Where The Gentle Avon Flows

Album: The Magic Of Mantovani (1951)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was originally a short piece of pastoral music that was composed by Ronald Binge. Written in 6/8 time, it was recorded initially by the Mantovani Orchestra in 1951; called (apparently provisionally by its composer) The Man In The Street, it was then known as Andante Cantabile (in musical parlance moderate tempo in singing style).

    Shortly it was renamed Elizabethan Serenade - to herald the start of the new Elizabethan Age, which it did, although no one could have imagined this at the time. On the death of George VI, February 2, 1952, his eldest daughter, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, ascended the throne. Her coronation was June 2, 1953, a reign that would easily eclipse the reign of Elizabeth I, which itself lasted 44 years, 127 days.
  • The sheet music was published by Ascherberg, Hopwood & Crew of London.
  • In 1961, this was republished as "Where The Gentle Avon Flows" with words by the poet and lyricist Christopher Hassall. Although the vocal version is quite well known, it is probably best rendered as an instrumental, and has been widely recorded as such. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for all above

Comments: 1

  • Anonymous from Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaIts beautiful...music and singing go together perfectly. Thanks.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Elton John

Elton JohnFact or Fiction

Does he have beef with Gaga? Is he Sean Lennon's godfather? See if you can tell fact from fiction in the Elton John edition.

Chris Rea

Chris ReaSongwriter Interviews

It took him seven years to recover from his American hit "Fool (If You Think It's Over)," but Chris Rea became one of the top singer-songwriters in his native UK.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions Answered

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions AnsweredSong Writing

10 Questions for the author of Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces

Jimmy Webb

Jimmy WebbSongwriter Interviews

Webb talks about his classic songs "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman" and "MacArthur Park."