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Ivor Novello

Ivor Novello (born David Ivor Davies; 15 January 1893 – 6 March 1951) was a Welsh actor, dramatist, singer and composer who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century.

He was born into a musical family, and his first successes were as a songwriter. His first big hit was "Keep the Home Fires Burning" (1914), which was enormously popular during the First World War. His 1917 show, Theodore & Co, was a wartime hit. After the war, Novello contributed numbers to several successful musical comedies and was eventually commissioned to write the scores of complete shows. He wrote his musicals in the style of operetta and often composed his music to the libretti of Christopher Hassall.

In the 1920s he turned to acting, first in British films and then on stage, with considerable success in both. He starred in two silent films directed by Alfred Hitchcock, The Lodger and Downhill (both 1927). On stage, he played the title character in the first London production of Liliom (1926). Novello briefly went to Hollywood but soon returned to Britain, where he had more successes, especially on stage, appearing in his own lavish West End productions of musicals. The best-known of these were Glamorous Night (1935) and The Dancing Years (1939).

From the 1930s he often performed with Zena Dare, writing parts for her in his works. He continued to write for film, but in his later career his biggest successes were with stage musicals: Perchance to Dream (1945), King's Rhapsody (1949) and Gay's the Word (1951).

The Ivor Novello Awards were named after him in 1955.

Birth and Death Data: Born January 15, 1893 (Cardiff), Died March 6, 1951 (London)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1915 - 1942

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, lyricist, piano

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 51-75 of 79 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 76182 12-in. approximately July 1918 Any little things Philip Braham ; Jack Buchanan ; Comedy Theatre Orchestra ; Phyllis Monkman Vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 76637 12-in. approximately 10/15/1919 Wonderful love Adelphi Theatre (London) Orchestra ; Cicely Debenham ; Howard Talbot ; Fred Winn Male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 76638 12-in. approximately 10/15/1919 Wedding jazz Adelphi Theatre (London) Orchestra ; Cicely Debenham ; Howard Talbot Male vocal solo, with orchestra and chorus composer  
Columbia 76639 12-in. approximately 10/15/1919 My London Town Adelphi Theatre (London) Orchestra ; Paul Plunket ; Howard Talbot Male vocal solo, with orchestra and chorus composer  
Columbia 76641 12-in. approximately 10/15/1919 There's an angel watching Adelphi Theatre (London) Orchestra ; Cicely Debenham ; Paul Plunket ; Howard Talbot Male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 76644 12-in. approximately 10/15/1919 Come landlord Adelphi Theatre (London) Orchestra ; Alfred Beers ; Howard Talbot ; Fred Winn Vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 76645 12-in. approximately 10/16/1919 Each day in passing Adelphi Theatre (London) Orchestra ; Marjorie Gordon ; Howard Talbot Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 76646 12-in. approximately 10/16/1919 A ladies man Adelphi Theatre (London) Orchestra ; Robert Michaelis ; Howard Talbot Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 76648 12-in. approximately 10/16/1919 When no-one's looking Adelphi Theatre (London) Orchestra ; Marjorie Gordon ; Robert Michaelis ; Howard Talbot Vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 76649 12-in. approximately 10/15/1919 Garden of our dreams Adelphi Theatre (London) Orchestra ; Marjorie Gordon ; Robert Michaelis ; Howard Talbot Vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 76650 12-in. approximately 1919 Who's Hooper?, selection, part 1 Adelphi Theatre (London) Orchestra ; Howard Talbot Orchestra composer  
Columbia 76651 12-in. approximately 1919 Pierrot dance Adelphi Theatre (London) Orchestra ; Howard Talbot Orchestra composer  
Columbia 76652 12-in. approximately 1919 Who's Hooper?, selection, part 2 Adelphi Theatre (London) Orchestra ; Howard Talbot Orchestra composer  
Columbia 76654 12-in. approximately 1919 Barcarolle, day dreams Adelphi Theatre (London) Orchestra ; Howard Talbot Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 76820 12-in. approximately 3/18/1920 Every bit of loving José Collins ; Daly's Theatre Orchestra ; Merlin Morgan Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
OKeh 128 10-in. ca. May 1918 Keep the home fires burning Joseph A. Phillips Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick 919 10-in. approximately mid-1917 Keep the home fires burning Joseph A. Phillips Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick [Br cat 5126-a] 10-in. approximately Aug. 1917 Laddie in khaki Joseph Philips Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Brunswick 10657-10659 10-in. 5/15/1923 The land of Might-have-been Theo Karle Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 4170 10-in. 10/5/1915 Keep the home fires burning Frederick J. Wheeler Baritone vocal solo and vocal ensemble, with orchestra composer  
Edison 5525 10-in. 4/25/1917 The little damozel Marion Evelyn Cox Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 5628 10-in. 6/18/1917 Laddie in khaki Glen Ellison Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Edison 5951 10-in. between 1/1/1918 and 1/7/1918 Keep the home fires burning (Till the boys come home) Christine Miller Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 6189 10-in. between 5/21/1918 and 5/24/1918 The radiance in your eyes A. C. Lichty Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Edison 6227 10-in. between 6/13/1918 and 6/14/1918 Keep the home-fires burning Ida Gardner Contralto vocal solo and mixed vocal ensemble, with orchestra composer  
(Results 51-75 of 79 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Novello, Ivor," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103013.

Novello, Ivor. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103013.

"Novello, Ivor." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103013

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