Cyril Watters: Bargain Basement (1949)

A ‘Bargain Basement’ usually implies a section of a department store (such as the ‘basement’) where merchandise is sold at reduced prices. I doubt that Selfridges, Harrods or Fortnum & Mason will have much in this line. Yet many shops do, especially during winter and summer sales. Cyril Watters’s eponymous piece evokes something more Oxford Street than Knightsbridge.

Cyril Watters (1907-1984) was a British composer, arranger, and pianist known for his significant contributions to light music. Born in London, he displayed a strong passion for music from an early age, staging an operetta at the age of twelve. He began his career playing piano at local events and later joined the New Shaftesbury Dance Band. In 1932, Watters won a Daily Mail ‘New Rhythm’ contest, which encouraged him to pursue music full-time. He joined Lawrence Wright’s Music Publishers as an arranger after the Second World War and later collaborated with publishers such as Chappell. Over his career, he composed over 250 mood music pieces for radio, television, and film companies. Cyril Watters served as Secretary of the Light Music Society in the 1960s, where he supported his fellow composers.

One of his most notable works is the Willow Waltz, which won him an Ivor Novello Award in 1960 and was used as the signature tune for the BBC television serial The World of Tim Frazer. Other once popular numbers include Piccadilly Spree, Plain Sailing and Rio Rhythm.

Bargain Basement is an ebullient piece of music from the first note to the last. Scurrying strings and brittle percussion give the impression of hurry lest a bargain be missed. The middle section is a little more relaxed, and possibly even hints at romance with maybe just a moment for a cuppa. The music fairly swings along before coming to a vibrant close with a reprise of the opening theme. The orchestral score was published by Boosey and Hawkes in 1949.

Cyril Watters Bargain Basement can be heard on YouTube, here.  The work was performed by the New Concert Orchestra conducted by Jack Leon. It was originally released as the B side on the Boosey and Hawkes record label, O.2150 circa 1950. The A side was Donald Thorne's Dance of The Three Blind Mice.