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I was brought up in a time of Orchestral music and, for sixty years, listening to it has given me much pleasure. Not necessarily classical music (although that was ever present) but that which is probably better known as British Light Music. It was so called because it is of a genre peculiar to Britain. It covered all types of compositions: signature and theme tunes, dance or just pleasant melodic music to hum along and/or tap ones toes to. While it was called British Light Music many of the composers were not actually British; Leroy Anderson and Robert Farnon spring immediately to mind. When rock and roll arrived it was, to a great extent, subsumed by this new "pop" music, but it continued to flourish almost exclusively, and now internationally, as Film music. There are many composers who have written film music over the years but, arguably, none as prolific and as varied as Henry Mancini. Who but Henry Mancini could have penned such contrasting pieces as Moon River and The Pink Panther theme, or Pie-in-the-face Polka and Dear Heart? I remember Mancini conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra in some of his greatest compositions as part of Filmharmonic 70. I have many of Mancini's tunes performed by both his own orchestra and by many other artistes, but I always wanted a definitive collection. This I now have and, while Midnight and Moonlight are great and add to the ambience, it is the Magic of Henry Mancini that is what the album is about. Great music, beautifully played. Of course. Pure Mancini magic.Read full review
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