The Holiday Music Fest 2017

12/6/2017

As readers of these pages know, I love the British musical Pickwick, based on Dickens' novel, and its star Sir Harry Secombe. And being Dickens, it's not shocking to learn that some of the story revolves around Christmas. So, it only follows that there's a Christmas song in it -- and quite a nice one at that, written by Cyril Ornadel and Leslie Bricusse. One of those "little know" Christmas songs that's very enjoyable.

This is "That's What I'd Like for Christmas," from the original 1963 West End production.

And just as a fun bonus, for those who like to compare such things, here is Sir Harry with the same song, performed 30 years later in the revival for which he re-created his original role. He's 72 here, and still clearly in fine voice, hitting every high note. This is from the 1993 Chichester Festival production where the revival began, and it did so well that the show returned to London.

2 Comments

Greg Checketts

12/11/2017 05:06:25 pm

Thanks, Bob. You saved me a lot of time. Being the season, Pickwick was coming around into my rotation again, so I did a search on your site to listen to some of the old posts. I'm exactly the sort of person who likes to compare such things, and while I do have both the CD of the Chichester Festival revival as well as the Original London Cast recording on album, this post made it much more convenient to listen to both versions in a one-stop shopping place!

In case I haven't said this on a previous occassion, I also love Harry Secombe, and your blog is surely responsible: I've been familiar with him as a performer since my Dad took me to see the movie Oliver! for my 9th birthday in 1970, and while the Pickwick album was certainly not one I would ever have seen around or heard, it does get mentioned in Harry's bio inside the gatefold album cover for the Oliver! soundtrack. Because I was never exposed to the Goons, and since I was the same age as that movie's protagonist, I really thought of Harry Secombe as being a big, scary man with a beautiful voice, and it wasn't until some 40 years later when I read about Pickwick on your blog that I explored him and that particular show further (as well as The Four Musketeers) and became a fan. For that, Elisberg Industries will always have my thanks and gratitude!

Robert Elisberg

12/11/2017 09:04:31 pm

Greg, thanks so much for your terrific and much appreciated note. And glad to have been able to make things easy for you in listening to some "Pickwick" selections. As you surmised, yes, of course I'd have them here!

I can understand a little kid thinking of Harry Secombe are "scary" from Mr. Bumble. But as you likely know, he actually was considered one of the warmest British celebrities. I don't know if you saw the tale I wrote on the site of meeting him backstage as a kid, and he was as kind and genial as one could hope for. Also, I've seen a documentary on him where John Cleese is interviewed. Cleese -- easily the more snarky and cynical of the Pythons -- had worked with Secombe on a project, and not only tells of Harry bringing gifts to people on the set, but Cleese (of all people) says, "Harry Secombe was the nicest man I have ever met."

The Holiday Music Fest 2017

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