I’ll probably never have the bank account to know what it’s like to be a big-time patron of the arts on the scale of a Medici or a Guggenheim; but thanks to crowdfunding platforms even I am able to do my own small part to help underwrite projects that are of particular interest to me.
So I can feel an extra degree of satisfaction that there’s a two-volume chronicle of Jerry Goldsmith’s career and music on the way and that Intrada Records has just completed sessions for a compact disc release of Frank Skinner’s score to “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein,” also imminent.
I’m especially proud to have been able to kick in for a couple of CDs of Vaughan Williams world premieres for Albion Records, the recording branch of the Ralph Vaughan Williams Society, including “Beyond My Dreams,” devoted to the composer’s incidental music for Greek plays (other than “The Wasps”), released in 2017, and “Royal Throne of Kings,” devoted to his music for Shakespeare, newly issued.
This Saturday will mark Vaughan Williams’ birthday anniversary, and since I believe some potential listeners are not seeing my Facebook teasers for my light music show, “Sweetness and Light,” until too late, if I post them the morning of broadcast, this week I am giving you several days’ notice that I will be including selections from the new Shakespeare disc in a program that will emphasize RVW’s lighter music.
So if you’re a Ralph Vaughan Williams’ fan (he’s one of my favorite composers), do take note! We’ll be humming along with Uncle Ralph on “Sweetness and Light,” this Saturday morning at 11:00 EDT/8:00 PDT, exclusively on KWAX, the radio station of the University of Oregon!
Stream it wherever you are at the link:
Ogle the complete Albion Records catalogue here:
