WILDERWORLD

Alec Wilder and  his friend Joe Schiff having fun in the studio ACETATE TITLES (as written on labels):   01 City Nights   02 Dad    03 Italian Song German Song French Song 04 [Untitled]   05 [Untitled part 2]  06 It’s So Peaceful in the Country 07 Nancy Bogle First Part   08 Peaceful II 09 Nancy Bogle Second Part 10 Happy Valley   11 Georgian Bay   12 Opera  13 Crossword Puzzle Part 1   14 Crossword Puzzle Part 2   15 The Storm 16 Interview with Josef Schiff

The final show, # 40, originally broadcast March 30, 1978Host  Alec Wilder Co-host  Loonis McGlohonYes, that's Alec singing on If I'd Only Done What Mother Told Me To

Sometimes there is just one thing you can say about the world around you, and in that spirit Wilderworld now unleashes upon the world the mythical and hilarious If You See Kay, with words by Alec Wilder and music by Morty Palitz. This recording is from an acetate, privately waxed by Jimmy Carroll and Orchestra in 1950. It has rarely, if ever, been heard over the past 70 years.In 2011, we asked legendary publisher Howie Richmond, of TRO, about If You See Kay. He said, "I plead guilty to being 'the publisher.' It was really a joke which Alec, together with Bill Engvick, Morty Palitz and Jimmy Carroll had recorded during one of their sessions. A dub copy was given to a NYC late night disc jockey, named Jack Eigen who had a show at the Paradise Restaurant on the mezzanine floor of the Brlll building. His format was to introduce new releases via advance pressings, requesting the audience to call in and offer their opinions. "Some of the listeners caught on to the title and that evening there was a genuine commotion. Within a day or two it was gone and forgotten, and Mr. Eigen ceased auditioning new releases."Bill Engvick's recollection of the song was, "It was played on the air just once, and the switchboard lit up with furious listeners. I resented their waste of a nice tune, so TRO published it under the title If You See Jean."Enjoy!Don't miss the 35th Annual Friends of Alec Wilder Concert on November 7, 2020 at 2p EST. You can watch this year's performances from the comfort of your home! See the photo for more details, and go to www.alecwildermusicandlife.com to find the link to the Concert on Youtube, when it is posted.

Music by Alec Wilder, from the film Open the Door and See All the People by Jerome HillOrchestra conducted by Samuel BaronSIDE A - 1. I See It Now 2. 5/4 Dance 3. Love Is When 4. Bill’s Theme 5. Taylor Mead Theme 6. Hat In Sky 7. Potted Palm #1 8. Potted Palm #2 9. Gypsy Theme 10. Recorder and Bass Duet 11. Steak Chase 12. Vespa WaltzSIDE B – 1. Platform Dance (Two Versions) 2. Astroillogical Parlor 3. Chase Through Woods 4. Mimosa’s Solitude 5. Lonely Girl 6. Mimosa and Me 7. Unbelievable (Two Versions) 8. Mimosa’s Paris Dance 9. Potted Palm #3 10. Dance for B.B.How many melodies can you pick out that later became Wilder songs?The film, from a script originally titled Peacock Feathers, can be seen at https://vimeo.com/channels/223455/121184030The first draft of the script can be found at http://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00565/pdfa/mstpeacock.pdf

Performed by the Eastman Orchestra, Rochester, New YorkDon't miss the 34th annual FRIENDS OF ALEC WILDER CONCERT on Saturday October 12, 2019 at 3 p.m. at St. Peter's Church, 619 Lexington Avenue in New York CitySee photo for detailsSee you there!

Recorded in early April 1976, with a broadcast date of October 3, 1976, it's American Popular Song Show #1! This is the first show NPR listeners heard, and, for many, their first exposure to Alec Wilder Singer Barbara Lea joins Alec and Loonis for a lively exploration of the pastoral songs of Willard Robison (1894-1968), "a strange, indigenous talent"All songs by Willard Robison, exceptPlenty Good Enough For Me lyrics by Loonis McGlohon, music by Alec WilderMel Alexander plays bass, Tony Cooper drums. Clarinet on Deep Ellum Blues by Bob MitchellThank you, SCETV, original producer of this great series! Please consider re-running it again!For an illuminating contemporaneous look at American Popular Song radio show #1 see https://www.nytimes.com/1976/10/01/archives/radio-alec-wilder-and-the-art-of-pop-song.html “Songs are part of my emotional being. And I'm not ashamed of it at all. I've written half a ton of concert music. It's an entirely different point of view. And yet I go back to songs like I go back to an old friend, to a garden, to a fireplace, to a cat that's come back after being away.” – Alec WilderDon't miss the 33rd Annual FRIENDS OF ALEC WILDER CONCERT at the Shapeshifter Lab, 18 Whitwell Place in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday, September 16, 2018! See the photo for detailsAlec Lives!

