Glenn Miller Tribute Concert a Sellout
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Bedford Corn exchange hosts the
Syd Lawrence Orchestra
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Beryl Today
photo (c)Sharon Dawson
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Special Guest Star Beryl Davis
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The annual Glenn Miller Tribute concert by the Syd Lawrence Orchestra was held on the very
day 55 years after Glenn Miller took off from Twinwoods Farm Airfield on the 15th December 1944 never to be seen
again.This concert was performed by the only orchestra since the Glenn Miller Orchestra to be able to re-create
the true sound that Glenn Miller had worked to achieve. The Syd Lawrence Orchestra in its 32nd year of existence is now led by the very talented
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Chris Dean
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The concert was held in the Corn Exchange in Bedford England where The Glenn Miller Band
did many of its wartime broadcasts in 1944. Singing StarBeryl Davis
now in her 70's who sang with the band during those war years, was special guest singer.
During the first half of the concert the orchestra played the great classic's in the Miller library Moonlight Serenade, Little Brown Jug, Skylark, Yes My Darling Daughter, Deep Purple, In the Mood,
Sunrise Serenade, One O'clock Jump, Pennsylvania 65000, Stardust, It Happened in Sun Valley, I Know Why, Chattanooga
Choo Choo, Serenade in Blue, Kalamazoo, At Last and ending with American Patrol.
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A Younger Beryl
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Malcolm Laycock
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A very young Beryl with Oscar Rabin
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The second half on the concert began with Malcolm Laycock (BBC Big Band Sounds presenter) informing the audience that the band would now recreate one of
the Glenn Miller Chesterfield broadcasts. These shows were 15 minute broadcasts put over the air three times a
week sponsored by Chesterfield cigarettes.. After getting the audience warmed up for Glenn Millers arrival (played
by Chris Dean) he began the count down to begin the broadcast, getting the audience to count down Ten- Nine- Eight---------
Two- One..
Announcer:- This is the CBS Radio Network, Then began an amusing recreation of one of Glenn's programmes together
with the corny scripts of those days read by Chris Dean and Malcolm Laycock. The music of course was terrific.
Rhapsody in Blue, And the Angels Sing, Perfidia, Jersey Bounce ending in a short version
of Moonlight Serenade. Malcolm Laycock then told us the time of Glenn's last broadcast
ending by saying that Glenn was a very fine trombonist. At this Chris Dean gave us a demonstration of his skills
on the Trombone .
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The concert then continued in the Military Style of Glenn AAF band with
St. Louis Blues.
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Sarah Gilbertson. Bryan Pendleton. Tony Jocobs.
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Broderick Crawford (announcer) Ray McKinley, Glenn. (1943)
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Now Chris Dean walked on stage dressed in American style uniform and looked more the part
albeit not an exact uniform of the AAF. The next tune played by the band was When
Johnny Comes Marching Home. Chris introduced the next number mentioning Johnny Desmond
'The Creamer' who sang this number during those war years, now to be sung by the resident male singer Tony Jacobs,
This is a Lovely Way to Spend an Evening.
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Malcolm Laycock then mentioned Mel Powells composition now played by the
brilliant Bryan Pendleton on Piano, My Guys Come Back.
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as the applause die down after the piece, Malcolm continued by saying,
My Guy Come Back:, Ladies and gentlemen I am delighted now to bring you a lady who's "Come back' Harry Davis little girl, with the Oscar Rabin band, who toured Europe with Stephane Grappelli
and DJango Reinhardt. Bob Hope called her to America, she sang with Vaughn Monroe, Les Brown and Benny Goodman
and who followed Doris Day for a year on Frank Sinatra's Radio Show, and she was the young lady who sang on the
17th August 1944 broadcast with Glenn's AAF Orchestra from the forces Canteen right here at the Corn Exchange.
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She now lives in the USA and she tours all over the world. She has flown back specially
to be with us to make tonight even more special, Ladies and Gentlemen the legionary
Miss Beryl Davis.
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As she walked onto the stage the band began to play Moonlight Serenade, she look absolutely
fabulous and as the music faded she said, " Ladies and Gentlemen I don't think you could possibly imagine
how I feel right now, I'm going to cry, I don't care. You don't mind do you?" The audience response throughout
the theatre was a resounding "No", She looked so good we knew we were going to enjoy this lady's songs.
"I've had a fantastic time here " she told us " of course, I did have
a fantastic time many years ago, in 1942 the Glenn Miller band went to war and became the AAF band. During those
war years I was a very young singer growing up in England, 'A VERY YOUNG SINGER' (audience laughter) (infact she
was nineteen years old) "and many of those bands and Hollywood movie stars came through England on their way
to the ETO and one of those stars was the famous Glenn Miller AAF band, at the time and it was the thrill of my
life that I was invited to sing with the band. In fact we did so many shows, broadcast of course, but mostly other
shows and concerts, dances and what not that he decided it might be safer for me if they issued me with a uniform.
I became the only British civilian to be officially attached to the 8th Air force and that was kind of weird, it
really was, but it was a wonderful honour and I am very very proud to tell you that being here on this particular
date is a very emotional thing for me.
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Yesterday of course I went to see the Twinwoods Control Tower at the old Airfield.
(this was Glenn's last stop before flying off never to be seen again.)
Do you know its been 55 years since I was here, isn't that amazing. (Audience applause) This is a very special
evening for me tonight and what a wonderfull band." (Great applause for the Syd Lawrence Band)
"The music for the 40's was special as you know, here's a few of those songs I sang and I'm still singing
them. I don't have to worry about new tunes everybody wants to hear the same old tunes. It makes it so easy. This
song I sang right here with Johnny Desmond and the Chew Chiefs, see if you remember it. (Beryl then broke into
the popular Miller number Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree.)
Ladies and Gentlemen, Vera Lynn sang this and still does I'm sure:-
(song: White Cliffs of Dover)
Ladies and Gentlemen the last show The Glenn Miller band did under the leadership of Glenn Miller was from the
servicemen's club in the heart of London its called the Queensbury Club, that particular day the 12th December
1944 we did two broadcast in the afternoon and one concert at night. Ladies and gentlemen this is one of those
songs I sang on the last broadcast I did with Major Glenn Miller with the Glenn Miller AEF Band".
(song I'll Be Seeing You.)
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The Music Supplied on this page by kind permission of
Peter Roxburgh
Pete now living in Australia arranges for the
Australian Glenn Miller Tribute Band
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