Edward Johnson writes… The other day I came across a fuzzy old clip on YouTube of Sir Henry Wood conducting Percy Grainger. The video had been uploaded in 2008 and underneath, the uploader had stated: “This short film, found in a skip, clearly shows how Sir Henry Wood, creator of the Proms, used his long baton to great effect.” There were no other details as to its origin but luckily I have a contact, who was a member of the now-defunct Stokowski Society, who used to work at the British Film Institute. Happily he was able to supply the details. The scene comes from a 1936 movie entitled “Calling the Tune” which had a curious plot mixing a love story with the melodramatic workings of the gramophone records industry. The film wasn’t a success but is available as part of a 2-DVD set of four equally unsuccessful British films of the 1930s.
Anyway, here is Sir Henry, non-fuzzy this time, in a rare film clip of him conducting “Shepherd’s Hey” ostensibly for a gramophone recording …
Happy viewing!
EdJ
Bonus Percy Grainger video, BBC, broadcast May 19, 1957…
Grainger plays Grieg…
The version of ‘Handel in the Strand’ that Grainger is playing from the BBC Concert Hour Programme in 1957 (his only TV appearance!) is in fact his own for piano and string orchestra. Henry Wood’s arrangement is an overblown orchestral arrangement with organ!
And that’s what the heading says: “, and orchestrated Wood.” is meant to demark Wood’s arrangement as being separate from Grainger playing the piece on the piano.
Further to my previous comment, the performance of ‘Handel in the Strand’ is by members of the BBC Northern Orchestra conducted by Gerald Gentry!
Conductor correct but orchestra is BBC Midland Light Orchestra.