Edward White: Paris Interlude (c.1949)

A destination for many putative time travellers must be Paris in the 1940s and 1950s. After having suffered occupation by the Germans, it was quickly becoming a place of style and haute couture. There was still much deprivation on the streets with rationing of food and petrol. Yet a new generation of artists were making themselves felt. On 12 February 1946, Christian Dior held the first major fashion show after the end of the war. The car industry was being resurrected with a major show also in 1946. Jazz was important, with clubs opening their doors from the mid-1940s onwards. Olivier Messiaen was an important figure in classical music. Legendary authors at that time included Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Albert Camus who were hugely influential in the city. And then from 1952, Audrey Hepburn, would come to personify the city.

Edward George White (1910–1994) was a British composer of light music, known for his charming and witty compositions. Born in London, White was self-taught and began his musical career as a violinist in various dance bands, also playing the saxophone and clarinet. White's compositions, such as The Runaway Rocking-Horse, Caprice for Strings, and The Clockwork Clown became familiar numbers on the BBC Light Programme. Puffin' Billy, his most famous piece, was inspired by an old steam locomotive seen by White on the Isle of Wight. It was used as the signature tune for Children's Favourites. White's music evokes a sense of nostalgia for a past era, which was probably not quite as idyllic as its mood often suggests.

Edward White’s ‘take’ on Paris ignores the problems of the era and paints a picture of fun and enjoyment with a touch of romance. Written around 1949, it speaks of the good things that were happening in the city. Opening with a rising figure on the glockenspiel, the music soon becomes jaunty and vibrant. The woodwind provides a neat commentary on the big tune. There is a less frenetic moment towards the middle of the piece, but the general tenor is sheer enjoyment and exuberance from the first note to the last.

Edward White’s Paris Interlude was first released by Boosey & Hawkes, O.2181 in about 1949. It was coupled with Clive Richardson’s The Beachcomber. The New Concert Orchestra was conducted by Jack Leon.

Listen to Edward White’s Paris Interlude on YouTube, here.