Tom Jenkins and The Palm Court Orchestra - The Laughing Violin EP, HMV 7EG 8035

Tom Jenkins was born in Leeds in 1910 and at twenty-five joined the Hastings Municipal Orchestra at their conductor, Julius Harrison’s request. For the next few years he played the odd concerto engagement with the orchestra and followed the usual migratory travels for British orchestral musicians of the time; seasonal spa work and light music. In 1936 he joined J.H. Squire’s very popular Celeste Octet, a launching ground for many string talents, and his employer arranged for him to take lessons from the now London resident Carl Flesch (Jenkins had earlier studied with Edward Maude, leader of the Leeds Symphony Orchestra and with Charles Woodhouse, the long time leader of Henry Wood’s Proms). Jenkins was appointed to lead the orchestra of the Grand Hotel Eastbourne in 1938, which typically comprised a solo violin, two violins, viola, cello, bass, piano and organ/celeste. Prestigious positions followed with the BBC Salon Orchestra and the Grand Hotel, after Albert Sandler’s miserably early death, but the biggest move was a projected one to lead Beecham’s RPO, thwarted by Jenkins’ illness – a lung was removed and, weakened, he took a position as an orchestral player. He died in 1957, like Sandler before him still in his forties.

 




 
Side A   (7TEA100)                                                                   Side B (7TEA101)

  
HMV company sleeve that was used at the time of the release

Artist: Tom Jenkins And The Palm Court Orchestra Label: His Master's Voice Country: UK Catalogue: 7EG 8035 Date: c. 1954-1955 Format:     EP

Side A - 7TEA100
Side B - 7TEA101

Track	Artist	Title	Composer	Producer
A1	Tom Jenkins And The Palm Court Orchestra	Parlez Moi D'Amour	Jean Lenoir
A2	Tom Jenkins And The Palm Court Orchestra	Gipsy Carnival	Yascha Krein
B1	Tom Jenkins And The Palm Court Orchestra	The Laughing Violin	Kai Mortensen
B2	Tom Jenkins And The Palm Court Orchestra	By The Sleepy Lagoon	Eric Coates