John Addison and Three Men in a Boat (1956)

One of my favourite films from “back in the day” is Three Men in a Boat, made seventy years ago this year. This realisation of Jerome K. Jerome’s Thames travelogue remains a timeless observation of human fallibility. This “comedy of errors” unfolds against the idyllic scenery of the river, which provides a golden-hued backdrop to the trio’s misadventures. Several elements combine to make this film a masterpiece: the performance by the three stars, the sophisticated, yet jaunty score by composer John Addison and the evocative riverside setting. It stands as a tribute to the British art at carrying on regardless.

The English writer Jerome K. Jerome was born in Walsall, West Midlands on 2 May 1859. Where remembered today, it is for his engaging conversational style that bridged Victorian sensibilities and a more modern, lightly ironic wit. Despite never again achieving the runaway success of Three Men in a Boat, he continued to write until his death in 1927. His output included plays, short stories, essays, and non-fiction as well as Three Men on a Bummel, the sequel to the present title.

The ‘technicolor’ film adaption was directed by English film maker Ken Annakin, with the screenplay developed by Hubert Gregg and Vernon Harris. The three eponymous stars were the suave Laurence Harvey as George, the moustachioed Jimmy Edwards playing Harris and David Tomlinson, who was later to play Mr Banks in Mary  Poppins, as Jerome “J.” Supporting cast included Shirley Eaton (some eight years before her appearance as a Bond Girl in Goldfinger), Jill Ireland, Robertson Hare, and Esme Cannon.

The plot is simple: three Victorian gentlemen, convinced they are suffering from various psychosomatic illnesses brought on by "overwork," decide that a rowing trip up the River Thames is the only cure. Accompanied by their sceptical fox terrier, Montmorency, they set off on a journey that is about relaxation but quickly descends into a series of alluring disasters.

The film delights in everyday incompetence: simple tasks become epic trials, tempers fray beneath Victorian politeness, and Montmorency observes it all with silent disdain. The entire movie celebrates the river’s quirks and reminds us that holidays go awry - and those mishaps become the memories we cherish most.

Sadly, the critic of The Monthly Film Bulletin was unimpressed: he wrote that "Jimmy Edwards and David Tomlinson should have been ideally cast in Jerome's delightful comedy. Unfortunately, the curious adaptation and clumsy handling have effectively destroyed most of the charm and humour of the original book. The slapstick is crude and uninventive.”

John Addison (1920–1998) was a prolific British composer recalled for his versatile, approachable style across film and concert hall. After serving in the 23rd Hussars during WWII, he studied at the Royal College of Music, later returning as a Professor of Composition.

He gained fame as the "Angry Young Man’s Composer," scoring classics like John Osborne’s play The Entertainer. His diverse portfolio includes the Oscar-winning Tom Jones (1963), the iconic TV series Murder, She Wrote theme and military epics such as Reach for the Sky. Of significant importance are his concert works which include the ballet score Carte Blanche, a Trumpet Concerto, and a Partita for string orchestra. Addison’s music, whether for the recital room or for the screen, is always approachable and well-crafted.

The score for the 1956 Three Men in a Boat fuses his Addison’s conservatory polish with a distinctly British lightness. Rather than the grand orchestral sweep typical of 1950s adventure or romantic films, he writes with chamber-like clarity, letting cheerful woodwinds propel the trio’s mishaps while serene pastoral strings evoke the Thames. His mock‑heroic brass elevates trivial triumphs into comic spectacle, perfectly matching the story’s Victorian self‑importance. Avoiding cartoonish literalism, Addison offers a witty, sophisticated commentary on the action. The score reveals his mastery of “light” music, crafted with the same rigour as his concert works.

Watch the opening and closing credits of Three Men in a Boat on YouTube, here.

 

British Piano Concertos Volume 3 on Lyrita

Philip Cannon was a British composer noted for his choral and orchestral music. Born in Paris, he studied under Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gordon Jacob at the Royal College of Music as well as with Paul Hindemith. His notable works include Lord of Light and the Te Deum, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II to mark the 500th anniversary of St George’s Chapel, Windsor. He also wrote operas, symphonies, vocal and keyboard music.