A rare example of Alec Wilder singing his own song, accompanied on piano by Loonis McGlohon, recorded October 8, 1975Words by Arnold Sundgaard, Music by Alec WilderFrom the musical play Western Star, originally titled The Wind Blows Free and based upon the Book of JobPhoto of Alec and Loonis taken February 1970 by Elmer Horton

Words and Music by Alec Wilder (and, on this record only, "S. Murphy")The 33rd annual Friends of Alec Wilder Concert will take place on Sunday, September 16, 2018 at the Shapeshifter Lab, 18 Whitwell Place in Brooklyn, New York at 3 p.m. Be there!

Words by William Engvick, Music by Alec Wilder. By Jimmy Boyd with the Norman Luboff Choir.This is an acetate of a never-released Columbia Records recording featuring child singing star Boyd, and produced by Mitch Miller. Very timely tune!Today marks the 10th Anniversary of the day I started the Wilderworld podcast! Thank you to all who have come here over the past decade to enjoy Alec's music. It is gratifying to have had the opportunity to share my extensive Wilder collection with tens of thousands of music appreciators around the world.As a candidate for the San Francisco School Board in the November 8 election, I hope wherever you are you make sure to get out and vote. Especially if you're in San Francisco and voting for me! Rob Geller for SF School Board! Rob4sfSchoolBoard2016.wordpress.com

A Cantata for The TheatreText by William Engvick, Music by Alec Wilder Miss Chicken Little was broadcast on CBS' Omnibus television program on December 27, 1953 Jo Sullivan as Miss Chicken Little, with Charlotte Rae and Jim Hawthorne Recording is from a live soundstage air check acetate disc At 7:29 the missing line is, "It was just an acorn," sung by one of the hens The late, great wordsmith of this remarkable production, William Clark Engvick, was born on July 1, 1914, 100 years ago today. Happy birthday, Bill! Obituary: William Engvick, Lyricist for Musicals and Popular Songs, Dies at 98William Engvick, witty and eloquent writer of musicals from the Golden Age of Television, and lyrics for such popular songs as The Song from Moulin Rouge (Where is Your Heart), Moon and Sand and While We’re Young, died September 4, 2012 in Oakland, California following a brief illness. He was 98.Engvick, known largely for his many collaborations with eclectic composer Alec Wilder, contributed lyrics to musical versions of Pinocchio and Hansel and Gretel, which aired nationally on NBC Television in the late 1950s, and featured music by Wilder. Some of the top Broadway talent of the day starred in these live productions, including Barbara Cook, Mickey Rooney, Fran Allison, Red Buttons and Stubby Kaye. Met opera star Rise Stevens sang Hansel and Gretel’s Evening Song (Soft Through the Woodland), a typically tender and heartfelt Engvick creation.As a writer during the peak of the American Popular Song era, Engvick’s mellifluous words filled the mouths of many of the leading singers of the day, from Peggy Lee and Mel Torme to Marlene Dietrich and Johnnie Ray. In 1965, Frank Sinatra recorded Wilder and Engvick’s I See It Now, an autobiographical song with a memorable first stanza that helped put the lyricist’s hometown of Oakland on the map: “That year in Oakland High / When I was 17 / The grass from there to San Jose / Was high and cool and green / I see it now.” “It was just something that I wanted to write about myself, a true memory piece. The grass really was high and cool and green,” recalled Engvick, who thought Sinatra was attracted to the “touch of seriousness” about the song, and by the line “‘loves have come and gone,’ because that’s precisely what happened to him.”Called upon frequently by Mitch Miller, head of A&R at Columbia Records and Engvick’s friend and neighbor in Stony Point, New York, Engvick penned such popular tunes as Kiss and Run, Bonnie Blue Gal, Follow Me, All Yours, I’ll Remember Today and Make It Soon. In the last years before rock’n’roll began to dominate the musical landscape, he tirelessly churned out material for many Columbia artists, including Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Don Cherry, Liberace and Jo Stafford.Engvick’s greatest commercial success came with The Song from Moulin Rouge (Where is Your Heart), an English rewrite of a French song introduced by Zsa Zsa Gabor in the award-winning John Huston film Moulin Rouge. Percy Faith’s recording of it, with Felicia Sanders singing Engvick's lyric, bewitched the radio airwaves throughout the summer of 1953, holding the Number One spot on the Billboard charts for 10 weeks straight. The song inspired sales of over one million copies of sheet music, and has been performed and recorded by hundreds of artists. Many of Engvick’s assignments were, in fact, to write English words for tunes that had gained popularity in Europe sung in a foreign tongue. Engvick's version usually ended up telling a very different story from the original. “I never learned a foreign language, and didn’t want to know what the original words meant,” said Engvick. “I always started from scratch.” Among the titles he rewrote was Anna, from the movie of the same name, which had been a hit Spanish record for actress Silvana Mangano. The irresistible song about a girl who desires to dance the Bayon hit piano racks across America as a song about a heartbreaker named Anna who’s “got to be kissed.”Engvick’s various musical collaborators included such luminaries as Cole Porter – their It’s Just Like the Good Old Days was written for Porter’s Broadway-bound musical comedy Mexican Hayride, but went unused – Les Paul, Mark Laub, Roy Kral, Bob Thompson and Edith Piaf, but Engvick said his most satisfying work had always been with Wilder.Engvick and Wilder first met in 1939 when an agent brought Engvick’s revue Ladies and Gents to the attention of the singular composer, who declared it to be “fresh air” and quickly came up with melodies to match the captivating words. A prolific writing team was born. Over the next three decades, Wilder and Engvick wrote musicals, operas and dozens of songs, at least two of which, Moon and Sand and While We’re Young, written in the early ‘40s with Morty Palitz, remain ubiquitous jazz standards to this day. Other well-known Engvick and Wilder songs include The Lady Sings the Blues, I Like It Here, The April Age, Who Can I Turn To? and Crazy in the Heart. Wilder, who praised Engvick as a master of the “singing line,” maintained that the writer James Thurber “became obsessed with While We’re Young and claimed it was one of the finest pieces of English writing he had ever heard.” Although Ladies and Gents was never produced – it came tantalizingly close to a Broadway run – Engvick and Wilder did manage to stage small-scale productions of their operas The Long Way and Miss Chicken Little. The latter, a hilarious take on the classic tale of mass hysteria, was picked up by the prestigious CBS Omnibus television program, which broadcast it in December 1953 with Jo Sullivan Loesser in the title role. Engvick also wrote lyrics for Omnibus’ American premiere of Sleeping Beauty in the Woods, with music by Ottorino Respighi. Together Engvick and Wilder contributed songs to a 1955 off-Broadway production of Once Over Lightly starring Zero Mostel.At one point Engvick and Wilder were summoned to Hollywood to write songs for the film Daddy Long Legs, but after several months of work a regime change caused the material, which Wilder characterized as being “the very best set of songs we ever wrote,” to be shelved. One of the duo’s most far-reaching and beloved collaborations was on Lullabies and Night Songs, an entrancing book of children’s songs lavishly illustrated by Maurice Sendak and published on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1960s. Engvick edited the book and provided lyrics to several songs. In 1990, Jackie and Roy dedicated their CD An Alec Wilder Collection to Engvick, calling him “a terrific, intuitive man with a kind heart, gentle soul and the gift of being able to fashion meaningful, poetic lyrics to lovely, though sometimes difficult, melodies.” Engvick cited Remember, My Child, written with Wilder for Jackie, as his favorite of the many songs he composed.The only child of Clarence and Sadie Engvick, William Clark Engvick was born in Oakland, California on July 1, 1914. Growing up in the shadow of the construction of the huge, elegant Grand Lake Theatre, which he attended on opening day, proved to be a major influence on Bill's career path. He frequently attended performances by such favorite local, soon-to-be-national acts as Horace Heidt and his Musical Knights, and quickly developed a strong interest in music and theater. As a teen he created meticulously-detailed, scale models of the stages and prosceniums of all of Oakland's large theatres. While a student at UC Berkeley, Bill achieved some noteriety with his madcap revue In Your Hat, for which he wore many hats, including writer, director, actor, piano player and composer of music. Later in life, moving back-and-forth between Oakland and New York, Engvick always kept one foot in the theater, his first love, writing skits, directing and acting in local productions by the Gaslight Troupers and Straw Hat Revue in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the late 1940s, Engvick briefly tried his hand at radio dramas, penning scripts for CBS’ The Whistler and Silver Theatre.More recently, Engvick wrote songs with longtime friend and Broadway actor Gordon Connell, of Hello Dolly, Big River, and Julius Monk revue fame, and authored lyrics for several new songs based on melodies sourced from Wilder’s film music and ground-breaking Octets.Active well into his 90s, Engvick famously advised that “if you can’t write a million-dollar song, write a million songs at a dollar a try.”by Rob Geller

