SOME of the most romantic music ever written will be performed at Felixstowe's seaside theatre this weekend.For on Saturday March 2, the Spa Pavilion will play host to The Novello Years, presented by On Song Productions incorporating Suffolk Opera.

By Richard Cornwell

SOME of the most romantic music ever written will be performed at Felixstowe's seaside theatre this weekend.

For on Saturday March 2, the Spa Pavilion will play host to The Novello Years, presented by On Song Productions incorporating Suffolk Opera.

The group performs all round East Anglia and has established a strong following in the area.

Last year the company appeared at the Spa with both its highly-successful version of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera The Mikado, and also its Old Time Music Hall show, which is set to return to the 913-seater venue this spring.

On Saturday the cast of singers will turn their attention to Ivor Novello with a very special tribute.

Novello's wonderful, sentimental tunes captured the hearts of so many people before during and after the second world war.

Born in Wales and educated at Magdalen College School, Oxford, he was a successful actor, composer, songwriter and dramatist.

His song, Keep the Home Fires Burning was one of the most successful of World War I. Many other songs, among them Dreamboat and We'll Gather Lilacs followed, making him one of the most successful songwriters of his day.

By 1921 he was appearing on stage in London enjoying great popularity.

His first play, The Rat was written in 1924 in collaboration with Constance Collier. His other work was predominantly melodramatic and romantic musicals, such as Symphony in Two Flats (1930), The Truth Game (1934), Careless Rapture (1936), The Dancing Years (1939), and Perchance To Dream (1945).

Suffolk Opera's accomplished operetta singers will perform excerpts from many of these, including The Dancing Years, Perchance to Dream, King's Rhapsody, Crest of a Wave, Glamorous Nights and Gay's the Word.

The company will return again on May 18 with its show, Let's All Go To The Musical Hall, which it has been presenting at theatres all over the region.

The show is a evening of traditional Old Time Music Hall. In full costume, complete with Master of Ceremonies, many professional Old Time artists will be portrayed, performing the old songs and comedy from a bygone age.

n Tickets for The Novello Years are £7 and £6 (concessions are available) and can be purchased from the box office on 01394 282126.