Hyperion Records

Leon Jessel (1871–1942) was born in Stettin in eastern Germany (now Szczecin in Poland) and became a theatre conductor and composer of operettas and short orchestral pieces. The latter included two that achieved international renown—Der Rose Hochzeitszug (‘The Wedding Procession of the Rose’) and, above all, his Parade der Zinnsoldaten (‘Parade of the Tin Soldiers’). This admirably portrays its subject and was for many years after World War II familiar to children in Britain as the signature tune of the ‘Toytown’ series on BBC Radio’s ‘Children’s Hour’.

from notes by Andrew Lamb © 1998