Gala Concert

The annual WSHD Round the World Gala Concert, narrated by Cracklin’ Jane. Our concert takes place at Symphony Hall (known to the locals as “Old Rusty”) in an Alternative Universe Eastport. We asked prominent bandleaders from the 78 RPM era to take a beloved classical piece and arrange it as they would any of their other popular recordings. We hear some compelling updates on works by Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Bizet, Ravel, Schubert, Grieg and many other great classical composers. A riot breaks out after The Blue Danube is massacred by Spike Jones, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Department is called to restore order. Then, after everyone goes home, Richard Diamond, Private Detective takes the Private Eye Test.

1 - Moment Musical by Franz Schubert - Raymond Scott Quintet – 1939

2 - Anitra's Dance by Edvard Grieg - Carmen Cavallaro And His Orchestra – 1948

3 - Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi - Glenn Miller and his Orchestra - 1948

Les Brown and his Orchestra – 1941

4 - Meditation from Thais by Jules Massenet - Jackie Souders and His Orchestra - 1927

Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra - 1924

Carl Gay's Dance Orchestra – 1923

5 - Selections from the Nutcracker Suite by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky:

March - Freddy Martin and his Orchestra - 1942

Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairies - Freddy Martin and his Orchestra - 1942

Arab Dance - Larry Clinton and his Bluebird Orchestra - 1940

Dance of the Reed Flutes - Freddy Martin and his Orchestra - 1942

Waltz of the Flowers - Ambrose And His Orchestra – 1940

6 - Intermission features:

 Everybody's Making Money but Tchaikovsky - Betty Bonnie with Les Brown and his Orchestra - 1941

As Brunnhilde's Battle Cry Might Be Sung by an American Crooner - Alec Templeton – 1940

7 - Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov - Jack Fina with Freddy Martin and his Orchestra - 1946

8 - Nocturne In E Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2 by Frederic Chopin - Ambrose And His Orchestra – 1942

9 - Selections from Carmen by Georges Bizet - Jan Savitt & his Top Hatters - 1941

Raymond Scott Quintet – 1940

10 - Bella figlia dell'amore (Beautiful Daughter of Love) from Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi:

Bert Ralton and His Havana Band - 1923

Six Brown Brothers - 1916

Raymond Scott Quintet – 1940

11 - The Tale of Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofieff - Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians – 1942

12 - An Operatic Nightmare (A piano solo mash-up of the operas Lohengrin, Tanhauser, Samson, Faust, Pagliacci, and Rigoletto) - Felix Arndt - 1916

13 - Song of India from Sadko by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov - Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra – 1937

14 - Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique” by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Glenn Miller and his Orchestra with Ray Eberle - 1942

15 - The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss - Spike Jones and his City Slickers – 1945

16 - Song of Momus to Mars by William Boyce – John Goss, baritone and Kathleen Markwell, piano – 1928

17 - Bolero by Maurice Ravel - Nat Shilkret and the Victor Orchestra – 1930

18 - Private Eye Test - Richard Diamond, Private Detective – 1950