The Embassy label occupied a unique niche in the UK record business during the late 1950 and early '60s as the label on which budget-priced cover versions of current chart hits were released for exclusive sale in Woolworth's stores, and it was massively successful, to the extent that the label retains an army of fans half a century later. Using orchestras, choruses and soloists drawn from the ranks of the best session performers of their day, the label also recorded a succession of EPs and then LPs covering many forms of popular music, notably that of music from stage and screen, and these two companion releases are devoted to that output. The Classic Musicals & Light Opera Collection, brings together the Embassy EPs which featured highlights of the earlier era of operetta-style musicals - Franz Lehar's "The Merry Widow", Sigmund Romberg's "The Student Prince", "The Desert Song" and "The New Moon", and Rudolf Friml's "Rose Marie" and "The Vagabond King" - along with Gilbert & Sullivan's "The Mikado", "HMS Pinafore", "Iolanthe" and "Yeomen Of The Guard", as well as the bonus of some operatic arias. Once again it's an evocative and entertaining selection of perennially popular material.
Track Listing
Disc 1:
- The Embassy Light Opera Company with Orchestra directed by John Gregory - Women (from 'The Merry Widow')
- The Embassy Light Opera Company with Orchestra directed by John Gregory - Oh, Come Away Away (from 'The Merry Widow')
- The Embassy Light Opera Company with Orchestra directed by John Gregory - Vilia (from 'The Merry Widow')
- The Embassy Light Opera Company with Orchestra directed by John Gregory - Maxim's (from 'The Merry Widow')
- The Embassy Light Opera Company with Orchestra directed by John Gregory - The Cavalier (from 'The Merry Widow')
- The Embassy Light Opera Company with Orchestra directed by John Gregory - I Love You So (from 'The Merry Widow')
- The Embassy Light Opera Company With Orchestra directed by Serge Lamont - Serenade (from 'The Student Prince')
- The Embassy Light Opera Company With Orchestra directed by Serge Lamont - Just We Two (from 'The Student Prince')
- The Embassy Light Opera Company With Orchestra directed by Serge Lamont - Student's Marching Song (from 'The Student Prince')
- The Embassy Light Opera Company With Orchestra directed by Serge Lamont - Drinking Song (from 'The Student Prince')
- The Embassy Light Opera Company With Orchestra directed by Serge Lamont - Golden Days (from 'The Student Prince')
- The Embassy Light Opera Company With Orchestra directed by Serge Lamont - Deep In My Heart (from 'The Student Prince')
- Estelle Valery - French Military Marching Song (from 'The Desert Song')
- Andy Cole & Estelle Valery - Desert Song (from 'The Desert Song')
- John Cameron - Riff Song (from 'The Desert Song')
- Andy Cole - One Alone (from 'The Desert Song')
- Estelle Valery - Romance (from 'The Desert Song')
- John Cameron - The Mounties (from 'Rose Marie')
- Andy Cole - Rose Marie (from 'Rose Marie')
- Estelle Valery - Door Of My Dreams (from 'Rose Marie')
- Lissa Gray - Totem Tom Tom (from 'Rose Marie')
- Andy Cole & Estelle Valery - Indian Love Call (from 'Rose Marie')
- The Company - Stout Hearted Men (from 'The New Moon')
- Andy Cole & Estelle Valery - Lover Come Back To Me (from 'The New Moon')
- Andy Cole - Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise (from 'The New Moon')
- John Cameron - Song Of The Vagabonds (from 'The Vagabond King')
- John Cameron & Lissa Gray - Only A Rose (from 'The Vagabond King')
Disc 2:
- The Embassy Light Opera Company Chorus & Orchestra - Behold The Lord High Executioner (from 'The Mikado')
- The Embassy Light Opera Company Chorus & Orchestra - A Wand'ring Minstrel I (from 'The Mikado')
- The Embassy Light Opera Company Chorus & Orchestra - Three Little Maids From School Are We (from 'The Mikado')
- The Embassy Light Opera Company Chorus & Orchestra - Brightly Dawns Our Wedding Day (from 'The Mikado')
- The Embassy Light Opera Company Chorus & Orchestra - Tit-Willow (from 'The Mikado')
- The Embassy Light Opera Company Chorus & Orchestra - The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring (from 'The Mikado')
- The Embassy Light Opera Company Chorus & Orchestra - For He's Gone And Married Yum-Yum (from 'The Mikado')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - We Sail The Ocean Blue (from 'HMS Pinafore')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - A British Tar (from 'HMS Pinafore')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - Never Mind The Why (from 'HMS Pinafore')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - I Am The Captain (from 'HMS Pinafore')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - I Am The Monarch Of The Sea (from 'HMS Pinafore')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - I'm Called Little Buttercup (from 'HMS Pinafore')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - When I Was A Lad (from 'HMS Pinafore')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - Loudly Let The Trumpet Bray (from 'Iolanthe')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - When You're Lying Awake (from 'Iolanthe')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - The Law Is The True Embodiment (from 'Iolanthe')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - With Strephon (from 'Iolanthe')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - When All Night Long (from 'Iolanthe')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - Finale - Soon As We May, Off And Away (from 'Iolanthe')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - Hereupon We're Both Agreed (from 'Yeomen Of The Guard')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - I Have A Song To Sing O (from 'Yeomen Of The Guard')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - A Man Who Would Woo A Fair Maid (from 'Yeomen Of The Guard')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - When Our Gallant Norman Foes (from 'Yeomen Of The Guard')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - Strange Adventure (from 'Yeomen Of The Guard')
- The Linden Singers & Orchestra Directed by William Llewellyn - Is Life A Boon (from 'Yeomen Of The Guard')
- Embassy Opera Stars with Orchestra conducted by Serge Lamont - On With The Motley (from 'I Pagliacci')
- Embassy Opera Stars with Orchestra conducted by Serge Lamont - One Fine Day (from 'Madame Butterfly')
- Embassy Opera Stars with Orchestra conducted by Serge Lamont - Toreador's Song (from 'Carmen')
- Embassy Opera Stars with Orchestra conducted by Serge Lamont - E Lucevan Le Stelle (from 'Tosca')
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