Libretto by Arnold Sundgaard, Music by Alec WilderWritten in 1952Performed May 16 & 17, 1963 in Dolton, Illinois at the Thornridge High School Spring MusicaleChorus and Orchestra under the direction of John PearceBetty Smith as Dorie Davis, Paul Maddux as Johhny Dee"The Lowland Sea was written as a remembering of the sea and sea songs - of dunes, of harbors, of voyaging, of loneliness, of waiting. It is hoped that it will seem familiar to anyone who has walked (or wanted to walk) the streets of Nantucket, or has waited for the evening mail boat at Ocracoke. Some of it was suggested by drawings and prints of ships like the Witch of the Waves out of Salem. Part of it comes from a nursery song, Bobby Shaftoe, which has been given a new musical setting for this occasion. The words for The Cuckoo are very old, but the music is new."Happy Birthday Alec Wilder, who should have been 107 years old today!

All music and words by Alec Wilder unless otherwise indicatedOctets introduced by Mike McGinnis and played by the Four BagsSuch a Tender NightDance Man Buys a FarmLittle Girl Grows UpJack, This is My HusbandThe Four Bags are Brian Drye trombone, Jacob Garchik accordion, Sean Moran guitar and Mike McGinnis clarinetPopular songs by Hilary Kole piano and vocal with Gene Bertoncini guitarWhile We're Young with Morty Palitz, words by Bill EngvickBlackberry Winter words by Loonis McGlohonThe Lady Sings the Blues words by EngvickMoon and Sand with Palitz words by EngvickSuch a Lonely Girl Am IA Child is Born music by Thad JonesI'll Be AroundThanks to David Litofsky for the recording of Part 2Pictured is the cover of Philip Lambert's outstanding book on the music of Alec Wilder, published in 2013 by University of Illinois Press. Buy a copy or two!