Cannon’s Concertino for piano and strings (1951) was completed when he was only 22 years old. This classically balanced work is remarkable for a “prentice” effort. The opening movement, Allegro molto vivace, is predicated on a “crisply rhythmic” theme, balanced by a songlike melody introduced by the strings. This movement is full of vitality. The Andante tranquillo has a Gerald Finzi-like mood about it. The liner notes suggest Poulenc as a model. It is quite lovely. The finale, Presto leggiero, balances lively “brittle discords,” jazzy passages and a thoughtful episode that is smooth and laid back. The concertino concludes with a rumbustious coda.

Most listeners will regard John Addison as a composer of film music. Certainly, he produced many movie scores between 1951 and 1985. These include such famous examples as A Bridge too Far, Reach for the Sky and The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner. Equally competent were his scores for TV, including Charles and Diana: A Royal Love Story and Dead Man’s Folly. Less well known are his contributions to the concert hall. Until recently, there were only a handful of these pieces available on record/disc. These included the Divertimento op. 9 for 2 trumpets, horn & trombone, the Concerto for trumpet, strings and percussion, the Concertino for bassoon and orchestra and the wonderful Carte Blanche ballet suite.

In 2022, Lyrita issued the first of its series of British Piano Concertos. These were to feature “overlooked” essays that were being given their “first recordings.” John Addison has been represented by his Wellington Suite in the first release (SRCD.407) and in the second volume, his Variations for piano and orchestra (SRCD.416). These were well received by reviewers. This present disc includes two more of Addison’s concerted works.

The Concertino for piano and orchestra was finished in 1958 and was first heard at the following year’s Festival of School Music. The soloist was the young pianist, Philip Jenkins. It is important to note that there is nothing ‘elementary’ about this piece which has an involved solo part and a demanding orchestral accompaniment. Addison remarked that it was a “real concerto in the full sense of the word.”

The opening bars are “raucous” but soon a beguiling melody emerges. Here and there are hints of Malcolm Arnold. The aggressive passages reassert themselves before the movement closes casually. The second movement, Andante grazioso is a little set of variations, based on a cheerful tune of genuine 1950s light music vintage. It is engaged with by the piano with one or two brassy interruptions. The booklet explains that the finale, Vivace, explores three subjects: a self-possessed idea, a whimsical strain on the piano and a carousel-like dance. These themes are surveyed in short order before the Concertino concludes in jazzy mood.

The longest work on this disc is Francis Chagrin’s Concerto for pianoforte and orchestra. Originally composed in 1943, this piece underwent revisions in 1969 and again shortly before the composer's death, in 1971.

The opening Risoluto presents two widely contrasting ideas – a martial, “trudging” theme and a relaxed second subject. This battle of ideas continues to the end of the movement. There are some magical moments in the development that contradict the typically acerbic mood of the movement. The Lento, molto tranquillo is more introverted, even elegiac. There is much beauty in these pages which eventually works up to an intense climax. The main theme of the finale is “Bolero-like.” This Spanish dance haunts the entire movement, before the concerto closes on a “scrunchy, dissonant” final chord. The liner notes are correct in describing this concerto as "richly eclectic, wide ranging” and capturing “the various sides of the composer’s creative personality.” Hopefully, more of Chagrin’s catalogue will be recorded to compliment the spartan quantity currently available on disc.

Incidentally, the booklet indicates that Chagrin died in 1973. Reference works and Ancestry state that it was 1972 when he passed away. 

The liner notes are correct in stating that in Conversation Piece, John Addison “exploits to the full his talent to amuse and divert.” It has been quite some time since I met such a diverse composition. Although written as a single movement, it is divided into five sections, offering a remarkable blend of styles that may leave the listener bewildered. Opening with a nod to the then prevalent serialism, it devolves into a Gershwin-like waltz and then a wistful march tune, and a humorous little scherzo. Fauré may be the inspiration for the Adagio with its long phrases and brooding mood. It concludes with a chipper finale with hints of Malcolm Arnold, or is it Gershwin again, or is it...? Somehow all this diversity produces a satisfying whole.

Conversation Piece was devised for the 1958 BBC’s Light Music Festival. As such, it is pleasantly tongue in cheek and seems to cock a snoot at certain po-faced concert goers.

