1978

RACHAEL IN DANGER [21.2.1978]

In 1961 Grainer wrote the score for “Terminus” a documentary about a typical 24 hours at a city train station. One of the most memorable scenes involved a small boy separated from his mother on the busy station platform. Thanks to the help of a policeman and a station master he is reunited with her.

By coincidence this episode of “Armchair Thriller” revisits this scenario with a number of significant differences. This time around it is a ten year old girl deserted on the station platform and the reason for her plight is far more dramatic – her father was killed by a terrorist who assumed his identity.

In the “Terminus” documentary the small boy is very clingy of his parent. In this play the young heroine is cool headed and resourceful as she sizes up and foils an assassination plot despite her very precarious personal circumstances.

Although Andy Mackay from the glam rock band Roxy Music wrote the signature tune for the Armchair Thriller series Grainer's incidental music for this episode is quite individual and noticeable and could be heard as a forerunner of his work on the later “Tales of the Unexpected” series.

As the murdered father was working in South America before his ill fated return to London and his memory inspires his daughter to be brave pan pipes are featured heavily in the orchestration as well as the mysterious nervy sound of a clavichord and the excited heartbeats of a bongo drum.

BORN AND BRED [13.9.1978]

Described in TV Times as a comedy about “the various branches of a big South London family and the events [like an animal welfare award and a wedding] that bring them together. The clans 15 members are as rich an assortment of characters as you're ever likely to encounter”. [1] TV Times 9.9.78 p60]. The program must have been relatively successful as a rare repeat episode was broadcast every week in the afternoon time slot.

Included in the cast is Gordon Kayne later known for his role in the TV series “'Ullo 'Ullo” Episode titles included “S.W.A.L.K.”, “How Do You Feel When You Marry Your Ideal”, “Ever So Goosey” “Next Day On Your Dressing Room” and “Don't Cry For Me Wansworth High Street”.

Grainer's theme in the early part is like a world weary clarinet and banjo version of his signature tune for “Steptoe and Son” but things get more lively towards the end. It was released on a 45 single called “Battersea”

The Lost TV Shows search engine says archive copies of the complete series exist.

EDWARD AND MRS SIMPSON [6.11.1978]

Following his soundtrack work on the Winston Churchill documentary “The Finest Hours” in 1964 Grainer was asked by producer Jack Le Vien to write the music for a film about the life of Edward VIII [2] based on the Duke of Windsor's 1951 autobiography “A Kings Story”. Like the previous production the movie was to be narrated by Orson Welles. For some unknown reason the composing job eventually went to Ivor Slaney. [3]

In 1974 an award winning biography “Edward VIII” by Francis Donaldson was published [4] and that book became the basis for this seven part TV mini-series a slow moving character and dialogue driven costume drama about the constitutional crises caused by the relationship between the British heir apparent Edward Windsor and twice divorced American Wallis Simpson. 

Concentrating on events between August 1930 and June 1937 the production won a number of awards including an Emmy and 4 Baftas one of which went to the charismatic James Fox as Edward. [5] 

Most of the supporting cast are believable in their roles which tend to divide between either the idle rich or the politically protective. A pleasant surprise is the inclusion of actor Nigel Hawthorne as the kings adviser Walter Monckton.  

Hawthorne was later to find great success in the role of conniving permanent secretary Sir Humphrey in the political satire series “Yes Minister”.  [6] 

Musically Grainer's soundtrack is firmly grounded in the era in which the series is set. The opening credits are accompanied by a few solemn bars of “God Save Our Gracious King” which abruptly cuts into the frivolous “I Danced With A Man Who Danced With A Girl Who Danced With The Prince of Wales” a song written in 1927 [Harold Scott / Herbert Farjeon] and said to be a tribute to Prince Edwards widespread public popularity at the time.

With the exception of an African safari scene the first four episodes feature smooth background music with lots of subdued clarinet and shuffling drum rhythms. Adding to an atmosphere of slightly skewered respectability are a couple of Noel Coward songs “A Room With A View” & “Dance Little Lady” both taken from from his 1928 review “This Year Of Grace”.

In episode five when the finality of Wallis decision to divorce her husband is confirmed leaving the way open for her to marry Prince Edward Grainer finally asserts an individual melodic presence with a haunting bitter sweet tune that was given the title “When Love Grows Cold”. In plot context it would have been more appropriate to have called it something like “When Love Holds On”.

There is a very brief preview of the tune in episode one when Edward abandons affairs with two married women to concentrate on Wallis but if that musical association was intended it seems out of place in the episodes six and seven when “love” was not growing cold but firmly established despite fierce opposition from the associates and family of the king.

Recent revelations from the correspondence between Wallis and her ex husband indicate the relationship between her and Prince Edward may have had other aspects to it other then the noble romantic sacrifice of legend. [7]

One jarring element of the series for a modern audience is the number of scenes where leading characters are observed smoking to such an extent it could be regarded as deliberate product placement.

Unexplained in the screenplay is why Edward Windsor is called David by friends and contemporaries throughout the film. It turns out Edward was given seven names at birth, David the patron saint of Wales being the last label probably because it naively connected him to his fathers side of the family.  [8] 

PLAIN MURDER 28.12.78

Play based on a crime novel by  C S Forester 

The plot of "Plain Murder" as described in Radio Times write up of a radio version broadcast 25 Sept 1999   

"Three men working in an advertising agency are caught taking bribes by their manager. To evade prosecution, the ringleader resorts to murder, drawing his colleagues into a vortex of violence".
ref: RT Vol 303 #3945 25.9.1999 issue 

“FESTIVALS AND SUNS” Spheres lp [1978 release date unknown]

A one off music hodge podge album that is described on Discogs.com as “Electronic” “Jazz” and “Abstract”  [9]  but is in fact a structureless collection of very uneven quality tracks some upbeat some meditative, welded, with a couple of exceptions, to trite hippyish lyrics.

Artists appearing on this record include Jimmy Winston [possibily a former member of the 1960s pop band "The Small Faces"] and Australian Kevin Peek from the 1980s Fusion rock group "Sky"  Link to Wikipedia article "Sky"

Three of the six Grainer compositions have been played in recent years on a steaming web station WFMU and these tracks are by far the highlights of the album

“Jason Elbogen Playlist” Jan 25 2013 “Savitri”
“Jason Elbogen Playlist” Dec 29 2011 “Shades of Silver Blue”
“Jason Elbogen Playlist” Jan 4 2013 “Light, Love and Power”

The last song mentioned is perhaps the most intriguing with its passing reference to a prayer by ex Theosophist Alice Bailey. The lyric sheet for it comprises  "Benedictus, Pacificus" [x2] "Light love and power" [x2] [repeat]

Track Seven "Kiss Me My Love" [Grainer] is based on lines by Elizabeth Barrett Browning the heroine of "Robert and Elizabeth".

1978 References
[1]TV Times 9.9.78 p60
[2] “Churchill's Music” Evening Times Glasgow Scotland 7 May 1964
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)