Main: Music from the Palm Court

"And now we take you, once again, to the Palm Court of the Grand Hotel..." 

Today on gullar sahir's main stream, we take on another journey back in time to the dance-halls of the early  20th Century, characterised by the long-running BBC radio series, Grand Hotel. We'll also be hearing some classic big-band recordings - and much more.

Broadcasts of light classical music on the BBC started in 1925 from The Grand Hotel in Eastbourne and featured, to quote the Radio Times of the era, 'Music of the Palm Court Orchestra'. The Lounge Hall of the Grand was used - the hotel did not actually have a Palm Court. The programme's signature tune was the "big tune" from Strauss's Roses from the South.

Today, we'll feature several modern-day Palm Court Orchestras, including the Palm Court Orchestra of the Stockholm Philharmonic. Much of the music you'll hear today is instrumental, but there are some vocal numbers; and the recordings are a mixture of authentic 1920s-40s dance-band recordings from the Charleston era and later, and modern light classical dance tunes and other pieces.

Then join us at 11am and 7pm Pacific Time (19:00 and 03:00 in the UK) for the latest instalments in our ZBS Radio Hour adventures. This week, we conclude the Jack Flanders adventure, Mystery of Jaguar Reef, and we continue the Ruby 7 adventure, Dream Weaver, Dream Deceiver. 

Today's programme is presented by Elrik Merlin and produced by gullar sahir in conjunction with our friends at the Alexandrian Free Library Consortium of Second Life. You can listen to the programme in-world now at http://main.radioriel.org, or simply click here to start your player, if your browser is configured to do so. Listeners in the United States are encouraged to tune in using this link: http://loudcity.com/stations/radio-riel/tune_in

For more information on the Alexandrian Free Library, current exhibits and the work of Consortium members in general, please visit the Alexandrian Free Library website, or one of their branches in-world.