“Narcissus” by Ethelbert Nevin (TLO)

Part of a charity concert (in aid of the Royal National Institute for the Blind and others) by Thanet Light Orchestra in July 2023, conducted by David Pestell. Another American composer with great talent whose life (like George Gershwin) ended at the age of 38. Like much light music, this composition was originally written for piano. It is based on the Greek myth of Narcissus and was one of a suite of five pieces about water. It was a great success, selling over 125,000 copies of sheet music in its day. It had a revival when it was used for a light comical duet recorded by Norman Wisdom and Joyce Grenfell, and later in the 1967 debut album of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.