British Cinema Newsreel Music

[edsternet]

Can anyone shed any light on the type of music used in these productions?



The Pieces & composers etc as in Movietone or British Gaumont.



I need to produce a mock newsreel and already have my project up to a point where the viewer is placed in a Cinema.



I already have some footage ideas to use, but am a bit stumped where to get a decent music track.



I would prefer to keep things British, so welcome your comments.



I am a new poster today by the way, so hello all, nice to meet you.



I love Cinema (black & White films), and British Light Music is sadly missing across the airways. I enjoy tinkering with Movie Maker!

[shinerchina]

Post-war newsreels mostly utilsed stock music from publishers recorded music libraries.

In particular Chappell, Francis Day & Hunter, DeWolfe, Bosworth etc.



Mostly they were on 78 discs - and largely stayed that way till the early '60s - remaining a curiously guarded secret except within the film industry.



The Robert Farnon Society has always been a good meeting point for library music enthusiasts

and happily, over the last four or five years, their experts have been instrumental in getting a massive amount of this music out on commercial disc for the first time.



The series is called 'The Golden Age of Light Music' and is issued on the 'Guild' label

I think they are getting towards their 50th CD now, and it's fair to say, they have tracked down many of the light music and newsreel classics of the '40s and 50's.



Guild have a website - check there for a list of issued tracks (there is an alphabetical listing)

and if the title sounds promising, you can hear a 30second sample at the All Music Guide (AMG)



These discs are make great listening- and you will certainly find the sort of sound you need for your movie



Good Luck



Alex G.

[orpheum]

The gaumont British fanfare which introduces GB News is track 1,(Music From The Movies)on Living Era CD NoAJA 5445. Music From The Movies The Thirties Louis Levy & His Gaumont British Symphony.It was issued in 2002 so may not be available from HMV anymore.Probably available on Amazon or Ebay.If no luck with that dont hesitate to contact me and i will make a copy.

[julian_craster]

You could also try some Vocalion CDs, especially the 4 CDs by the QUEEN's HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA, such as this one:



Dutton Vocalion:





Do a Search on their site for: Queen's Hall Light Orchestra





Details of the 50 +Guild CDs mentioned earlier can be found here :



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