New York City April 14, 2013 Honorary Host and piano Aaron GandyAll music by Alec Wilder and words by William Engvick, except as notedMimosa and MeSong from Moulin Rouge (Where is Your Heart), music by Georges AuricI See It NowSo Long to All That, from the unproduced musical Chance of a Ghost'Tain't a Fit Night Out The Long WayWalking Home in SpringIt's a Fine Day for Walkin' Country StyleSingers include Juliette Trafton, Dewey Caddell, Merrill Grant, Chris Ware and Aaron Gandy, Dennis Michael Keefe upright bassVocalise #1 (1971), Small Suite (1960), Answer to a Poem (1979), Air for Flute (1945)Paul Lustig Dunkel, flute, Barbara Lee, piano

Bill Engvick delivered this speech at the annual Alec Wilder Concert in New York on April 22, 2001While We're Young performed by Melinda Dillon from the soundtrack to Staying Together, a Hemdale film, 1989Pictured are Engvick and Wilder in Stony Point, NY, March 1952 Photo by Fran MillerHappy Birthday Alec Wilder, who was born 106 years ago on February 16Be sure to attend the 28th Annual Friends of Alec Wilder Concert on April 14, 2013 at 120 W. 69th Street, New York, at 3 p.m. Among those performing will be Hilary Kole, Aaron Gandy and the Four Bags. A Tribute to William Engvick is planned. See you there!

Words by Bill Engvick, Music by Alec WilderPerformed by Mabel Mercer with Buddy Barnes, pianoFrom An Evening with Mabel Mercer and Bobby Short, broadcast on PBS Television December 1972Thank you Mark WalterSee also wilderworld 68

Words by William Engvick (pictured), Music and Orchestration by Alec WilderPerformed by Eileen Farrell with Mitch Miller conducting the CBS Symphony, August 29, 1946My love took wings and flew awayIn the morningIn the morningSaid "I'll be back on SaturdayIn the morning"He wore his suit with wings of goldIn the morningIn the morningAnd three big coats for up there it's coldIn the morningHe made a joke like he always didIn the morningIn the morningHe kissed me and said "So long kid!"In the morningHe took the stick and off he wentIn the morningIn the morningLooked as if he were heaven bentIn the morningI thought I never saw the skyIn the morningIn the morningLook so far and blue and highIn the morningI went back to the house on Dover StreetIn the morningIn the morningAnd thoughts of him came sad and sweet:Wore his suit with wings of goldThree big coats, up there it's coldMade a joke like he always didKissed me and said "So long kid!"Took the stick and off he wentLooked as if he were heaven bentSaturday I woke at fiveIn the morningIn the morningFelt more dead than I felt aliveIn the morningI went down to the field where nothing growsIn the morningIn the morningAnd people were saying "She already knows"In the morningI can never lift my eyes againTo see those Saturday skies againIn the morningIn the morningWritten in 1942Rest in peace my dear friend Bill Engvick, who lived to see 98 years worth of mornings

Sonata No. 3 for Bassoon and Piano in Five Movements, played by Carl Rath, bassoon and Jeongwon Ham, pianoI Like It Here words by Bill Engvick, The Sounds Around the House words by Johnny Mercer, Photographs words by Fran Landesman, The Winter of My Discontent, Moon and Sand words by Engvick, Where Is the One? music by Eddie Finckel words by Alec Wilder, I See It Now words by Engvick, Blackberry Winter with Loonis McGlohon, Summer Is a-Comin' In words by Marshall Barer, I'll Be Around performed by Eric Comstock, vocals and piano, Barbara Fasano, vocals, Gene Bertoncini, guitar and Joe Wilder, trumpetPictured: Mr. and Mrs. Joe Wilder at the Concert

New York City April 15, 2012All words and music by Alec Wilder unless otherwise indicatedBob Levy introduces Honorary Guest Host Joe WilderIf Someday Comes Ever Again words by Johnny Mercer, Ellen and Lovers and Losers words by Bill Engvick, arranged by Roger Wesby and performed by The SalvatonesSuite for Piano I Movement 3, Suite for Piano III Movement 3, Hardy Suite Movements 1 and 3, Suite for Piano II Movement 1, Un Deuxieme Essai Movements 1 and 6, Suite for Piano IV Movements 1 and 4, Sonata Fantasy Movements 2 and 4, performed by John Noel Roberts, piano (pictured)Recording and photos by David Litofsky - Thanks!