British pianist Simon Callaghan is known for his achievement as a soloist, chamber musician, and recording artist. He has performed at top venues globally. With a varied repertoire, he actively promotes classical music through his performances and recordings.

All four “concertos” are performed here with enthusiasm, fluid technical expertise, and obvious enjoyment. Callaghan is admirably supported by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under William Boughton

It is redundant to state that the essay length liner notes by Paul Conway are a masterclass in presentation. All the information concerning the composers and the pieces is present and correct. That said, they do not give information about the performers.

Simon Callaghan has clearly found a well-deserved niche for himself in the exploration of rarities of British piano music. This disc is an important addition for all enthusiasts of this genre.

Track Listing:
Philip Cannon (1929-2016)
Concertino for piano and strings (1951)
John Addison (1920-98)
Concertino for piano and orchestra (1958)
Francis Chagrin (1905-72)
Concerto for pianoforte and orchestra (1943, rev. 1969)
John Addison
Conversation Piece (1958)
Simon Callaghan (piano), BBC National Orchestra of Wales/William Boughton
rec. 9-11 October 2023, Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff, Wales
Lyrita SRCD.444 

With thanks to MusicWeb International where this review was first published. 

Recalling John Addison’s Concerto for trumpet, strings, and percussion (1949) Part 2

The Premiere

John Addison’s Concerto for trumpet and strings was premiered at the Orangery, Hampton Court, on Sunday 16 July 1950. The New London Orchestra was conducted by Alec Sherman with the trumpet soloist David Mason. Another concerted work at this concert was Carl Maria von Weber’s Bassoon Concerto in F major (1811, rev. 1822) with soloist Cecil James. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony No.40 in G minor (K.550) (1788) was the ‘main’ event of the evening.

The Daily Telegraph (17 July 1950) picked up on the fact that Addison’s work was one of very few trumpet concertos written by an Englishman since the 18^th century.  The reviewer thinks that the trumpet is one of the ‘noblest’ of instruments, but also one of the ‘most intractable.’ Unfortunately, R.C. (Richard Capell) felt that despite ‘the young composer’s interesting inventiveness and David Mason’s brilliant execution of the solo, [this] fundamental difficulty was not overcome.’ One other criticism was that ‘Mr Addison could not help lapsing into the toy-trumpet effects of [Stravinsky’s] Petrushka.’ As an aside, Cecil James ‘astonished the audience with his mastery of the bassoon.’

The unsigned review in The Times (18 July 1950) was enthusiastic about the ‘[introduction] of a new concerto for trumpet, strings and optional percussion [composed] by…a young English composer hailing from Prince Consort Road’ (The Royal College of Music). The critic felt that ‘no member of the audience would complain of the unapproachability of contemporary music after hearing this buoyant work, with its incisive themes, its piquant rhythms, its clean textures, and its logical and almost too transparent form.’  Looking in more detail towards the music’s structure, the critic notes that ‘the trumpet is rarely idle, and the scoring for percussion (without which the concerto would be a good deal less entertaining) and strings show many felicitous touches.’ This was especially evident in the slow movement, ‘adagio misterioso.’ Overall, the impression was that ‘there is room in the world for music of this unpretentious and not too earnest or disturbingly original kind…’

The most extensive review of the Trumpet Concerto’s premiere was written by Malcolm Rayment in Musical Express (21 July 1950). He begins by pointing out that ‘both the merits and the weaknesses of the work are very apparent at first hearing.’ On the positive side, Addison has avoided ‘the unforgivable sin of a trumpet work – vulgarity.’ Rayment suggests that the piece has much in common with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Concerto in C minor for Piano, Trumpet, and String Orchestra, Op. 35 (1933) but insists that ‘nowhere are the banalities of parts of that work apparent here’ [in the Addison].  Looking back 70 years I wonder if Rayment has misjudged Shostakovich’s music. The musical parodies in that work are an integral and satisfying part of the concerto.  Turning to the ‘weaknesses’ of Addison’s Concerto, he feels that the main issue lies in the formal structure of the work rather than its content. I guess his criticism of the ‘inevitable fugato’ in the opening ‘Allegretto’ is redundant. It seems ideally placed to create interest. I can understand the comment that the changes of time signature in the score ‘to avoid monotony’, may be an unnecessary affectation. Malcolm Rayment considers that the ‘best movement’ is the ‘Adagio Misterioso’ where the composer ‘has not made the slightest attempt to be clever, and the simplicity of his thoughts are matched in the formal conception.’ This presents music ‘of undeniable beauty.’

