Episode 360. Ben Luxon: King of Crossover

Episode 360. Ben Luxon: King of Crossover

Benjamin Luxon, the esteemed Cornish baritone who died at the age of 87 last July, had one of the most wide-ranging repertoires of any singer of the past century, from the classical repertoire (including opera, oratorio, art song over the course of at least four centuries and in a host of languages, including work written expressly for him) through Victorian parlor song, to traditional folk. Additionally, in the early 1980s he recorded a trilogy of crossover albums for British RCA, all three of which are sampled on this episode. The first, Some Enchanted Evening, features show tunes; the second, As Time Goes By, a broad spectrum of movie-related songs; and the third, Something Else Again, highlights folk rock arrangements as well as original compositions by singer-songwriters of the period. In addition, I read from a particularly perceptive 2009 interview with Luxon in which he candidly discusses his hearing loss and how that impacted his singing career and his life as a performer.

The complete interview between Jason Victor Serinus and Benjamin Luxon from which I quote extensively on the episode: https://hometheaterhifi.com/features/musician-vocalist-artist-interviews/the-ongoing-career-of-baritone-benjamin-luxon/

RECORDINGS HEARD IN THIS EPISODE

from As Time Goes By [1981]. Owain Arwell Hughes, National Philharmonic Orchestra

Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster: Love Is a Many Splendo[u]red Thing (theme from the film of the same title)

Herman Hupfeld: As Time Goes By (as heard in Casablanca)

from Something Else Again [1983]. Produced by Robert Howes and David Cullen; arranged by David Cullen [1983]

Chris de Burgh: Something Else Again

from Some Enchanted Evening [1980]. Owain Arwell Hughes, National Philharmonic Orchestra

Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II: Some Enchanted Evening (South Pacfic)

Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II: The Surrey with the Fringe of Top (Oklahoma!)

Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim: Maria (West Side Story)

Meredith Willson: Seventy-Six Trombones (The Music Man)

Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II: Soliloquy (Carousel)

Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II: All the Things You Are (Very Warm for May)

from As Time Goes By [1981]. Owain Arwell Hughes, National Philharmonic Orchestra

Riz Ortolani, Nino Oliviero, Marcello Ciorciolini, Norman Newell [English text]: More (Mondo Cane)

Gene De Paul, Johnny Mercer: Spring, Spring, Spring (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers)

David Raksin, Johnny Mercer: Laura (theme from the film of the same name)

Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer: Moon River (Breakfast at Tiffany’s)

Jerome Kern, Ira Gershwin: Long Ago and Far Away (Cover Girl)

from Something Else Again. Unless otherwise noted, arranged by David Cullen

Traditional: My Love and I

Traditional: She’s Like the Swallow

Traditional, arranged Eric Bogel: Green Fields of France

Don McLean: Tomorrow

Don McLean: Crossroads

Traditional Irish, arr. Frederick Weatherly: Danny Boy. Benjamin Luxon, David Willison, Carl Davis, The Delme Quartet [1990]

Traditional Welsh, arr. Bill Crofut, Benjamin Luxon: All through the Night. Benjamin Luxon, Bill Crofut, Carver Blanchard, Chris Brubeck, Jim Cowdery, John Guth, Maggie Holtzberg, Suzanne Pearce, Michelle Steiner [1984]