All music by Alec Wilder except as indicatedLove Among the Young, Walk Pretty, Night Talk, Blue Fool, It's a Fine Day for Walking Country Style - John Carlson trumpet, John Dirac guitar, Douglas Yates bass clarinetPhotographs (words by Fran Landesman), Whistle Stop (music by Hugh Martin, developed by Alec Wilder), While We're Young (words by William Engvick, music by Alec Wilder and Morty Palitz), I'll Be Around (words and music by Alec Wilder) - Kathleen Landis vocal and piano, Bob Levy trumpet and MC (pictured)

April 10 in New York brought another rich and varied presentation of the extraordinary music of Alec Wilder Air for Oboe and Strings oboe Rita Mitsel, piano Maria Dessena When You Are Old (poem by W. B. Yeats), The Moon (Percy Bysshe Shelley), Suddenly (based upon the poem Everyone Sang by Siegfried Sassoon) vocal Carla Wesby, piano Barbara LeeSonata No. 1 for Tuba and Piano tuba Michael Salzman, piano Barbara Lee (pictured)I Moderato II Allegro III Andante IV AllegroAll music by Alec Wilder

Composed by Alec Wilder for a production of the play Pantagleize by Michel de Ghelderode at Jerome Hill's 3rd Annual Festival de Cassis in Cassis, France, August 1966Performed by the New York Woodwind Quintet: Samuel Baron flute, Ronald Roseman oboe, Ralph Froelich french horn, David Glazer clarinet and Arthur Weisberg bassoonAlec's notes to Jerome: “I wrote a suite keeping in mind your point of ‘les folies.’ Three of the four movements I and Sam [Baron] feel convey this spirit. The only problem will be the style of drumming in Bamboola’s song. It must be straight jazz. I wrote that song and the Lullaby in high keys in keeping with the indications in the play that both are sung in a high hysterical voice. "Bamboola’s song is fiendishly difficult for one not familiar with scat singing. However strict adherence to the notes is not essential. “The Lullaby, since the playwright indicates that Pantagleize should sing it in a high voice, is accompanied in a rather petulantly Poulenc fashion. I have, however, added a Glockenspiel two octaves above the voice so that the singer (actor) won’t have too much difficulty maintaining the melody (which is simple and which later is played simply). The soldier’s song is very simple. I picked a middle baritone range, figuring the average male voice would find it comfortable.“The percussionist should bring the following instruments: Bass drum, Snare drum, Tenor drum, Glockenspiel, Suspended cymbal (large), A variety of mallets, Triangle. There might be a chime.”

All music by Alec Wilder1 Song for Carol written 19682 Suite No 2 for Tuba and Piano (Jesse's Suite) 19643 Suite No 3 for Tuba and Piano (Little Harvey Suite) 19664 Suite No 4 for Tuba and Piano (Thomas Suite) 19685 Suite No 5 for Tuba and Piano (Ethan Ayer Suite) 1963All Suites contain four movementsHarvey Phillips, tuba; Bernie Leighton, pianoFrom LP Harvey Phillips: Alec Wilder's Tribute to the Phillips family... (Golden Crest RE 7054)R.I.P Harvey Phillips, a giant in the world of tuba and the world of Wilder

All words and music by Alec Wilder except as indicatedMilwaukee words by Marshall Barer, performed by Kitty Kallen (Mercury 5315 1949)Walkin' Sad music by Loonis McGlohon, sung by Mark Murphy from LP Songs of Alec Wilder (JJA 19795 1979)Walk Pretty words by Fran Landesman, performed by Jackie and Roy recorded in 1976 from CD Echoes (Jazzed Media 2007)Will You Come for a Walk with Me? words by Marshall Barer, performed by Mike Stewart with Mitch Miller and Orchestra (Golden R-288 1956)It's a Fine Day for Walkin' Country Style words by William Engvick, sung by Jo Sullivan and Jim Hawthorne from the CBS production of Miss Chicken Little broadcast December 27, 1953Walk Softly performed by Mundell Lowe and his Orchestra from LP New Music of Alec Wilder (Riverside RLP 12-219 1956)I'd Gladly Walk to Alaska words by Arnold Sundgaard, recorded in 1960, sung by Kathleen Murray from LP Kittiwake Island (Blue Pear 1003 1983)

aka BarbaraComposed by Alec WilderPerformed by Mitch Miller on English Horn with Percy Faith and his Orchestra from the LP Music Till Midnight (Columbia CL 551)wilderworld is saddened by the death last week of Mitch Miller at the great age of 99. No one was more important to the success of Alec Wilder than Mitch, who championed and sustained Alec and his music from day one

Words by Bill Engvick, Music by Alec WilderI See It Now, Ellen and I Like It Here sung by Jack CarrollThe April Age and The Lady Sings the Blues by Elaine Delmar from LP Elaine Sings Wilder (Columbia Records SX 6044 1966) Lovers and Losers sung by Marlene VerPlanckThe full title of this LP, produced in a small quantity by The Richmond Organization, publishers of much of the music of Alec Wilder, is "Songs for Peggy Lee / Sinatra / Ella / Tony Bennett and singers like that..." Sinatra recorded I See It Now on the LP September of My Years (Reprise F-1014 1965), Tony Bennett has performed The Lady Sings the BluesHappy 96th Birthday Bill Engvick!

