Keeping Ivor Novello’s music burning brightly
It’s almost impossible to explain why one of the most twee, old-fashioned composers of popular light musical entertainments should still draw enthusiastic audiences in large numbers. But this is the case with Ivor Novello.
From the World War One jingoistic patriotism of one of his first songs, Keep the Home Fires Burning, to his final shows before his sudden death in the early 1950s, the whole range of his musical output continues to be as popular as ever it was.
The reason lies in the tunes themselves. Not for nothing has he been called the Master of Melody. There’s just something about his tunes which grabs all who hear them and makes them come back for more time after time.
Novello’s musicals are now hardly ever performed. They require big casts, huge sets and prohibitive costume bills. But the songs from those shows live on and have never lost their popularity, especially with Spa Orchestra audiences.
On Thursday September 1 the Gala Concert will no doubt prove the point once again when large numbers are expected to flock to the Spa Grand Hall for A Glamorous Night with Ivor Novello. No sets, no costumes and no ridiculous plots, but just all the favourite songs with the melodies that simply will noy let you go.
Novello also wrote We’ll Gather Lilacs and I Can Give You the Starlight.
Star singers appearing with the Orchestra will be Marilyn Hill Smith, the UK’s leading Novello performer; Alison Hudson, always a form favourite with Spa audiences; and Nicholas Sales, a leading Opera North tenor who is new to the Spa.
Meanwhile, Three Tenors appear at the Spa today with the Orchestra’s Peasholm Park Firework Spectacular A Night at the Movies’ tomorrow.
The last gala night is on Thursday September 8 and is billed as Galas of Galas.
The evening concerts, also on Mondays, Tuesday and Wednesdays, start at 7.45pm.
Morning concerts – Sundays to Thursdays – starts at 11am.
The final Teddy Bears’ Picnic of the summer takes place on Monday at 11am.
Tickets for the Spa Orchestra’s Summer Season are now on sale priced from £6 -to £11, with children going free with a paying adult and a ‘Pay What You Like’ on a Sunday Morning.
Tickets are available from The Spa Box Office (01723) 821888 or via www. scarboroughspa.co.uk