In celebration of British wartime songbird Dame Vera Lynn's 100th birthday on March 20th, Decca Records releases a new recording Vera Lynn 100, on March 17th. The newly recorded album features Vera Lynn's utterly distinctive original vocals, re-mastered, and set to completely new re-orchestrated versions of her most beloved songs. This technical wizardry has, for the first time, allowed full orchestral accompaniments to transform not only her most memorable and morale-boosting hits that sustained Britain through the wartime years, but some recently unearthed, rare recordings - all presented in sumptuous, up-to-the-minute sound. Listen to her interview with the BBC
Dame Vera Lynn CH commented: "It's truly humbling that people still enjoy these songs from so many years ago, reliving the emotions of that time - I was after all just doing my 'job' as a singer - and it's so wonderful for me to hear 'my songs' again so beautifully presented in a completely new way".
Vera is joined by British singers to perform newly composed duet parts for some of her hits: Tenor
Alfie Boe sings on the poignant 'We'll Meet Again' (the first ever UK No.1 record, in 1940*),
Alexander Armstrong features on 'White Cliffs of Dover' (No.1 in 1942), and
Aled Jones on the immortal song 'As Time Goes By'. Also featured on the record is 'Auf Wiederseh'n, Sweetheart', the track that in 1952 crowned Vera Lynn the first British performer to top the US Official Charts. To close the album, the revered RAF Squadronaires feature on the moving 'Yours' (No.1 in 1941) - the perfect tribute to Dame Vera Lynn's late husband, Harry Lewis, who was a founder member.
In her early 90s, Dame Vera became the oldest living artist to land a UK No.1 album, setting a new record in the history of music and making the performer the only recording artist in the world to have spanned the pop charts from the 1940s to the 21st century.
Dame Vera famously boosted the nation's morale during the darkest days of World War II, and has been honoured countless times for her services to entertainment and charity. Her latest accolade came in the Queen's 2016 birthday honours when she was made a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour - the first person from the field of popular entertainment to do so. Over the decades, the singer's popularity has never waned and she remains perhaps the most beloved of all British female vocalists.
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