Composed by Alec Wilder in 1979Paul Lustig Dunkel flute, Stephen Hart clarinet, Harrison Hollingsworth bassoonAnother selection from the 25th Annual Friends of Alec Wilder Concert on April 11, 2010Recorded by David LitofskyPhoto by Lou Ouzer

Libretto by Arnold Sundgaard, Music by Alec WilderWritten in 1953"Sunday Excursion has been written specifically as a companion piece for those operas, serious in tone but modest in length, which demand a curtain-raiser for their effective presentation. Serving, as it does, the function of welcoming the audience to the theater, it strives to achieve, through the character of its music and story, a lightness of touch and a friendliness of tone."Performed April 11, 2010 at the 25th Annual Friends of Alec Wilder Concert by Aaron Gandy conductor, piano; Maria Dessena piano; David Auxier, Michael Batusic, Sara Delaney, Tessa Faye and Chris Vaughn vocalsRecorded by David Litofsky (thank you!)

Words and Music by Alec WilderWritten in 1968Sung by Marlene VerPlanck with the Loonis McGlohon Trio (see wilderworld 107) From LP JJA Presents the Music of Alec Wilder (JJA 19795B 1979)Originally recorded for the American Popular Song radio programMs. VerPlanck (pictured above) will be the Host of the 25th annual Friends of Alec Wilder Concert in New York on Sunday, April 11 at 3 pm at the Christ and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 120 West 69th Street. This year's program will include performances of the Trio for Flute, Clarinet and Bassoon and the one-act opera Sunday Excursion. Tickets will be available at the door

Composed by Alec WilderFrom LP Barry Snyder Piano (Golden Crest RE-7058)"Until Barry Snyder played the pieces he has recorded here, I had never heard them. I wrote them for a friend who though I'm sure was grateful and even enthusiastic about my having written them for her, never got around to performing them."A number of years have elapsed since I wrote them, along with perhaps thirty others. So by the time I finally heard them, I had concluded they were inadequate and unworthy of performance."I'm still uncertain of their validity but when I hear Mr. Snyder play them, he does so with such extraordinary tenderness, strength, acuity and maturity that at least while he is playing them I do believe in their validity."It is a great honor and I am particularly delighted that he has recorded these pieces. For now, when my self-confidence drops to a new low I can quickly put this record on and regain quite a bit of it."Photo by Lou OuzerHappy 103rd Birthday Alec Wilder!!

Words by William Webster aka Marshall Barer, Music by Conrad Miller aka Alec WilderIssued as Columbia 39001Recorded September 1950

The Reindeers' Dance Music by Alec Wilder (Golden LGR2B)Pull Together Words by Marshall Barer, Music by Alec Wilder (Golden LGR3F)

Words by Alec Wilder, Music by Eddie FinckelRecorded August 1946"The pert rhythm harmonies of the De Marco Sisters spin out with much attraction for the tuneful riff rhythm ditty, Ready to Go Steady, with plenty of bounce quality to both the lyrical blend and the instrumental beat of the studio men, directed by Phil Davis." -Record Review, The Billboard, February 1, 1947

Composed by Alec Wilder1st Moderate2nd Song3rd With Good Humor4th Swing A LittleFrom Mirafone presents Deskants and Tubens, featuring Members of the Horn Club of Los Angeles (Mirafone SZB-3216 7" for demonstration only, excerpted from LP Angel S-36036) Conducted by Gunther Schuller"Wilder's Nonet for Brass was composed in the spring, 1969. Direct and to the point, it readily invites listening of the most pleasurable kind. It has been described as a spectacular tour de force for the instruments, including two 'descant' (high F) horns, two normal French Horns, four Wagner Tubens and bass tuba"

Words by Edward Lear, Music by Alec WilderFrom LP Puff the magic dragon and Other Songs (Golden LP 149) Originally issued as Little Golden Record 25, featuring Anne Lloyd, Mitchell Miller and OrchestraWhen visiting Children's Fairyland in Oakland, California, be sure to insert your Magic Key in the Storybook Box at the Owl and the Pussycat attraction to hear this recording of Alec Wilder's The Owl and the Pussycat Pictured above: The Turkey who Lives on the Hill and friends

Words by Arnold Sundgaard, Music by Alec Wilder (see wilderworld 91)From LP Chris Connor and Maynard Ferguson Two's Company (Roulette R-52068) Connor vocal, Ferguson trumpet Recorded December 22, 1960R.I.P. Chris Connor, the wonderful singer who died on August 28 at the age of 81. Ms. Connor also recorded masterful renditions of The Lady Sings the Blues (see wilderworld 70) and Trouble is a Man Pictured above: Wilder writings found on the back of a folded up letter circa 1940s

Words and Music by Alec WilderPerhaps the only version of this oft-recorded song to include an opening verse (not composed by Wilder)See wilderworld 73“The Castaleers*** I’ll Be Around – Felsted 8585 –Okay reading of the old Mills Brothers hit.Some coin possible. (Regent, BMI)”-Billboard Reviews of New Pop Records, August 24, 1959

Elegie to a Pet RobinAire for TrumpetRock Without Rollin'A Dream Takes Only a MinuteWritten and scored by Alec WilderFrom LP Station Breaks (Golden Crest CR 3034), conducted by Jack Zimmermann"Station Breaks--One Minute Spots--were planned originally as a professional music service to disk jockeys. All of the original compositions in this album are precisely 60 seconds in length. They were especially written to be used as musical 'fillers' when needed to complete a segment of air time on a radio program. There are times when even the most glib disk jockey finds himself at a loss for words and is delighted to be helped out by dependable compositions such as these."

