The Enchanted Hour

Does What Muzak Does, Only Better

Alonzo Church

Beautiful music, music programmed to relax people got a very bad name during the 70s (my youth) because rather bad pop (or even good pop) was drained of any bite, set to strings, and ploppped on the speakers at the department store to offend the sensibilities of anyone with a speck of hip. Which means it is hard for someone of my generation to listen to this very earnest mash up of romantic era classical favorites and operettas with a bit of an ironic smirk. That's unfair to this Enchanted half-hour. Because, once the announcer (who is sort of a mix of golf show sportscaster, and funeral director) gets out of the way, the classics, and a very good, non-shrill soprano, do their work. This music, in its way, is potent, and the mix of music (presented without commercial interruption) is quite smooth. You will not hear the greatest version of any of the classics sampled by the very good radio orchestra playing the music. But everything you do hear will be an expert arrangement, and Nancy Carr's singing is generally superb. This is great listening after, or even during, a hard day at work.