Editorial Reviews

An almost scholarly assemblage, this. Bandleader Ian Whitcomb has assembled a playlist of the music that would have been heard on the RMS Titanic during its fateful voyage (a playlist that might have been heard on any White Star Liner, in fact), closing, of course, with "Songe d'Automne," the piece being performed by the ship's orchestra as the vessel vanished beneath the waves. Added to this are "The White Star March" (an original composition), and a recitation of "The Convergence of the Twain," a poem about the disaster written by Robert Service. The songs themselves are an intriguing mixture of the familiar ("Glow-Worm," "Alexander's Ragtime Band"), and the somewhat less familiar ("Selections from the Musical Comedy, 'The Arcadians'," "That Mesmerizing Mendelssohn Tune"). Whitcomb and his group, with the Musical Murrays taking several vocal cuts, handle the performances with polish and verve. An interesting musical glance at the mystique of this particular tragedy, though some may find the idea a bit macabre. There's not a bit of it, though -- the album notes are very respectful and extremely informative, and there's an aura of good taste about the whole thing, which is more than can be said for some "Titanic" projects. Steven McDonald, All Music Guide

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