MGM and the Nostalgia of 'The Old Days'
Recently a celebration of classic MGM film musicals took place in the Royal Festival Hall; a night full of sweet memories. With an auditorium full of people of all ages, the number of children was agreeably surprising. Old couples singing in low voices tried not to disturb the audience, making an effort but unwilling to stop themselves from joining in.
This well-organized production was presented by Euphorium Bakery in association with Tom Croxon Management. John Wilson, who has established a reputation and is recognized internationally as a conductor, was magnificent, as was his orchestra. In an almost hypnotic way, they transported the audience back in years and showed the youngsters the beauty of the 'grand old days'!
The voices of Maria Ewing, Tim Flavin and Gary Williams were enjoyed throughout. Although this type of musical does not involve constant choral participation, the voices of the Crouch End Festival Chorus (in which one of THE ARCHER team, Sonia Singham, is an active singer) confirmed the saying about quality beating quantity, as their contribution to the majesty of the show was invaluable.
Ironically, the MGM studio's library was dismantled in 1969 for reasons of space, leaving only one copy of a conductor's score for each film. Because some of these scores vary in accuracy and completeness, and in some cases do not survive at all, the passion and perseverance in accomplishing this spectacular programme included transcribing sketches directly from films.
As Wilson said "The MGM musicals are masterpieces in every way - story, colour, photography, direction, acting and then, of course, the music and the singing ..." The truth is, what we can find Over The Rainbow after Singing In The Rain, can definitely lead us to enjoy Dancing In The Dark. For me ... That's Entertainment!
