RED ARMY ENSEMBLE SIDE A
In February and March 1963, the year of its thirty - fifth anniversary, the famous RED ARMY ENSEMBLE - chorus, dancers, and a band with instruments ranging from balalaikas and piano accordions to clarinets and trumpets-paid a triumphant return to Britain and performed to packed and enthusiastic audiences at the Royal Albert Hall and in many provincial cities.
These recordings were made a few days later, and will serve both as a souvenir for the thousands who saw their show and as permanent proof of their extraordinary brilliance, ensemble, and sheer entertainment value.
The Ensemble was founded in 1928 by Professor Alexander Alexandrov of the Moscow Conservatoire, who headed it for eighteen years until his death. He was succeeded by his son, Colonel Boris Alexand- rov, and so the name of Alexandrov has become practically synonymous with that of the Ensemble.
Its repertoire is extremely varied: it includes folk songs and popular Soviet songs, marching songs,
and soldiers' songs both old and new, as well as choral works by Russian and Western composers.
Apart from the performance of these pieces in many countries, the further aim of the organization is to develop the love of music and to encourage amateur singing and playing in the army.
In Russia the Ensemble has appeared everywhere, from the Arctic Circle to the sands of Tajikistan. It
sings at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, at big sports stadiums, on board ships, and in the country-
side. During the Second World War it entertained the soldiers on all fronts. On tour it has been heard, not only in England, but also in Bulgaria, China, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Poland and Romania, and it also won the Grand Prix at the Paris International Exhibition of 1937.