Description
Debroy Somers (born William Henry Somers, 1890-1952) was a British dance band leader. He was a well-known figure in musical and theatrical circles from the 1920s to the 1940s. He appeared in numerous films and founded the 11-piece dance band The Savoy Orpheans (based at the Savoy Hotel, London) and his own ensemble, the Debroy Somers Band, as well as directing a number of West End shows. Such was his fame that, in 1925, he conducted the British premiere of Rhapsody in Blue, with Gershwin himself on piano.
In 1924 Somers arranged two Savoy Christmas Medleys for the Savoy Orpheans – one subtitled ‘One Step’ and the other ‘Foxtrot’. Some of the melodies included are better known as drinking songs, and some are not well known to modern ears, so I have elected to use the most familiar Christmas music from both sets.
The carols included in this arrangement include: The First Noël, Good King Wenceslas, God Rest you Merry Gentlemen, Here we come a wassailing, I saw three ships and It came upon a midnight clear – all topped off with a rousing Auld lang syne finale. It is a good humoured, tongue-in-cheek, three-and-a-half minute romp infused with a 1920s jazz-band flavour!
