A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (song)

:"See also the 1979 film by Ralph Thomas, "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square"."

"A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" is the title of a well-known romantic British popular song with lyrics by Eric Maschwitz and music by Manning Sherwin and Jack Strachey.

It was published in 1940, early in World War II, when it was first performed in the show "New Faces" by Judy Campbell (later the mother of Jane Birkin).

In the same year it was also performed by both Ray Noble and then -most famously- by Vera Lynn.

Subsequently it has become a standard, being performed in a noteworthy fashion by Rod Stewart, Nat King Cole, Carmen McRae, Glenn Miller, Stephane Grappelli, Bobby Darin, Harry Connick Jr. and Sonny Rollins. A famous version by The Manhattan Transfer won a Grammy in 1981 for its arranger, Gene Puerling. Veteran British musician Ian Hunter, former vocalist for Mott the Hoople, regularly performs it in his concerts; Hunter's rendition appears on at least two of his live recordings. A performance of the song by British actor Robert Lindsay was used as the theme to the British situation comedy series "Nightingales". The recording by John le Mesurier is widely regarded as the definitive version.In the British sitcom Peep Show, the character Mark sings an excerpt of this song.

Berkeley Square (pronounced "BARK-lee") is a large leafy square in Mayfair, an expensive part of London. The Ritz Hotel referred to is also in Mayfair.

The first stanza (which is properly called a "verse" which is often spoken as an intro), and the additional lyrics properly called the "chorus"), were in the original song as written, but are rarely sung in recordings (Bobby Darin, Mel Torme, Blossom Dearie, Twiggy, Vera Lynn, and Rod Stewart's recordings being notable exceptions).

External links

* [http://www.izaak.unh.edu/specoll/mancoll/stone.htm First UK publication of song in UNH archives]