Although
the Strings in Rhythm
broadcast regularly
during the fifties their
musical director's main
claim to fame was that he
was one of Britain's
leading exponents of the
cinema organ. Henry
Croudson was born in
Leeds on 13th November
1898. Upon leaving
school, he became a clerk
in the local branch of
the Midland Bank. At the
same time he served as
deputy organist at St
Chad's Church in Leeds.
In
1925, he decided that
banking was not for him
and went into music
full-time, becoming
organist at the local
Majestic Cinema, playing
for silent movies. He
moved to the newly-opened
Paramount Theatre in 1932
and commenced
broadcasting in 1934,
initially as a pianist.
In 1935, he transferred
to Manchester's Paramount
Theatre and, in the same
year, formed an Accordion
Band comprised of
unemployed musicians
which he also used for
broadcasting. It was in
Manchester that he made
most of his 78 rpm
records on the
Regal-Zonophone label,
some of which had vocals
by Ken
Beaumont,
who was subsequently to
become a bandleader.
During
the next few years, Henry
Croudson had further
moves, first to
Birkenhead and then to
Bedford. He also
broadcast on the original
BBC Theatre Organ prior
to its destruction by
enemy action early in the
war. He was one of many
cinema organists to
contribute to 'Music
While You Work' in its
early years. However,
when his home in
Merseyside was also
destroyed by enemy
action, he decided to
give up the organ and
move back to his home
town of Leeds. There he
became a publican at the
Ship Inn at Briggate,
very close to the
Paramount Theatre, which,
in common with other
provincial Paramounts had
now become the Odeon. It
was not long before he
was coaxed by the Odeon
management into playing
again for them.
After
the war, Henry moved
south, playing and
broadcasting from the
organs of many of the
major cinemas in the
London area, including
the Gaumont-Haymarket,
The State-Kilburn, The
Dominion-Tottenham Court
Road, as well as the
second BBC Theatre Organ.
In
the early fifties, he
formed an orchestra for
broadcasting (which he
led from the electronic
organ) called Strings in
Rhythm, specialising, as
the title implied, in
modern rhythmic light
music or, as Henry
Croudson put it, 'light
music with a beat'. This
orchestra played
regularly on 'Music While
You Work' throughout the
fifties, as well as
appearing on 'Bright and
Early', 'Morning Music'
and other light music
programmes.
In
1959, his health
declining, Henry decided
to give up regular cinema
organ recitals and
reverted to his
occupation of publican,
this time at the Red Lion
in Nazeing, Essex. He
took with him his Selmer
Electronic Organ, with
which he entertained the
customers!
In
common with many cinema
organists, Henry Croudson
was a prolific light
music composer, his
compositions including
'Little Boy Blue',
'Piccadilly Promenade',
'Scotch and Chaser' and
'Up North'.
The
Strings in Rhythm played
on MWYW until 1960, after
which time Henry Croudson
was not heard on the air,
apart from a brief
appearance in Robin
Richmond's programme The
Organist Entertains in
1971. Henry died on 30th
November 1971, aged 73.
Music
While You Work at 3.45
p.m. on 16th February
1960
Played by Henry Croudson
and his Strings in Rhythm
Calling
All Workers (Sig)
Spanish Gypsy Dance
Scotch and Chaser
Medley:
. Alexander's
Ragtime Band
. I Bring a Love Song
. Avalon
. When Somebody Thinks
You're Wonderful
. When You're Smiling
Pieremont
Waltz
Marigold
Pickin' a Chicken
Destiny Waltz
Selection: Gaytime
. Love
makes the Wold Go Round
. My Thanks to You
. You've Done Something
to My Heart
. Let the People Sing
Espanolita
Unforgettable
A Rose in Granada
Love's Last Word is
Spoken
Roulette
Margie
Trudie
Brazilian Fiddler
Lingering Lovers
Savoy
Community Medley:
. There's a
Tavern in the Town
. Who Killed Cock Robin
. Come Landlord Fill the
Flowing Bowl
. Some Folks Do
. John Brown's Body
. When Johnny Comes
marching Home
. For He's a
Jolly Good Fellow
Calling
All Workers (Sig) |
Coates
Marquina
CroudsonBerlin
Romberg
Rose
Woods
Fisher/Shay
Green
Mayerl
Bernfield
Baynes
Gay
Mondez
Gordon
Hartley
Bixio
Stanford
Conrad/Robinson
Henderson
Abreu
Goodwin
arr. Somers
Coates
|
|