From director Dick Phipps' Columbia, South Carolina lakeside living room it's Alec Wilder and Loonis McGlohon with another complete one hour episode of their great American Popular Song radio show! This episode, number 21, originally aired on February 20, 1977 and features guest vocalist Carrie SmithThe Lady Sings the Blues written in 1956, Words by William Engvick, Music by Alec Wilder (see wilderworld 70)Please note that although Loonis suggests - and Alec assents - that The Lady Sings the Blues was written "in honor of" Billie Holiday, Mr. Engvick has told wilderworld that the song "was completely made up and did not refer to her at all." Clearly the title was lifted from the famous biography of Ms. Holiday (as confirmed by Alec) but according to Engvick: "I didn't know that singer [Holiday] was called 'Lady,' and it was not about her because I never listened to her!" wilderworld extends the Happiest of Birthday greetings to Bill Engvick, master of the "singing line," who today is 95 years young

Words by Ben Ross Berenberg, Music by Alec WilderThis wilderworld episode is dedicated to the memory of Louis "Looey" Geller July 15, 1955 - June 13, 2009

Composed by Alec Wilder in 1958From notes by Samuel Baron:  "Quintet No. 3 is...energetic and angular in its outer movements but it has a characteristic Wilder tenderness in the second movement and characteristic Wilder whimsy in the Scherzo.  The original meaning of Scherzo is 'joke' and this particular Scherzo has a joke within a joke.  I refer to the section in the middle where the tempo suddenly doubles and assumes a rakish, strutting gait, not a little Chaplinesque.  Towards the end of the third movement and in the fourth movement again, there appears a thematic phenomenon not usually associated with the style of Alec Wilder - a twelve-tone row!  Dodecaphonic musicologists give careful attention!" 

This year’s concert in New York was yet another rich and moving presentation of the varied musical talents of Alec Wilder. Here are some highlights from an afternoon of wondrous performancesAll words and music by Alec Wilder except as notedMovements I, III and IV from Suite No. 2 for Tenor Saxophone and Strings (for Zoot Sims 1966) and Movement III from Suite No. 1 for Tenor Saxophone and Strings (for Stan Getz) [see wilderworld 88] David Demsey saxophone, Billy Test pianoEvening Song (Soft Through the Woodland) from Hansel and Gretel; words by William Engvick; Kristin Parker and Adrian Li Donni vocals, Aaron Gandy piano Nothing is Working Quite Right from Kittiwake Island [see wilderworld 80] words by Arnold Sundgaard; David Auxier, Michelle McConnell and Duane McDevitt vocals, Aaron Gandy piano, Mike McGinnis clarinetListen to Your Heart words by Engvick, Douglas Mountain words by Sundgaard; Mike McGinnis clarinet, Mike Fahn trombone, Sean Moran guitar I'll Be Around singalong led by Jackie Cain, piano by Maria Dessena (pictured above)The host was John Biderman. Thank you Tom Hampson, Judy Bell and all the Friends of Alec Wilder for continuing to produce these nourishing shows year after year Alec Lives!

Composed by Alec WilderPaul Brodie saxophone, James Campbell clarinetTranscribed from Suite for Two Clarinets written in 1976From LP Paul Brodie and Camerata (Golden Crest CRS 4194) Fibre Sculpture "Enchanted Forest" by Rima BrodieRecorded April 1980"This suite exploits some of the similarities and differences between the sonorities of the clarinet and saxophone, heard separately and together. The first and second movements are in 4/4 time, the third movement is in 5/8, 3/4 and 7/8 time and is marked 'Freely'. The fourth movement is in a slow 3/4 time and the fifth and sixth movements are in 6/8 time"Don't miss the 24th annual Alec Wilder Concert in New York City coming up on Saturday, April 4th, 3:00 p.m. at St. Peter's Church, 54th and Lexington. Among the performances will be saxophonist and author David Demsey playing Wilder's Suite No. 1 for Tenor Saxophone, aka Three Ballads for Stan (Getz) (see wilderworld 88) Tickets available at the door. See you there!

Words by Marshall Barer, Music by Alec WilderWritten in 1955From LP Bernie Knee (Audiophile AP-144) Knee vocal, Loonis McGlohon piano, Terry Lassiter bass and Jim Lackey drums. Recorded November 1977 for the American Popular Song radio program"Absolutely marvelous, all of you!" - Alec Wilder Happy 102nd Birthday Alec!!