In 1951, a piano reduction of the Concerto was published by Joseph Williams. Reviewing this score for Music and Letters (July 1952), E.J. writes that:

‘John Addison's Concerto makes a welcome addition to the trumpet repertory, being expertly composed and having a solo part most appropriate to the instrument, even in the slow movement. It is admirably clear in design and has well-managed climaxes. Though firmly based in the main key of C major, it has plenty of variety of harmony and tonality in the lively outer movements and suitable intensity in the second. The solo part, though difficult, has no showy effects, but is founded largely on characteristic figures, especially the leap of a perfect fourth.’  

The reviewer (P.F.R) in Music Review (August 1953) thought that this is written ‘in a thoroughly English idiom, owing something to Vaughan Williams, in a fresh and attractive manner.’ I am not convinced that the elder composer is alluded to in these pages, except for a few short passages in the slow movement. This critic concludes that ‘the thematic ideas are not in themselves of great distinction, but they are handled with a pleasant sense of colour, especially in the slow central movement and the whole work shows promise and vitality.’

Three years later, John Addison’s Concerto for trumpet crossed the Atlantic. It was given it US premiere at a ‘public dress rehearsal’ at the Hunter College Auditorium, New York, on Sunday 8 November 1953. The Little Orchestra Society was conducted by Thomas Scherman and the trumpet soloist was Robert Nagel. Other compositions heard at this concert were Béla Bartok’s ghostly Music for strings, percussion and celesta and Manuel de Falla’s Master Peter’s Puppet Show (El retablo de maese Pedro). Two days later, Howard Taubman reported on the concert for the New York Times. Rather grudgingly, he states that Addison’s Concerto ‘is a perfectly respectable piece’ but adds that it ‘tells little of the composer’s individuality.’  The reason for this lukewarm response would seem to be that the Concerto contained ‘little in it that sounds radical today.’ This lack of modernity will hardly trouble listeners in 2020. Taubman conceded that the soloist ‘Mr Nagel’ played the solo part ‘in sprightly and musical fashion’ that emphasised the ‘idiomatic use of the trumpet, giving it both virtuoso and lyrical passages…’

The Recording.

John Addison’s Concerto for trumpet, strings, and percussion, was first released in 1969 in the United States on First Edition Records (LOU-695). It was coupled with Danse Africaines by Heitor Villa-Lobos. The Louisville Orchestra was conducted by Jorge Mester and the trumpet soloist was Leon Rapier.

In 1976, the RCA Gold Seal Label (GL 25018) issued a remarkable album featuring four British works, all performed by The Louisville Orchestra.  This included Malcolm Arnold’s Concerto for two violins and strings, Gordon Crosse’s Some Marches on a Ground, Hungarian émigré to UK Matyas Seiber’s Concertino for clarinet and strings and a repackaging of the 1969 release of the Trumpet Concerto by John Addison.

Writing in The Gramophone, October 1976, Malcolm McDonald enthusiastically praised this new ‘selection of four lively pieces by contemporary British composers, none of which we have managed to get on to disc ourselves yet.’ Forty-four years later the situation is hardly much better. Only Malcolm Arnold seems to have fared well with several recordings of his Concerto. MacDonald thinks that ‘Addison has the measure of the trumpet as a soloist, allowing it to be athletic in rhythm, or lyrically smooth by contrast and eschewing extremes of range or of dynamic’. Finally, he suggests that ‘trumpet players must surely enjoy playing this one.’

