Episodes
| Series | Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 03 | Glamorous Night | 20161228 | Ivor Novello's first hit musical Glamorous Night saves the Drury Lane Theatre. Presented by Donald Macleod. The Truth Game was the first play Ivor Novello wrote himself. He soon followed this up with Symphony in Two Flats in 1929. Both plays did very well in the UK, so Novello took them to Broadway where The Truth Game in particular was a success. Whilst in America he was offered an opportunity to work as a screenwriter in Hollywood, where he socialised with the likes of Douglas Fairbanks Jnr, Joan Crawford and Greta Garbo. He also worked on the first Tarzan film and penned the immortal lines 'Me Tarzan, You Jane'. Novello wasn't happy in Hollywood and soon returned to the UK, where he continued to develop his career on many fronts. In 1935 came the opportunity to write his first musical, Glamorous Night. The Drury Lane Theatre was looking for a show to save it from financial ruin and Novello obliged. Glamorous Night became a huge hit - a visual and audio extravaganza with a cast of 120 and, in one act, the spectacle of the sinking of a full-scale ocean liner. Tabs - Something Doing Over the Way Joan Sterndale Bennett, voice Robert Docker, piano Ivor Novello and Philip Braham, arr. Leonard Hornsey A to Z, orchestral medley BBC Concert Orchestra Keith Lockhart, conductor The House That Jack Built - The Thought Never Entered My Head Winnie Melville, soprano Derek Oldham, tenor New Mayfair Orchestra Ray Noble, conductor Give Me Back My Heart Peggy Wood, voice Glamorous Night - Her Majesty Militza BBC Concert Orchestra Chorus Marcus Dods, conductor Glamorous Night - When the Gypsy Played The Chandos Concert Orchestra Stuart Barry, conductor Glamorous Night - Glamorous Night Glamorous Night - The Girl I Knew Elizabeth Welch, voice Drury Lane Theatre Orchestra Charles Prentice, conductor How Ivor Novello's first hit musical, Glamorous Night, saved the Drury Lane Theatre. |
| 2016 | 04 | Singing For World Peace | 20161229 | Ivor Novello's Mam plans to visit and sing for Hitler. Presented by Donald Macleod With the success of Novello's first musical, Glamorous Night, there followed in quick succession further sell-out musicals including Careless Rapture, Crest of the Wave and, in 1939, The Dancing Years. They were all huge successes. The Dancing Years relied less on spectacle and more on solid plot, representing Novello's horror at the treatment of Jewish composers in Austria and Germany. The Lord Chamberlain's Office required Novello to change certain elements of the show, in particular all references to the Nazis. It was during this build-up to the Second World War that Novello's mother, 'Mam', decided to form her Welsh Singing Grandmothers Choir and head to Germany. The plan was to sing to Hitler in Berlin for World Peace. They made it as far as Amsterdam, and were then accompanied home again. Careless Rapture - Overture New World Show Orchestra Kenneth Alwyn, conductor Careless Rapture - Why Is There Ever Goodbye? The Chandos Concert Orchestra Stuart Barry, conductor Crest of the Wave - Why Isn't It You? Jeremy Northam, voice Christopher Northam, piano Crest of the Wave - Haven of Your Heart Olive Gilbert, contralto Drury Lane Theatre Orchestra Charles Prentice, conductor Crest of the Wave - Rose of England Ivor Emmanuel, baritone Rita Williams Singers The Michael Collins Orchestra Michael Collins, conductor We'll Remember Kitty Whately, soprano Simon Lepper, piano Clear the Road to Glory The Dancing Years - Primrose The Dancing Years - I Can Give You The Starlight Vanessa Lee, soprano Arc de Triomphe - Easy to Live With Arc de Triomphe - Dark Music Elizabeth Welch, vocalist Arc de Triomphe - orchestral medley Phoenix Theatre Orchestra Hary Acres, conductor Arc de Triomphe - Josephine Lorna Dallas, soprano Studio Ensemble Donald Macleod focuses on Novello's mother's plans to visit Germany and sing for Hitler. |
| 2016 | 05 LAST | Novello Does Time | 20161230 | Ivor Novello falls foul of the law and is sent to prison. Presented by Donald Macleod During the Second World War Ivor Novello met Grace Walton. She came up with a plan to assist Novello to continue using his car, despite petrol rationing. Unfortunately Novello was duped by an enamoured fan and ended up in Bow Street Magistrates Court, where he was eventually sentenced to four weeks in Wormwood Scrubs. Churchill was furious and offered to get the sentence suspended, but Novello refused and served his time. This stint in prison affected Novello's health and he never got over it. There was a great deal of sympathy for Novello, and once he returned to the London stage he received much applause. Towards the end of the war Novello composed his musical show, Perchance to Dream, which included his second-most famous song, We'll Gather Lilacs in the Spring. Although Novello went on to compose further musicals, King's Rhapsody and Gay's the Word, his health never fully recovered from his prison ordeal, and he died in 1951. The Dancing Years - Overture Cyril Ornadel and his Orchestra Perchance to Dream - A Woman's Heart Muriel Barron, soprano Ivor Novello, piano Perchance to Dream - Love Is My Reason Julie Bryan, soprano Ivor Emmanuel, baritone Rita Williams Singers Michael Collins Orchestra Michael Collins, conductor Perchance to Dream - We'll Gather Lilacs in the Spring Maryetta Midgley, soprano Vernon Midgley, tenor Robert Docker, piano Festival Concert Orchestra Harry Rabinowitz, conductor King's Rhapsody - Someday My Heart Will Awake The Chandos Concert Orchestra Stuart Barry, conductor King's Rhapsody - Fly Home, Little Heart Gay's the Word - A Matter of Minutes Kitty Whately, soprano Simon Lepper, piano Gay's the Word - On Such a Night as This Gay's the Word - Finder Please Return The Dancing Years - The Wings of Sleep Mary Ellis, soprano Olive Gilbert, alto The Drury Lane Theatre Orchestra Charles Prentice, conductor Pray for Me Lily of the Valley - Look in My Heart Donald Macleod focuses on how Novello fell foul of the law and was sent to prison. |