49th Parallel,The New Commonwealth by Ralph Vaughan Williams

[Marky B]

Can some good folk out there in Britmovie land find me a decent rendition of RVW's score of The New Commonwealth from The 49th Parallel. All I can seem to find is a band on par with Springfield Elementary (without Lisa Simpson)?
Ta Ta
Marky B

[Nick Dando]

I've only got the Prelude to the film, and the piano solo that is playing when we meet Leslie Howard as Philip Armstrong Scott.

The Prelude is on Film Music, conducted by Andrew Penny and the RTE Concert Orchestra (Vaughan Williams/Film Music: Rte Concert Or/Penny: Amazon.co.uk: Music), although the cover on my early CD is in monochrome.

The Piano Solo is called The Lake in the Mountains, played by The Nash Ensemble, and available on this CD (Vaughan Williams: Chamber Music: Ralph Vaughan Williams, Ian Brown, Paul Watkins, Elizabeth Wexler, Louise Williams, Marianne Thorsen, Lawrence Power, The Nash Ensemble: Amazon.co.uk: Music)

I'm sure that Steve Crook may be able to dig this particular score up for you, though I can't remember it being discussed on PaPAS.

Nick

[Steve Crook]

Most of the commercially available recordings only include the prelude. Which piece was "The New Commonwealth"? What scene was it from in the film?

From Music in P&P films

49th Parallel (1941) - Ralph Vaughan Williams

. . Prelude
. . . London Symphony Orchestra / Muir Mathieson
. . . . 78: 1941 HMV B9879
. . . BBC Northern Orchestra / Muir Mathieson
. . . . NN: 1943 BBC Library
. . . Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Muir Mathieson
. . . . LP: 1971 Polydor 2682 020 "Filmharmonic 70"
. . . National Philharmonic Orchestra / Bernard Herrmann
. . . . LP: 1976 Decca/London SPC 21149, PFS4363 "Great British Film Scores" *
. . . . . Anna Karenina (overture, Forlane, Love Scene, Finale) (10:56)
. . . . . Oliver Twist (Fagin's Romp, Finale) (6:55)
. . . . . The Ideal Husband (6:22)
. . . . . Escape Me Never (ballet) (3:44)
. . . . . 49th Parallel (Prelude) (3:20)
. . . . . Things to Come (Prologue, March, Building of the New World, Attack on the Moon Gun, Epilogue) (14:26)
. . . . LP: 1984 Decca/London 411 837-1 "Great Film Music"
. . . . CD: 1988 Decca/London 421 261-2 "Great British Film Music"
. . . . CD: 1996 Decca/London 448 954-2 "Great British Film Music"
. . . . . Note: Best Version.
. . . London Symphony Orchestra / Morton Gould
. . . . LP: 1979 Varese "Digital Space"
. . . . CD: 1985 Varese VCD-47229 "Digital Space"
. . . RTE Concert Orchestra / Andrew Penny
. . . . CD: 1995 Marco Polo 8.223665 "Vaughan Williams: Film Music"
. . . Northern Sinfonia of England / Richard Hickox
. . . . CD: 2000 EMI 7243 5 73986 2 6 "Hickox conducts Vaughan Williams"

. . "A Lake in the Mountains"
. . Piano piece heard on radio in tepee in Philip Armstrong Scott segment
. . Written by Ralph Vaughan Williams - Played by Phyllis Sellick in the film
. . . Nash Ensemble
. . . . CD: Hyperion 67313, "Vaughan Williams: chamber music"
. . . . . Piano: Ian Brown

. . Epilogue
. . . London Symphony Orchestra / Muir Mathieson
. . . . 78: 1941 Decca T5053
. . . . CD: 2000 Pearl GEM0101 "British Film Music, Volume 2" [Cover]
. . . . . Track 3: 49th Parallel (1942)
. . . . CD: 2000 Pearl GEM0107 "Vaughan Williams Sixth Symphony and Film Music"

The best available recording might be the one on one of the DVDs (Criterion: Region 1), (L'Institut Lumière: Region 2) or (Carlton: Region 2)

Steve

[Marky B]

It was a question put to the Answers to Correspondence column in the Daily Mail(I know you don't like the paper,Steve,but bear me out). I quote:"What the beautiful music played as war widows crossed the floor of the Royal Albert Hall at the Royal Festival of Remembrance this year. It was my old school at the City of Bath Girls' School in the fifties".
Ta Ta
Marky B

[siriami]

There is also a Chandos CD with the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Rumon Gamba which features a suite from "The 49th Parallel". It's on "The Film Music Of Ralph Vaughan Williams: Volume 2" Chandos CHAN 10244 (2004). Should still be readily available. Don't know if it includes the theme you are looking for, but it is a suite, and is 38 minutes long, so it might?
Hope this helps
Alistair

edit: I just looked out the liner notes for the above CD by Michael Kennedy and it states "The film opens with a majestic heart-filling Prelude which Vaughan Williams later adapted as a choral song "The New Commonwealth""

[Steve Crook]

It was a question put to the Answers to Correspondence column in the Daily Mail(I know you don't like the paper,Steve,but bear me out). I quote:"What the beautiful music played as war widows crossed the floor of the Royal Albert Hall at the Royal Festival of Remembrance this year. It was my old school at the City of Bath Girls' School in the fifties".
Ta Ta
Marky B

I didn't watch that, I always think that the poppies falling from the ceiling is a bit too corny. Do they still do that?

I'm still not sure where it was used in the film.

Doing a Google search for "Ralph Vaughan Williams" "The New Commonwealth" points me to Vaughan Williams: Where Hope is Shining which includes "The New Commonwealth". Another piece on that site says that it's the prelude music from the film with additional words by Harold Child (not to be confused with Childe Harold )

Steve

[Marky B]

Thanks for that,Steve. Another to add to my RVW collection. Also looking out for Hugh The Drover and Riders Of The Sea.
Ta Ta
MArky B

[Steve Crook]

Thanks for that,Steve. Another to add to my RVW collection. Also looking out for Hugh The Drover and Riders Of The Sea.
Ta Ta
MArky B

Have you checked out the RVW Society web site?

Steve

[Marky B]

Have you checked out the RVW Society web site?

Steve

I will try. No offence,Steve,but that link you gave me is for MAC Cosmetics.
Ta Ta
MArky B

[Nick Dando]

This one should work.

The Ralph Vaughan Williams Society

Nick

[Marky B]

This one should work.

The Ralph Vaughan Williams Society

Nick

Cheers,Nick!
Ta Ta
Marky B

[Steve Crook]

I will try. No offence,Steve,but that link you gave me is for MAC Cosmetics.
Ta Ta
MArky B

Oops, bad copy & paste - and not paying enough attention.
I see that Nick has given you the correct address

Steve

[Nick Dando]

Did you use the MAC Cosmetics last night Steve to look your best for Marty?

Nick