy. This work was dedicated
to the Tivoli Youth Guard, and was premiered during the 1980s with the composer
himself conducting. It is appropriate to have this included on this CD during
Farnon’s centenary year (2017).
The 8-piece band play the final
two tracks: Lumbye’s Dagmar Polka and
Bjerre’s In love in Copenhagen. They
are real treats.
I was unable to locate the
‘dates’ of several of the composers of this music in the liner notes, or with a
simple internet search. The recording details are only given in Danish, but are
easily workable out! I was a wee bit disappointed with the booklet for two
reasons. Firstly, the English translation seems to be a curtailed version of
the Danish, and, secondly, the text is overlaid on artistic splashes of mottled
colour which can make it hard to read for older eyes.
Notwithstanding, this is a delightful
CD: it is full of attractive and entertaining music played with great
enthusiasm, passion and care.
Finally, on my last visit after
seeing the Little Mermaid (hologram) and the Tivoli Gardens, I included a stop
at the Nyhavn for a herring platter washed down with a ‘locally produced lager’
making the day ‘probably the best in the world’! This CD brought back many
memories of Wonderful, Wonderful
Copenhagen!
Track Listing:
David M.A.P. PALMQUIST (b.1979) 170 Years Anniversary March of the
Tivoli Youth Guard
H. C. LUMBYE (1810-74) Hesperus Waltz
David M.A.P. PALMQUIST The Tivoli Suite: Salute to Fru Nimb;
Promenade of the Peacock; Rutsch!; Tivoli by Night; Tivoli Fireworks Fanfare
H. C. LUMBYE King George I's Honorary March
Ib GLINDEMANN (b.1934) Festivoli Suite: Intrada; The Merry Parade
H. C. LUMBYE Princess Thyra Polka
Robert FARNON (1917-2005) A Farnon Fantasy
H. C. LUMBYE Champagne Galop
Parade in the Tivoli Gardens
ANON. March of the Flag
David M.A.P. PALMQUIST The Signal of the Tivoli Youth Guard
Dan GLÆSEL (1928-1999) The Tivoli Youth Guard in Gala
Nell Krogh LARSEN The Caravan
Arne Ole STEIN Salute March of the Tivoli Youth Guard
Henrik MADSEN The Merry Corner
Stig NORDESTGAARD Georg Carstensen's March
Martin HOLTEGAARD The Fountain
David M.A.P. PALMQUIST The Thousand March
ANON. Step Down
Bonus Tracks by eight-piece band
H. C. LUMBYE Dagmar Polka
Bent Fabricius BJERRE (b.1924) In love in Copenhagen
The Tivoli Youth Guard Band/David
Palmquist
DANACORD DACOCD776
With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published.
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