Lewis Foreman, reviewing the CD release of the Trumpet Concerto on First Edition Music (FED 1904, 2005) for MusicWeb International, (6 February 2006) wrote that:

 ‘John Addison’s Trumpet Concerto is a substantial and brilliant work, which I have to say I did not know...Whether he is being energetic or lyrical, elegiac (as in the slow movement, trumpet muted) and expressive or fizzing as in his finale, his invention is always likeable. The syncopations in the finale are catchy, the trumpet writing dazzling. Trumpeter Leon Rapier is brilliant in the demanding solo part and plangently expressive in the deeper quiet slow music. But why such a sparkling score should be so little played that we are unaware of it is beyond me…’

Any unbiased listener must surely agree that it is time one of the younger trumpet virtuosos should ‘take up’ this remarkable and highly entertaining concerto. It would be a worthy addition to constant repackagings of Michael Haydn and multifarious arrangements of music not originally composed for the instrument.

John Addison’s Concerto for trumpet, strings and percussion has been uploaded to YouTube: 1^st Movement, 2^nd Movement, 3^rd Movement. (Accessed 20 May 2020)

Acknowledgments:

Musical excerpts from John Addison's Trumpet Concerto © Copyright 1951 Stainer & Bell Ltd, 23 Gruneisen Road, London N3 1DZ, UK, www.stainer.co.uk. Reproduced by permission.

Recalling John Addison’s Concerto for trumpet, strings, and percussion (1949) Part 1

John Addison (1920-1998) is best remembered for his film scores which include such masterpieces as Reach for the Sky (1956), The Entertainer (1960) and The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968). Equally impressive was his music for the television studio, such as the ever-popular theme tune for Murder She Wrote (1984-96). It is often forgotten that he contributed several important works for the concert hall, the ballet stage, and the recital room. His masterpiece is Carte Blanche (1953) written for Saddler’s Wells, and first performed at the 1953 Edinburgh Festival.  There are also found a splendid Partita (1961), a Bassoon Concertino (1998) and the present Trumpet Concerto (1949). All these have been recorded at some point. Other pieces that demand a professional recording include the Wellington Suite, Harlequin for saxophone and piano, the Sextet for woodwind, the Trio for flute, oboe and piano, and a Serenade for wind quintet and harp. A brief resumé of John Addison’s life and achievement can be seen here.

Programme Notes.

It is more than 70 years since John Addison’s Concerto for trumpet and strings was composed. Despite never gaining traction with concert promoters and record producers, this delightful work remains as fresh and vibrant as the day it was written. The piece is characterised by the ‘extended’ range of the trumpet, rapid metrical changes, and many ‘virtuoso technical challenges’ from the first note to the last. There are three movements: ‘Allegretto’, ‘Adagio misterioso’ and ‘Allegro Con Brio’. The Concerto lasts for just under 18 minutes. I am beholden to the programme notes written by Robert McMahan for the only recording made in 1969.

The opening theme, which begins without introduction, sets the mood for much of the work:

It is clear from these bars that the melodic interval of the perfect 4^th will dominate much of this concerto. McMahan has termed this a ‘swinging tune’. The second subject, ‘poco meno mosso’, although slower is based similar melodic intervals:

 The development section includes a short fugal passage, which is not fully realised. After a short legato passage for orchestra, including solo violin, the trumpet plays a cadenza, ‘senza misura’ (without time signature) before the second subject is recapitulated. The movement closes with a short coda based on the opening theme. 

The second movement is an ‘adagio misterioso’ which has more than a touch of the Gershwin-esque about it. If pictorial language were allowed, I would suggest an American ‘horn’ (trumpet) player standing on the banks of the Harlem River in New York, serenading the moon.

The reality is a muted trumpet playing a short fanfare initially in melodic intervals of 5^ths creating a dreamlike mood. The musical palette changes to some complex string writing which gives bight through well-structured dissonances created by polytonal (two or more keys at once) writing. The tension breaks, and the opening theme of this ternary (three-part) movement brings the music to a hushed close: once again the soloist plays with a mute.

The finale is in complete contrast. The listener will feel that they had re-crossed the Atlantic and are back in the West End of London. There is much syncopation and urban hustle here, but it is ‘English’ in character, rather than the Big Apple. Addison has constructed a theme for this movement based on a combination of the predominant melodic intervals of the first and second movements - a 4^th and a 5^th respectively:

This is a rondo, with several quieter interludes or episodes interrupting the buoyant main theme. Much of the accompaniment scutters along in parallel contrary perfect 4^th chords, giving an edgy sound. The Concerto concludes with a short, but rousing, coda based in the main rondo theme.

