Cascading strings
Encyclopedia
Cascading strings is an arrangement technique of British light music
. This technique is associated in the U.S. with the style of Easy Listening
known as Beautiful Music
. The cascading strings effect was first developed by British composer/arranger Ronald Binge
, but most associated with Annunzio Paolo Mantovani and his Mantovani Orchestra.
U.S. Record producers Hugo and Luigi also did a series of recordings under the name "Cascading Voices" and later "Cascading Strings."
One effect of the cascading strings technique is to emulate the acoustic properties of a large hall such as a cathedral
, through simulated reverberation
. The effect is achieved in an orchestra
using multiple string section
s, which would play slightly different parts from one another, in a cascading effect, thus creating the illusion of reverberation of the original sound.
Light music
Light music is a generic term applied to a mainly British musical style of "light" orchestral music, which originated in the 19th century and had its heyday during the early to mid part of the 20th century, although arguably it lasts to the present day....
. This technique is associated in the U.S. with the style of Easy Listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
known as Beautiful Music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
. The cascading strings effect was first developed by British composer/arranger Ronald Binge
Ronald Binge
Ronald Binge was a British composer and arranger of light music.-Biography:He was born in a working-class neighbourhood in Derby in the English Midlands. In his childhood he was a chorister at Saint Andrews Church , London Road, Derby - 'the railwaymens church'...
, but most associated with Annunzio Paolo Mantovani and his Mantovani Orchestra.
U.S. Record producers Hugo and Luigi also did a series of recordings under the name "Cascading Voices" and later "Cascading Strings."
One effect of the cascading strings technique is to emulate the acoustic properties of a large hall such as a cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
, through simulated reverberation
Reverberation
Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed. A reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound is produced in an enclosed space causing a large number of echoes to build up and then slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the walls and air...
. The effect is achieved in an orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
using multiple string section
String section
The string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
s, which would play slightly different parts from one another, in a cascading effect, thus creating the illusion of reverberation of the original sound.