My
wife and I absolutely love these albums by Johnny Douglas. I don’t think I have ever heard a more beautiful string
orchestra than Johnny Douglas’s.
He has surpassed the Percy Faith Orchestra.
I understand that Johnny used to orchestrate for the
Living Strings Orchestra, but I haven’t been able to find any
Living Strings on compact disc. I found the theme from the film “Dulcima” so hauntingly
beautiful, plaintive and soaringly inspiring….
Michael
Pennock, Ohio, USA
I
have always enjoyed listening to your many excellent
recordings and have recently received your stunning “It’s
Magic” as a birthday present.
Simon
Endacott, London, UK
I
am wild about your three CD’s – “On Stage”, On
Screen” and “It’s Magic”!!
Since Andre Kostelanetz, Percy Faith, David Rose, Henry
Mancini etc, left the stage and pop rubbish is all over the
place, I never thought I would be buying again such perfectly
lovely, orchestral music!!
But oh! Those
beautiful, colourful orchestrations of JD’s with lovely
beginnings and endings; wonderful solos by flute,
oboe, tenor sax, piano!
And those HORNS, oh! those horns!! – Forgive
me, but these Johnny Douglas Orchestra and Strings CDs, are
just what I’ve wanted for years!!
“Moonlight Serenade” with Ronnie Price’s
piano makes this version the best we’ve ever
heard.
Thomas
H. Russell, W.Sussex, UK
Reviews...
ROBERT FARNON SOCIETY - JOURNAL INTO MELODY
In days when it is a rare event to find
record companies bothering even to re-issue their light
orchestral recordings from the 50's and 60's, it is indeed cause
for celebration when one comes across brand new recordings of
tasteful arrangements played by a first-class orchestra.
Dulcima is a record company run by Johnny
Douglas and his daughter which specialises in newly recorded
albums of quality light music. Johnny Douglas, I am sure
readers need no reminding, was very active in the 1950's
providing backings for famous Decca artists as well as many
singles and albums under his own name. Probably not so
well know is that he was responsible for 80 or so of the famous
'Living Strings' albums released by American RCA.
Of Dulcima's releases to date those of
greatest interest to Journal readers will almost certainly be
three albums featuring ' The Johnny Douglas Strings' although I
feel he is rather underselling here as two of them feature
woodwind and brass soloists while the third is performed by a
full orchestra with woodwind, brass, harp, percussion et al.
'ROMANCE WITH THE CLASSICS', 'MORE ROMANCE
WITH THE CLASSICS' and 'ON STAGE'.
Alan Bunting
