Sweet Harmony/Dancing At The Grosvenor House

Sydney Lipton and his Orchestra were fixtures at Grosvenor House on London's Park Lane over four or more decades in the 20th Century. Sydney's music was always of the highest order, which explains why he secured his position for so long at one of London's top hotels.The two stereo albums included on this CD were made long after the Golden Age of British Dance Bands. However they demonstrate that good taste and style had not disappeared from the London scene when the LPs were cut in 1958 and 1960. The earlier album which took its title from Sydney's theme song, "Sweet Harmony", was made in the Decca studios and is a very nice selection of mainly 1930s evergreens with Sydney leading on violin. I should point out that this and "Dancing At Grosvenor House - Vol. 3" are purely instrumental albums, all at strict dance tempo - but with arrangements which make them interesting and easy on the ear."Dancing At Grosvenor House" was recorded at the hotel and is made up of 24 short arrangements of popular songs from the 1920s onwards. The clatter of diners can be heard in the background adding real atmosphere to the recording.