Words by William Engvick, Music by Alec WilderWritten in 1945Recorded August 1950

All words and music by Alec Wilder except as indicatedTacet for Neurotics from LP New Music of Alec Wilder (Riverside RLP 12-219 1956) [for complete track see wilderworld 36]Air for Clarinet from LP The New York Woodwind Quintet Plays Alec Wilder (Golden Crest CR 3019 1957)Animals of Farmer Jones (Golden 13A 1948) Words by Jane WernerAir for English Horn from LP Frank Sinatra Conducts the Music of Alec Wilder (Columbia ML 4271 1950) 1 Dans Quixotic, 2 Slow and Sweet, 3 Song movements of Suite for Horn and Piano from LP John Barrows and his French Horn (Golden Crest RE 7002 1960) [see wilderworld 47]Christmas & Sugaring Off from 10" LP The Grandma Moses Suite (Columbia ML 2185 1951) Developed and orchestrated by Alec Wilder from the musical score by Hugh MartinDid You Ever Cross Over to Sneden's from LP Shannon Bolin Songs for Patricia (Riverside RLP 12-805 1957)Lonely Seascape, Incantation & Finale from LP Music from The Sand Castle (Columbia CL 1455 1961)Love Among the Young from LP Jennie Young Love Among the Young (Columbia CL 1242 1959) Words by Norman Gimbel

A Personality Portrait of Alec Wilder was written and produced by Loonis McGlohon for WBT Radio in Charlotte, North CarolinaThe first of many collaborations between Wilder and McGlohon, who was Musical Director at WBT for several years. All words and music by Alec Wilder except as notedI’ll Be Around from LP Percy Faith and Mitch Miller It’s So Peaceful in the Country (Columbia CL 779 1956) [see wilderworld 73]Seldom the Sun by the Alec Wilder Octet (Columbia 35648 1940) Recorded July 1940 [same personnel as wilderworld 09]Tuba Showpiece aka Movement III of Suite No. 1 for Brass Quintet from LP New York Brass Quintet Presents Two Contemporary Composers (Golden Crest 4017 1959)The Happy Man and His Dump Truck (Golden Records R54 1950) Words by Marshall BarerAir for Oboe from LP Frank Sinatra Conducts the Music of Alec Wilder (Columbia ML 4271 1950) Recorded December 5, 1945 [see wilderworld 39]Mama Never Dug This Scene from LP Mundell Lowe and his Orchestra New Music of Alec Wilder (Riverside RLP 12-219 1956) While We’re Young by Peggy Lee and Dave Barbour (Capitol 1683 1949) Words by William Engvick, Music by Alec Wilder and Morty Palitz [see wilderworld 50]Trouble is a Man by Sarah Vaughan with the Ted Dale Orchestra (Musicraft 533 1947) [see wilderworld 60]Definition from LP Shannon Bolin Songs for Patricia (Riverside RLP 12-805 1957) Words by William EngvickWhere Is the One? from LP Frank Sinatra Where Are You? (Capitol W 855 1957) Words by Alec Wilder, Music by Eddie Finckel; Recorded April 10, 1957 [see wilderworld 126] Photo is of Alec and Loonis at Freedom Park in Charlotte in the early 1960s during filming of a television program with the Newcomers student singing group

"Alec Wilder gives us short, pleasant to listen to pieces which amount to three songs and a march"Written in 1962Burt Hardin, professor of Horn at Eastern Illinois University, plays all four parts with the aid of modern multi-track recording technology. "If I have any recommendation for anyone contemplating such a project, it is to hire a recording studio and three other horn players. It is much easier in the long run!"

Two examples of Alec Wilder songs rewritten to make them more appealing to childrenKalamazoo to Timbuktu (see wilderworld 38) from Songs of Travel (Golden Record Library RL 9911 1959) Song of the Sparrow (Golden R343 1956); see wilderworld 48

Words by Fred Hellerman, Music by Alec Wilder From LP An Evening with Carol Lawrence (Cameo C-1077) Written in 1953 wilderworld recently asked Mr. Hellerman, one of The Weavers of folk legend, about how his unlikely collaboration with Alec on Summer Rain came about: “Summer Rain has the distinction of being the only song I ever wrote for which I didn't write the music. It's nowhere near being a ‘folky’ type song, but was written as a pop ballad. It came about, oddly enough, when I had read the comments at the graveside of the Rosenbergs by their lawyer, who hoped that the ‘summer rains fall gently on this spot.’ I was very moved by it and wrote a pop lyric around it. “I gave it to my then-publisher who left it lying around on his desk. Alec Wilder happened to see it, loved it and asked if he could write some music to it. Being a fan of Alec's, I was terribly flattered and excited at the prospect. “It's hard for me to say what I felt about what he did. As I said, I never before had anybody else write music for a lyric of mine and so I was quite taken aback by it, inasmuch as it was so far from anything I had imagined. But then again, I had absolutely no experience hearing what music someone else might write to a song of mine. I'm not sure what it is that I had in mind, but this was quite different. Not bad, but different. “In any case, nothing ever happened with it. There was one record of it by Carol Lawrence on some cockamaymee record label. I think it may have sold less than 10 records and then zoomed into oblivion. “I never knew Alec. I had casually met him several times but never got to know him, so I had to settle for admiring him from afar. But I'm certainly glad to have my name associated with him albeit in some small way.”

Music by Alec WilderFrom LP Presenting Robert Farnon (London LL 812); Denny Vaughan, piano, with Robert Farnon and his orchestraRecorded January 27, 1950aka From Dawn to Dusk