Dan Godfrey

Sir Dan Godfrey (1868-1939) was part of a musical family, of which he is the best remembered. In 1893 he took up an invitation which his father could not fulfil – to form a Municipal Military Band in Bournemouth. In fairly short order, to meet his musical requirements, this became the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra. It has since gone from strength to strength, and is now known as the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Dan Godfrey made his first records for HMV in August 1913 with “The Mayfair (Metropolitan) Orchestra”, then with the BMO in November 1913. Recordings followed with the “Royal Symphony Orchestra” for Edison Bell (who also recorded Godfrey’s son, Dan Godfrey Jr conducting the 2LO Military Band). In 1923 Godfrey started recording for Columbia, firstly with the London Symphony Orchestra in an abridged version of Vaughan Williams “London” Symphony, then a complete version of the same. Two further recordings were made electrically with the LSO, then in 1927 an anonymous “Symphony Orchestra”. Then from mid-1927, Godfrey brought the BMO back into the studios for a series of delightful recordings. These included many lighter works which showcase the talents of his orchestra both as players and composers. Byron Brooke was leader of the orchestra for many years, and some of his pieces display the skills of percussionists W.W. Bennett, and his predecessor W. Byrne. Ernst Slaney who is the second xylophonist on one 1930s recording was actually the principal cellist of the orchestra! The flautists of the orchestra for many years were the brothers Jean and Pierre Gennin, and Jean composed several virtuosic pieces for two flutes or two piccolos.
Saint-Saëns – Henry VIII – Ballet music: Danse de la gipsy & Finale
Grieg – Norwegian Dances Op.35 (Nos. 2 and 3)
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, Dan Godfrey
Available to download from Historic Recordings
His Master’s Voice C 340
Matrices: al 7632f, al7635f (single side numbers 0957, 0958)
Recorded 9th November 1913
Dvorak – Slavonic Dances Nos. 1 to 4
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Dan Godfrey
Columbia L 1830/1
Matrices: WAX 1340-2, 1341-2, 1342-2, 1343-2 (5931, 5932, 5933, 5934)
Rec 12th March 1926
Available from March 1927 to January 1939
Debussy – Petite Suite
1. En bateau
2. Cortège
3. Menuet
4. Ballet
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Dan Godfrey
Columbia L 1786/7
Matrices: WAX 1344-1, 1345-2, 1346-1, 1347-1 (5935, 5936, 5937, 5938)
Rec 12th March 1926
Available from November 1926 to May 1938
Mozart –Symphony No.41 in C major (“Jupiter” Symphony)
Symphony Orchestra, Sir Dan Godfrey
Mediafire link for Mozart – Jupiter Symphony – Dan Godfrey

(This is a zip file – left click the link, download the file, then unzip when downloaded)

Columbia L1938-41
Matrices: WRAX 2432-2, 2433-1, 2434-2, 2435-2, 2436-2, 2437-2, 2438-2, 2439-2
Recorded 4th February 1927
Available November 1927 to April 1934This recording is unusual in that there is a substantial overlap between sides 2 and 3. The first movement spreads over 3 sides, despite lasting only a little over 8 minutes. The first side contains the exposition (which could therefore be repeated by playing the record twice.) The second side carries through into the recapitulation, up to bar 243. The third side begins at bar 212, therefore overlapping 32 bars with the previous side, a fact acknowledged (but not explained) in the notes of the original record album.

It’s a shame that Godfrey chose this unusual side arrangement – if he’d squeezed the first movement onto 2 sides, he could have included a filler on the 8th side.

