Local character Bernie - believed to be Father Christmas by the local children - has supplied the Orchestra with a lovely haul of new/very old records. Among forgotten bands such as Jack Payne and His Hotel Cecil Orchestra, The Savoy Havana Band and the International Novelty Orchestra, I found Carmen Miranda's exotic I, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi (I like you very much). All of these records were covered in years of dust and grime and needed a good wash. As I'm sure in real life, Carmen Miranda looked great after a bath.
The Arcadia 78 RPM Orchestra was inspired by a conversation between John Andrews of Arcadia and Stephen ‘Spoonful’ Parker at the last Port Eliot Festival. Partly as a retreat from the world of the MP3, we thought it a nice idea to broadcast 78 recordings of nature, novelty & dance band music from a time when gramophones and records could be measured by the ton. We have played festivals, weddings and parties and are available for hire.