Programming note: Join Steyn later this evening for another episode of his current Tale for Our Time, Jefferson Farjeon's "Christmas crime story", Mystery in White.
~On this week's edition of Mark Steyn on the Town Mark remembers a French composer, while Sinatra sings with a Brazilian composer. Plus music from Nova Scotia, and lyricist Gary Osborne recalls a song worth thirty quid...
To listen to the programme, simply click here and log-in.
~Last week's show attracted a lot of comment. Nancy says:
So I'm listening to Gershwin's wonderful music being sung and swung by Fred Astaire and thinking I know the direction this program is taking when OUT OF THE BLUE Mario Lanza is singing the Drinking Song from The Student Prince - taking my breath away with the lush longing and beauty of his voice and the words and music.
From cool and soigne' to intense and desirous and then on to Sinatra and St. Andrew. Mark Steyn, I've said it before and I'm saying it again - you outdid yourself sir. Mille grazi!
Abram Feuerstein, a Mark Steyn Club member from California, is an even more easily satisfied customer:
Still soaring from Lanza's Serenade. Renew my membership!
Neil in the United Kingdom is likewise on board:
Another great On the Town Mark this week and good to hear some nice words about Sigmund Romberg who is all too often maligned. Now I know critics often said of Mr Romberg's tunes that audiences went into the theatre humming them and the great Benny Green once said that Romberg brought the American musical kicking and screaming into the 17th Century! But there is much pleasure to be had from Mr Romberg and his works. Thanks for another great show.
James, a Toronto Steyn Clubber, qualifies that somewhat:
Whenever I hear Loch Lomond, I think of P. G. Wodehouse's repeated complaints about the rhyme scheme—that Loch Lomond does NOT rhyme with "Afore Ye".
From Uncle Fred in the Springtime (1939):
'If Burns thought "Loch Lomond" rhymes with "before ye",' said the Duke, with a return of his peevishness, 'he must have been a borderline case... Not that there are many rhymes to "Loch Lomond". Got to be fair to the chap, I suppose.'
The Duke is wrong about Burns being the author, but right about the song—it DOESN'T rhyme.
There are plenty of songs that are under-rhymed, but to become that popular sans rhyme is a great tribute to both the tune and the words.
One more, from our West Coast music maven Gary Alexander:
Great shows, as always. I was way down yonder in New Orleans last week -- at a conference where I once introduced you to the tune 'Goldfinger' -- so I was late listening to Puccini, but putting your last two Serenades together, the death of Puccini on November 29, 1924, and the debut of Lady Be Good and Student Prince on the first two days of December represent the passing of the classical vocal torch from La Scala and other plush opera houses of Europe overseas to Broadway, especially with the Romberg touch (via Lanza) as a sort of halfway house in styles -- and with Gershwin composing classical pieces in parallel with his pop songs most years.
Another calendar event this week is Ira Gershwin's birthday (December 6, 1896), and he likely holds the honor of composing more of the top 100 to 300 most-recorded Great American Songbook hits of anyone else (using data from SecondHandSongs.com, or JazzStandards.com). George & Ira together wrote the most of the top 100 songs, but Ira also penned lyrics "I Can't Get Started" with Vernon Duke (in the top 10), and he wrote others with Arlen, Warren, Weill and Kern. ("My Ship" with Weill, and "Long Ago and Far Away" with Kern are in the Top 300 most-recorded songs). Trivial pursuit, to be sure, but kudos to Ira, and a long life of royalty riches.
Thanks for all your comments - including the critical ones. On the Town is Steyn's weekly music show on Serenade Radio every Saturday at 5pm British Summer Time - that's 6pm in western and central Europe/12 midday North American Eastern. You can listen from anywhere in the world by clicking the button at top right here.
Mark is a great believer in old-school appointment listening, and loves the way Serenade's Saturday schedule flows through the day. However, we appreciate that many potential listeners are, at the appointed hour, shampooing the cat. So, as a bonus for Steyn Club members, we post On the Town at SteynOnline every weekend. You can find all our previous shows here.
We do enjoy your comments on our weekend programming. Steyn Clubbers are welcome to leave them below. For more on The Mark Steyn Club, see here - and don't forget our special Gift Membership.
Mark Steyn on the Town can be heard on Serenade Radio at the following times:
Saturday 5pm London time/12 noon New York
Sunday 5am London time/9pm Los Angeles
Steyn's Song of the Week continues on Sunday, Monday and Thursday at the usual hour.