Wagner – Kaiser March
Symphony Orchestra, Dan Godfrey
American Columbia 50081-D
Matrices WAX 2522-1, 2523-1
Recorded 23rd March 1927
Issued in the UK on L2003, available January 1928 to April 1933This is an abridged recording, with a significant chunk of music omitted between the two sides.
Wagner – Homage March (Huldigungsmarsch)
Symphony Orchestra, Sir Dan Godfrey
Columbia L 2002
Matrices: WAX 2524-1, 2525-1 (7365, 7366)
Rec 23rd March 1927 London, Scala Theatre
Available from January 1928 to April 1933
C Grunow – Dance or Seville
Xylophone solo: W W Bennett
Kenneth Alford – The Two Imps
Xylophones: W W Bennett & W Byrne
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, Sir Dan Godfrey
Columbia 9505
Matrices: WRAX 2699-1, 3569-1 (7591, 9256)
Recorded: 8th May 1927, 29th April 1928, Winter Gardens, Bournemouth
Available from November 1928 to December 1945
Hérold – Zampa – Overture
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, Sir Dan Godfrey
Available to download from Historic Recordings
Columbia 9582
Matrices: WAX 3566-2, 3567-1 (9260, 9257)
Recorded: 29th April 1928, Winter Gardens, Bournemouth
Available from January 1929 to April 1948
Jean GenninFluttering Birds (Duet for two piccolos)
Idylle Bretonne (Duet for two flutes)
Solos by Jean Gennin and Pierre Gennin
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, Sir Dan Godfrey
Columbia 9471
Matrices: WAX 3570-3, 3571-1 (9236, 9237)
Rec 29th April 1928, Bournemouth Winter Gardens
Available from October 1928 to January 1938
Suppe – Pique Dame – Overture
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, Sir Dan Godfrey
Available to download from Historic Recordings
Columbia 9496
Matrices: WAX 3572-2, 3573-? (9255, 9258)
Rec 29th April 1928, Bournemouth Winter Gardens
Available from November 1928 to December 1945
Byron Brooke – Zip Zip
Marimba solo: W W Bennett
W Byrne – Whispering Pines
Xylophone solo: W Byrne
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, Sir Dan Godfrey
10” Columbia 5683
Matrices: WA 8232-1, 8233-2 (37064, 37062)
Recorded: 16th December 1928, Winter Gardens, Bournemouth
Released: January 1930
German – Three Dances from Henry VIII
1. Morris Dance
2. Shepherd’s Dance
3. Torch Dance
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, Sir Dan GodfreyAvailable to download from Historic Recordings
10” Columbia 5577
Matrices: WA 8236-2, 8235-2 (37067, 37066) – Shepherd’s Dance is split across the two sides
Rec 16th December 1928, Bournemouth Winter Gardens
Available from November 1929
Mozart – Don Giovanni – Selection
Part 1: For a carousel; Entrance of the statue; Zerlina’s Entrance; Masetto; Give me thy hand
Part 2: Serenade; Finale Act 1
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, Sir Dan GodfreyAvailable to download from Historic Recordings
American Columbia 50178-D (UK recording, released in UK as Regal G 1056)
Matrices: WAX 4470-3, 4472-2
Recorded: 17th December 1928, Winter Gardens, Bournemouth
Released February 1929
Mozart – Le Nozze di Figaro – Fandango
Mozart – Don Giovanni – Act 1. Minuet

Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, Sir Dan Godfrey
Available to download from Historic Recordings
10” Regal G 9422
Matrices: WA 9654-2, 9655-2 (46111, 46109)
Recorded: 8th October 1929, Bournemouth Pavilion
Released: December 1929
Jean GenninThe Jolly Whistlers
The Language of the Nightingale
(Duets for two piccolos)
Solos by Jean Gennin and Pierre Gennin
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, Sir Dan Godfrey
10” Columbia DB 178
Matrices: WA 10333-2, 10334 (51799, 51798)
Rec 1930, Bournemouth Pavilion
Auber – Crown Diamonds – Overture
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, Sir Dan GodfreyAvailable to download from Historic Recordings
Columbia DX 77
Matrices: WAX 5563-?, 5564-? (13614, 13615)
Rec 1930 Bournemouth Pavilion 
Auber – The Bronze Horse – Overture
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, Sir Dan GodfreyAvailable to download from Historic Recordings
Columbia DX 69
Matrices: WAX 5565-?, 5566-? (13617, 13616)
Rec 1930 Bournemouth Pavilion
C White – A Fairy Ballet
T de la Rivière – Raindrops: Pizzicati for strings
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, Dan Godfrey

de la Rivière: Pizzicati – Godfrey

(mp3 file – click to play, or right click the link, then select “Save as”)

Columbia DB 689
Matrices WA11560, 11561 (61825, 61824)
Recorded c1930
Schumann – Traumerei
Grieg – Solveig’s Song
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, Sir Dan GodfreyAvailable to download from Historic Recordings
10” Columbia DB 810
Matrices: WA 11562-2, 11564-2
Rec 1931/2?, Bournemouth Pavilion
Flynn (arr. Blight) – The Clatter of the Clogs
Xylophone solo: W W Bennett
Montague Birch – Dance of the Nymphs
Xylophones: W W Bennett & Ernest Slaney
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, Sir Dan Godfrey
10” Columbia DB 1110
Matrices: WA 13517-1, 13519-1
Recorded: c1934, Bournemouth Pavilion
Offenbach – Orpheus in the Underworld – Overture
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, Sir Dan GodfreyAvailable to download from Historic Recordings
Columbia DX 593
Matrices: CAX 7116-2, 7117-1
Rec 1934 Bournemouth Pavilion
Meyerbeer – Le Prophete – Coronation March
Handel – Largo
(from Serse)
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, Sir Dan Godfrey
Columbia DX 620
Matrices: CAX 7230-1, 7231-1
Rec 1934 Bournemouth Pavilion

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