Acknowledgments:

Musical excerpts from John Addison's Trumpet Concerto © Copyright 1951 Stainer & Bell Ltd, 23 Gruneisen Road, London N3 1DZ, UK, www.stainer.co.uk. Reproduced by permission.

To be continued…

Celebrating John Addison 100th Anniversary

John Addison (1920-99) is best known for his film scores, including Reach for the Sky, The Charge of the Light Brigade, The Entertainer and Private’s Progress. More recently he composed the theme tune to the long running TV series Murder She Wrote (1984-96). Of great importance are his concert works which include the ballet score Carte Blanche, a Trumpet Concerto and a Partita for string orchestra. Addison’s music, whether for the recital room or for the screen is always approachable and well-crafted.

Brief Biography of John Addison:

• Born in West Chobham, Surrey on 16 March 1920.
• Hailing from a military family, Addison attended Wellington School in Berkshire where the children of many servicemen were educated
• Entered the Royal College of Music in 1936 where he studied clarinet with Frederick Thurston, oboe with Leon Goossens, piano with Herbert Fryer and composition with Gordon Jacob.
• Served in the 23^rd Hussars during the Second World War. Saw action in Normandy and at Arnhem during 1944.
• Returned to the RCM in 1946 to complete his studies. He won the Sullivan Prize in 1948.
• Wrote his first significant concert piece, the Woodwind Sextet in 1949 which was first performed at the 1951 International Society for Contemporary Music in Frankfurt.
• Composed the Trumpet Concerto in 1949, performed in 1950.
• Wrote music for his first film score, the dance orchestrations for Brighton Rock (1949) at the behest of Roy Boulting. The main score was by Hans May.
• Composed his first complete film score Seven Days to Noon, released in 1950.
• Returned to the Royal College of Music as Professor of Composition between 1950 and 1957.
• The ballet Carte Blanche with score by John Addison first performed at the 1953 Edinburgh Festival
• Composed the incidental music for John Osborne’s play The Entertainer starring Olivier in 1957. Was later involved in the 1960 film version. Was known as the ‘Angry Young Man’s Composer’.
• Wrote the film score to Reach for the Sky (1956) starring Kenneth More playing Douglas Bader. Bader was the composer’s brother-in-law.
• Completed the Wellington Suite for two horns and piano concertante and orchestra in 1961.
• Score written for the film Tom Jones. It won an Oscar in 1963 for the ‘Best Original Score.’
• Relocated to Los Angeles in 1975 where he worked on several scores for television.
• Composed his final film score, Code Name: Emerald in 1985 and music for the TV mini-series Phantom of the Opera in 1990.
• Bassoon Concertino completed in 1998.
• John Addison died, aged 78 years on 7 December 1998 in Bennington, Vermont.

Five Key Works

I have deliberately chosen four ‘concert’ works here as well as one film score. These works are all available on CD or download. It seems a bad idea to recommend pieces that cannot be heard. There are several other works that would appear to demand interest and possible professional recording. I note these as at the end of this list.

• Concerto for trumpet strings and percussion (1949)
• Divertimento for brass quartet, op.9 (1951)
• Carte Blanche: Ballet Suite (1953)
• Reach for the Sky: Film Score (1956)
• Partita (1961)
• Bassoon Concertino (1998)

Other works that demand a professional recording include the Wellington Suite, Harlequin for saxophone and piano, the Sextet for woodwind, a Sinfonietta, a Rhapsody for cor anglais and string orchestra, the Trio for flute, oboe and piano and a Serenade for wind quintet and harp.

Bibliography

There is no formal biography of John Addison. Information must be drawn from Grove’s Dictionary, obituaries, reviews and record sleeves. He does not yet have an entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

If you can only listen to two CDs featuring John Addison’s music:

Addison, John, The Film Music of John Addison, I was Monty’s Double: March; Centennial: main theme; Swashbuckler: suite; A Bridge too Far; The Maggie: song of the Maggie; Reach for the Sky; Strange Invaders; The Man Between; Tom Jones: overture; The Charge of the Light Brigade: suite; Brandy for the Parson: Opening and closing titles; Torn Curtain: Titles; Touch and Go: Mirror Waltz; Sleuth: overture; Carlton-Browne of the F.O.; Murder, She Wrote: main theme. BB Concert Orchestra/Rumon Gamba CHANDOS CHAN 10418, 2007.

