Concert - Sunday June 1st 2025

(click picture to enlarge)

LIGHT MUSIC CONCERT
AT THE BRITISH HOME, STREATHAM, LONDON.

It was June 1st 2025 and time for the annual concert at the British Home in Streatham and, as usual, several members of the London Light Music Meetings group turned up to hear the Mark Fitz-Gerald Orchestra playing a programme of predominantly light music –devised by Ian Finn – and performed by about forty of the best musicians in London – without charge, of course, as this was a charitable concert.

Whilst these musicians usually play more serious works, they seemed completely at home playing lighter fare. As the late Robert Farnon once told a BBC Regional orchestra- “the best Light Music is every bit as good as the best Classical Music”.

This year’s performance, for the first time, featured a vocalist, the outstanding mezzo-soprano Hannah-Rebecca Hughes.

As per last year, the second half of the programme was conducted by Matthew Lloyd Wilson, a skilled up-and-coming conductor who seemed to really inspire the orchestra.

The programme was as follows: -

Jack Strachey – Theatreland (Signature tune)
Arthur Benjamin – Jamaican Song
Arthur Benjamin – Jamaican Rumba
Doreen Carwithen – Suffolk Suite – Orford Ness
Edward Elgar - Beau Brummel – Minuet
Arthur Sullivan - The Mikado –The Sun Whose Rays *
Frederic Curzon - Gallivant
John Bratton - The Teddy Bears’ Picnic
Eric Jupp - Bob Sleigh
Samuel Coleridge –Taylor – Three Dream Dances (No.2)
Edwin Braden - Cover Girl
Edward German - Tom Jones – Waltz Song *
Armstrong Gibbs - Fancy Dress Suite – Dusk
Eric Coates - Springtime - Dance In The Twilight
Robert Farnon - Jumping Bean

Items marked * sung by Hannah-Rebecca Hughes.

As usual, the programme was compered by trombonist Frances Barrett, who is also responsible for the administration arrangements.

We now face the long wait until the first Sunday in June next year, when we shall have another feast of light music.

© June 2025 Brian Reynolds