DESCRIPTION:
Angela Morley 1924-2009 - Angela Morley was an English composer, arranger and conductor born in Leeds as her former self 'Wally Stott'. She became great friend and associate of Robert Farnon (of so called 'light music fame). Angela Morley was born in Leeds, Yorkshire in 1924, and in her former years played saxophone in a number of dance bands, and in 1944 became a member of he famous Geraldo band.
Angela wrote the music for many television and radio shows of the past Tony Hancock and Harry Worth to name just two, and later several film scores including music from 'Watership Down' 1978 .... her earlier work was written under the name of 'Wally Stott', this was prior to Angela's major life change, beyond which she acheived so much more success.
'Rotten Row' composed in 1960 has been frequently used for programme material on both tv and radio. It was perhaps inspired by horses and their riders cantering along Rotten Row (off Park Lane) in central London.
Musician John France writes - 'I was walking across Park Lane into Hyde Park the other day in the summer sunshine (such as we have had this year) and headed towards the Serpentine. As I passed the bandstand I could see a number of horsemen riding along Rotten Row. Unusually, they were not cavalrymen, but seemed to be members of the public. I wondered where they stabled their horses in Central London?
It is not the place to speculate on the name of this bridleway, save to say that I was always told that is was the Route de Roi – but I shall leave that to the local historians and philologists. As a musician my mind thought of the attractive miniature by Angela Morley, Rotten Row. This is surely one of the most attractive pieces of light music in the repertoire. It is strange that only a single recording of this work is currently available.
Have sequenced the music to various images of several troupes of Scarborough Donkeys en-route to the beach where they entertain the children, look charming and get stuck into their nose-bags!

On this this recording - John Wilson and his Orchestra
Album: The Film and Television music of Angela Morley
'Vocalion'
CDSA 6807