Bouquet Of Love

Percy Faith’s composing, arranging and conducting for large orchestra have done more than anything else to preserve and nourish the popularity of the orchestra. The heart of a large orchestra is the string section, just as the heart of a small combo is the woodwinds and brass. And within Percy’s orchestra the string section is his favorite, and its sound has become his trademark.

The first Percy Faith album Bouquet (CL 1322) to feature his string section was a triumph. Featuring an enormous string contingent that any major symphony orchestra would be proud to call its own — 16 first violins, 16 second violins, 8 violas and 8 cellos — the album was recorded in Columbia’s New York studio by Harold Chapman, the engineer who has supervised all Percy’s albums. Bouquet of Love is, of course, a sequel to Bouquet. To the sumptuous strings are added a number of instruments that blend into the ensemble perfectly — percussion, harp, piano, and guitar.

Once again, a huge studio has been arranged to accommodate triple banks of strings which carry great melodies and equally memorable countermelodies back and forth across the orchestra. Once again, engineer Harold Chapman was in charge. The repertoire includes some of the finest ballads America has produced. As in the first Bouquet, Percy has included some of his own compositions, this time Duet and Music Until Midnight, along with those of Richard Rodgers, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Harry Warren, Irving Berlin, Victor Young and others.

There is one change in Percy’s new orchestral bouquet. Now Percy and “Chappie” and the orchestra are all in Hollywood, where even concertmasters wear sports shirts and cellists drive larger sports cars than violinists. For Percy and for me, this second album by the Percy Faith Strings is most of all a tribute to a wonderful orchestra. The pleasure these musicians took in recording Bouquet of Love is discernible in every measure. The click of their bows on the stands is the only expression of their satisfaction we did not record. We dedicate the album to all the fine musicians listed below.

Violins
Erno Neufeld, Concertmaster—The Percy Faith Orchestra/Leonard Atkins/Israel Baker, Concertmaster—Bruno Walter/Robert Barene, Concertmaster—Walt Disney Studios/Arnold Belnick/George Berres/Joachim Chassman/Samuel Cytron/Walter Edelstein/David Frisina, Concertmaster—Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra/Sam Feed/Jacques Gasselin, Concertmaster—NBC Studios, Hollywood, California/James Getzoff/Benny Gill/Mort Herbert/Nathan Kaproff, former Concertmaster—Columbus Philharmonic/Murry Kellner/Anatol Kaminsky, Concertmaster—Revue Studios/Lou Klass/Robert Levine/Marvin Limonick/Dan Lube, Concertmaster—Warner Brothers Studios/Alfred Lustgarten/William Miller, former Concertmaster—National Symphony Orchestra/R. Marshall Moss/Alex Murray, former Concertmaster—Republic Studio/Nathan Ross/Ambrose Russo/John Santulis/Albert Saparoff/Ralph Schaeffer/Sidney Sharp/Paul Shure/Joseph Stepansky/Leon Trebacz.

Violas
Cecil Figelski, former First Viola—Baltimore Symphony Orchestra/Leroy Collins/Alvin Dinkin, First Viola—20^th Century Fox Studios/Allan Harshman, Solo Viola—MGM Studios/G. R. Menhennick/Robert Ostrowsky/Joseph Reilich/Milton Thomas, Solo Viola—Pablo Casals Festival.

Celli
George Neikrug, former Cello—Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra/Justin Di Tullio/Arman Kaproff, First Cello—Walt Disney Studio/Raphael Kramer, former First Cello—Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra/Edgar Lustgarten, former First Cello—St. Louis Symphony/David Pratt/Joseph Saxon.

Basses
Abe Luboff/Peter Mercurio

Percussion
Lou Singer

Harp
Dorothy Remsen

Piano
Raymond Turner

Guitar
Alton Hendrickson

Orchestra Manager
Bobby Helfer