The trail that led to this somewhat obscure recording is a complicated one. I was re-reading Colin Wilson’s 1964 book on music Brandy of the Damned when this list of English songwriters stopped me in my tracks. “…such fine minor composers as Ivor Gurney, Gerald Finzi, Herbert Howells and T W Southam.” Who? The only other clue is in the footnote, which cites a Jupiter recording by the classical tenor Wilfred Brown as containing “Southam’s lovely setting of a Durrell poem, Nemea.” Searching the web reveals that the composer in question was a friend of Laurence Durrell called Wallace Southam, and references to a handful of settings of poems by Durrell, Auden, Charles Causley, Michael Baldwin, Christina Rossetti and Thomas Hood. No other biographical information seems to be available. However, there are a few recordings on YouTube, most of them jazz settings sung by Belle Gonzalez. Born in the 1930s in Italy she was the daughter of an opera singer from the Philippines. She performed in cabaret, accompanying herself on piano and guitar, and as singer-songwriter released the album Belle in 1972. Of the Southam songs the Rossetti setting “When I am dead, my dearest”” from a 1965 album called Poets Set in Jazz (also on the Jupiter label) is my favourite. But I’m still looking for more details of Wallace Southam, and will update here if I found out more.
Update 1: review of Poets Set in Jazz from The Musical Times, August 1965
Update 2: Laurence Durrell’s notes towards a musical Ulysses Come Back
Update 3: Wallace Southam – Songs of a Sunday Composer
Update 4: Belle Gonzalez pays tribute to Southam here
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[…] 1960s on the Jupiter label involving settings by the now almost forgotten composer Wallace Southam: Poets Set in Jazz (1965) and Contemporary Poets Set in Jazz (1966). Gonzalez herself claims that they were the first […]
[…] narrated by Durrell, on the other some additional songs, with Larry himself singing the recitative, Belle Gonzalez taking the female parts, Pat Smythe on piano and Jeff Clyne on bass. The recording was issued by […]
Hello John Abbot,
Ian Maund told me about your interest in Wallace Southam’s work and life. Perhaps of not much interest to you, some bits and pieces of how Wally and I met etc etc ref to his Jupiter Recording & Turret books projects involving me and his songs.
Paved court Richmond – at my ex hubby’s little classical records shop where Wally would saunter by to get John (my ex) to take his (Wally’s) recordings on a sale-or-return basis! Mostly educational, and classical music then
Wally, being an intellectually, artistically, musically and personably attractive person, eventaully became a close friend ‘friend’ and I ended offering to sing his ‘We’ll Go No more a roving’ on a series of morning shows (Sunday Special) and others to which I contributed regularly on the BBC . Within a year 1965 and 66 we’d recorded (as you know) the two JAZZ EPs on his Jupiter Recordings Turret label.- Immediately following his organized a concert in which I sang all his songs, my favourite being ‘Lesbos’ (L.Durrell’s poem of the name and one of the songs in the ‘Contemporary Poets . . . EP’) Thankfully, the concert was very well reviewed by ‘Mellers’ of the TIMES.. Wally also got the very recently defunct John Tavener (composer of Diana’s deeply moving funeral music) to contribute some of his own music.
Pls feel free to contact me for any more info. Wally’s never had more attention than he’s having now!! He’s no longer with us unfortunately. Lovely person!.
Sincerely,
Belle (Gonzalez)
Belle – many thanks for your reply, great to hear some more details – I’d love to see your recordings re-issued, they are excellent. As you may have gathered, my initial interest came from reading a reference to the Jupiter recordings in Colin Wilson’s book on music, Brandy of the Damned.
Hi John,
Great to be kept alive by musical music buffs like yourself!! But where did you get the bit about my having been an ‘OPERA SINGER???’ in the Philippines? My mum was an opera singer, not I. She made a big, big name in Europe in the 20s/30s and I’ve written a novelized bio of her life and career. Novelized for the ‘man on the street’ – more fun perhaps? Anyway, John do contact me via my email address if you wish. Would love to hear from you. isang32@ymail.com I am also on facebook.
best regards,
Belle
Thanks Belle for the information – I will correct as soon as I can – intriguing to hear more about your background.
[…] himself sang the recitative, Belle Gonzalez sang the female parts, with Pat Smythe (who wrote the music for “Lesbos” – […]