LIBRARY NEWS: February-March 2026

Posted on 27th February, 2026

Music and Film

Film music is popular with our member orchestras. We have a comprehensive collection in our library worth exploring.

Elmer Bernstein

Elmer Bernstein (1922–2004) was one of Hollywood’s most influential and prolific film composers. His career spanned over five decades, during which he wrote more than 150 original film scores and nearly 80 television scores. His music shaped the sound of mid‑century American cinema, and many of his themes remain instantly recognisable today.

Some of his most iconic scores include:

The Magnificent Seven (1960)
The Great Escape (1963)

These scores helped define genres—from Westerns to epics to intimate dramas—and many are still performed in concert halls today. He was nominated for 14 Academy Awards winning the Oscar for Best Original Score for Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967).

Contact our Library team for further information about works we have by Bernstein.

Women composers

We are exploring the many works in our catalogue by women composers and arrangers.

With over 100 women represented, there is plenty to discover.

Marguerite Boissonade

Marguerite Boissonade was a composer active in the 1910s–1920s, best known for co-writing the music to the ballroom round dance Maxina, a hugely popular sequence dance of the period. Her work appears in historical discographies, sheet‑music archives, and early dance publications. The Maxina is her most widely documented composition. It was composed by Boissonade and W.F. Hurndall and choreographed by Madame Low Hurndall. First published around 1917–1920, the sheet music was published by J. Albert & Son in Sydney, with instructions for performing the dance printed on the verso.

Biographical details about Marguerite Boissonade are scarce. No confirmed birth/death dates or personal background appear in major musicological databases. This is not unusual for composers of popular dance music in the early 20th century, especially women whose work was often published in partnership with dance teachers or publishers.

We have a version for orchestra in our library.

Search our women composer listing - https://www.lightmusicsociety.com/services

What makes your audiences smile?!

Here is a suggestion that would make a perfect programme filler or encore.

All by Myself - Carmen/Rachmaninov

The 1975 hit "All by Myself" by Eric Carmen is based on the second movement (Adagio sostenuto) of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18. Carmen used the melody from this 1901 classical piece for the verses of his song, later giving credit to the Rachmaninoff estate after a copyright dispute.

We have a version of this song for orchestra in our library.

Repertoire ideas

Here are works being borrowed from our library by member groups:

Walton: Henry V
Warlock: Capriol Suite
Coates: Three Bears Phantasy
Anderson: Belle of the Ball

Our Classical World

Our library is not just about light music. We have a significant collection of lighter opuses from the western classical tradition.

Here is a suggestion:

Elgar: Chanson de Matin

Composer(s) of the Month:

Every month sees anniversaries of the births of significant composers in our Library collection.

This month, sees the anniversaries of two giants of Light Music.

Angela Morley (b. 10th March, 1924)

Angela Morley (1924–2009) was a pioneering English composer, arranger, and conductor who made history as the first openly transgender person nominated for an Academy Award. After rising to prominence under the name Wally Stott through her work on BBC's Hancock's Half Hour and as musical director for The Goon Show, she transitioned in 1972 and continued to achieve immense professional success. Her illustrious career included composing the celebrated score for the 1978 animated film Watership Down (for which she developed a theme composed by Malcolm Williamson after he abandoned the project), winning three Emmy Awards for her music direction on television specials, and contributing uncredited but vital work (including arranging and conducting) to iconic John Williams scores for films such as Star Wars, E.T., and Schindler's List.

Haydn Wood (b. 25th March 1882)

Haydn Wood (1882–1959) was a prolific composer and virtuoso violinist who became a cornerstone of British Light Music. After studying under Sir Charles Villiers Stanford at the Royal College of Music, he achieved global fame with his iconic wartime ballad Roses of Picardy and celebrated orchestral works like the London Landmarks Suite. Deeply influenced by his life on the Isle of Man (Manx Rhapsody), Wood’s extensive output bridged the gap between serious classical compositions—including concertos and rhapsodies—and popular sentimental songs, leaving a lasting legacy in 20th-century British melody.

Savings Available

Can your group benefit from ordering more orchestral sets from LMS?

Music groups can order multiple orchestral sets at a reduced rate. Here are the details.