The two most widely known items here will be the themes from 633 Squadron and The Trap – the former famous for its depiction of the numbers 6-3-3 in musical form, the latter more familiar as the music that introduces the London marathon. Both exemplify a typical Ron Goodwin triumphal sound that is heard also in the opening numbers of his Drake 400 and New Zealand Suites. Much of the rest shows not only Goodwin’s consistent musical good taste but also a rich orchestral palette and some gratifyingly varied invention. Several items in more relaxed mood were composed for his own LP collections, among them the Puppet Serenade, Venus Waltz and Girl with a Dream, of which this last was used for a Saturday night BBC record show. The Minuet in Blue is another piece of particular charm. Of the larger-scale items, the Drake 400 Suite is Goodwin’s tribute to his native Plymouth, with the “Plymouth Sound” movement in the best march tradition.
Above all, the New Zealand Suite seems to capture much of the essence of those islands, where Goodwin has been particularly active. The suite not only depicts geographical features (Milford Sound and Rotorua) but also offers an extremely clever tribute to the “A & P Show” (Agriculture and Produce Show), with the sound of sheep, ponies and dogs brilliantly woven into the music. Excellently performed and recorded, this is a most rewarding collection and an excellent addition to Marco Polo’s fine British Light Music series.'