VA - The Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady (The Original And Complete Music Score) (1984/2024)

The music on this album, specially created for the television series, is the result of the combined talents of two exceptional but very different musicians: Jon Lord, rock luminary of "Deep Purple" and "Whitesnake". fame, and Alfred Ralston, veteran of music hall and stage and film musicals with hits like "Oh! What A Lovely War" to his credit. Both slightly unexpected artists to be writing the score for a country idyll. But it was the challenge of producing music outside their usual spheres that has given the series music which is so fresh and strong. There was one crucial and tricky object from the start: to create music that was sensitive and lovely enough to express the beauty of the Warwickshire countryside yet robust enough to rise to the heights of stormy weather, emotional crises and the tremendously expansive and dramatic poetry in the "Diary". The original surprise idea of working with Jon came from series producer Patrick Gamble who knew Jon had written a theme of his own after reading the Diary.

It was the most exciting melody we had heard in our search for a composer. There were no completed films for Jon to see but after long discussions he went to work. When, some time later, he first played the main theme to us on the piano the distinct tingling down the back of my neck told me that he had perfectly captured the beauty and strength that was needed. So we had the main theme and Jon's original melody ("Love Theme") that would give the series its musical unity. Now we needed the variety and individual colour that would distinguish one month from another for each of the twelve episodes. But there was too much work for one man. We needed ten - enter Alfred Ralston. It was he who worked every waking hour to single-handedly score the music to the finished films writing beautiful original melodies ("Edith and Ernest Theme", "Rosie Goes Home") or composing around traditional melodies or Jon Lord's theme ("Girls' Outing", "Arum Painting" and "Pear Blossom" - you can smell the perfume of the countryside in this one.) Creating this sort of inspired music to a tight television schedule was a miraculous achievement. The work of both artists was the final ingredient that brought the series to life. And here on record the music beautifully tecalls the images of "The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady". Dirk Campbell

Tracklist
[3:23] 1. Jon Lord, Alfred Ralston & The Central Concert Orchestra - Main Theme (The Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady)
[1:48] 2. Jon Lord, Alfred Ralston & The Central Concert Orchestra - Arum Plant
[3:42] 3. Jon Lord, Alfred Ralston & The Central Concert Orchestra - Edith & Ernest (Theme)
[2:50] 4. Jon Lord, Alfred Ralston & The Central Concert Orchestra - Spirit Of Love
[3:46] 5. Jon Lord, Alfred Ralston & The Central Concert Orchestra - Waltz
[2:51] 6. Jon Lord, Alfred Ralston & The Central Concert Orchestra - Packwood (Love Theme)
[2:43] 7. Jon Lord, Alfred Ralston & The Central Concert Orchestra - The Girls' Outing
[2:01] 8. Jon Lord, Alfred Ralston & The Central Concert Orchestra - Hymn To Nature
[3:27] 9. Jon Lord, Alfred Ralston & The Central Concert Orchestra - Love Theme (The Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady)
[3:04] 10. Jon Lord, Alfred Ralston & The Central Concert Orchestra - Arum Painting
[1:59] 11. Jon Lord, Alfred Ralston & The Central Concert Orchestra - Meavy Glen & Country Sunsets
[2:06] 12. Jon Lord, Alfred Ralston & The Central Concert Orchestra - Maypole
[1:38] 13. Jon Lord, Alfred Ralston & The Central Concert Orchestra - Love Reprise
[1:56] 14. Jon Lord, Alfred Ralston & The Central Concert Orchestra - Pear Blossom
[2:47] 15. Jon Lord, Alfred Ralston & The Central Concert Orchestra - Cowslip
[2:41] 16. Jon Lord, Alfred Ralston & The Central Concert Orchestra - Rosie Goes Home