Addison, John, The Composer Conducts, Carte Blanche: ballet suite, includes Alan Rawsthorne’s Street Corner Overture and Madame Chrysathème: Suite; Richard Arnell’s The Great Detective: ballet suite, Pro Arte Orchestra; Arthur Bliss’ Checkmate: ballet suite, Sinfonia of London; Malcolm Arnold’s A Grand, Grand Overture, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. EMI Classics CDM 764718-2, 1993.

And finally, if you have only time to hear one work:

Carte Blanche: ballet suite (1953)

This entertaining Suite was derived from the ballet ‘divertissement’ first performed at the !953 Edinburgh Festival. It is a vibrant and bright score that holds up well in the concert hall. It has been criticised as being uneven in invention, but the humour and occasional poignancy of the score (especially the Romanza) makes up for a lot. Some of the lively, clownish music nods to Shostakovich.

John Addison: Film Music for ‘The Maggie’

One of my favourite films is the 1954 Ealing Comedy The Maggie. This film owes its inspiration to the Para Handy stories written by the Scottish author Neil Munro. These tales were originally published in the Glasgow Evening News under the pseudonym of Hugh Foulis and concerned themselves with the adventures of the crew of one of the Clyde’s once ubiquitous ‘puffers’ the Vital Spark.  These vessels were used to transport coal and other essential supplies from Glasgow to the Clyde Coast piers, Loch Fyne and the Western Isles. The Maggie was set in the nineteen fifties, whereas the original Para Handy (Peter Macfarlane) was sailing before and during the Great War.  Much of the action of the film is set on location at Glasgow, the beautiful Crinan canal and in Bowmore on Islay. The plot (no spoilers are given here) concerns an American business man, Calvin T. Marshall (Paul Douglas) who requires a cargo of bathroom fittings moved from Glasgow to Killtara where he has bought a house. Naturally, there is some confusion, and instead of Marshall’s secretary Pusey (played by Hubert Gregg) engaging a ‘reputable’ company’s vessel, he hires Captain Peter MacTaggart’s (Alex Mackenzie) boat the Maggie. Other characters of note include the mate, the engineer, Dougie the Wee Boy and the captain’s sister Sarah MacTaggart who is the owner of the puffer. Needless to say the progress of Marshall’s cargo is not without incident and humour. In the end the story ends happily.

The music for the film was written by the British composer John Addison (1920-1998). Addison is largely remembered today for his film scores which include Reach for the Sky, A Bridge too Far and Tom Jones. He wrote the theme music to the hugely successful Murder, She Wrote starring Angela Lansbury. He also composed ‘art’ music including a vivacious ballet score Carte Blanche, a fine Partita for strings, a Trumpet Concerto and a Sextet for woodwind written in 1949 and performed at the 1951 ISCM Festival.

There are two musical extracts available from the score to The Maggie. The first is included in the Chandos retrospective of John Addison’s film music. This is really an agreeable arrangement of one of the main themes from film ‘The Song of The Maggie’. It is well-played by the BBC Concert Orchestra under Rumon Gamba.  However, more useful and characteristic is the opening and closing credits of the actual film sound track which is uploaded to YouTube. In spite of the sound being a little muddy and indistinct this presents a good overall impression of the mood of the score. It features the concertina which gives a certain nostalgic feel to this music. I am not sure just quite how Scottish this music is, but it seems to fit the nautical mood of the film. Listeners will note that there is no ‘love interest’ in this film (apart from a little heart to heart between Calvin Marshall and Sheena after the ceilidh) so there is no big romantic theme. Addison has presented one or two sinister phrases in this opening music – perhaps reflecting the conflict with the Laird or maybe even the Marshall’s relationship with his wife (who is not seen on screen).

For transport enthusiasts there are great shots of contemporary motor cars, aeroplanes, cargo vessels as well as the dilapidated puffer. The Maggie was actually filmed using two vessels supplied by Hays and Co, a Glasgow based cargo shipment firm.

Clips from the film can be seen at the British Film Institute Screen Online website. (Registration Required).  The DVD is available from Amazon.