Wallace Southam - Songs of a Sunday Composer

Not long ago I presented a recording of English songs by tenor Wilfred Brown on the small Jupiter label. The record was issued by the part-time composer T. Wallace Southam, and included a few of his own works. This post came through the generosity of reader David Leonard, who knew Southam.

David has now graciously provided the even more obscure Songs of a Sunday Composer. The LP is entirely devoted to Southam's songs, composed both in jazz and classical styles. It was issued in 1969 on Turret Records, which was an imprint of London's Turret Book Shop, operated by poet Bernard Stone.

True, Southam was considered an amateur composer, or "Sunday composer," as he termed it. Nonetheless, he was a serious artist who had a gift for setting verse. His works were published by large firms, and are here performed by some of the most noted artists of the time.

The surprise of the record, at least to me, was the accomplished jazz settings. They are performed by well-known English musicians, and sung by Belle Gonzales, a fine vocalist whose name was new to me. She was active in the London cabarets of the time. Leonard Salzedo, better known for classical and film scores, arranged two of these numbers.

The other singers represented are baritones John Barrow and Bryan Drake, and soprano Noelle Barker. All had been members of Britten's English Opera Group; Drake was closely associated with the composer. Barker in particular was noted for her devotion to new music.

Thanks once again to David for offering this rare recording to all of us.