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Ray Noble papers, 1929-1956

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Noble, Ray, 1903-1978.
Title
Ray Noble papers
Dates
1929-1956 (inclusive)
Quantity
21.29 cubic feet (28 boxes)
Collection Number
08117
Summary
Papers of British big band leader, composer, arranger, and conductor working during the twentieth century, mostly from the early 1930s to 1950s, containing music scores, phonograph records, clippings, photographs, and scrapbooks.
Repository
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY
82071
Telephone: 3077663756
ahcref@uwyo.edu
Access Restrictions
Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

Additional Reference Guides
Additional Information

Preliminary finding aid available in repository.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

Ray Noble (1903-1978) was a British big band leader, composer, arranger, and conductor during the twentieth century. Born in Brighton, England, Noble first came to musical prominence as leader of the New Mayfair Dance Orchestra in London, England during the late 1920s and early 1930s. He composed several hit songs recorded by the band, including "Love is the Sweetest Thing". Noble moved to the United States in 1934 and formed the Ray Noble Orchestra, which played and broadcast over NBC Radio at New York City's Rainbow Room (1935-1937). The Ray Noble Orchestra featured a number of prominent big band musicians, including vocalist Al Bowlly and trombonist and future big band leader Glenn Miller. Noble composed and arranged a number of hits recorded by the band, including "Cherokee". After disbanding the Ray Noble Orchestra in 1937, Noble moved into radio and worked as a conductor and arranger on a number of popular radio shows betwe en the late 1930s and early 1950s, including "The Chesterfield Show" and "The Chase and Sanborn Program".

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Content Description

Collection contains Ray Noble's original musical scores for songs he composed for the Ray Noble Orchestra and several radio shows. Collection also contains 78 rpm and 33 1/3 rpm records of songs recorded by the New Mayfair Dance Orchestra and Ray Noble Orchestra (including "Love is the Sweetest Thing" and "Cherokee"), radio concerts by the Ray Noble Orchestra, and music conducted and arranged by Ray Noble for a number of radio shows (including "The Chesterfield Show" and "The Chase and Sanborn Program"). Collection also holds 78 rpm phonograph records of miscellaneous performing artists, including Paul Robeson and Fred Astaire. Thirteen scrapbooks created by Noble, photographs of Noble and some of his show business colleagues, a few clippings, and a few newspapers are in this collection as well.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Copyright Information

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Restrictions on Use

Statement on Potentially Harmful Language and Images Found in Collections

The American Heritage Center aspires to approach all areas of our work in ways that are respectful to those who create, use, and are represented in our collections. For a variety of reasons, however, users may encounter offensive or harmful language or images in some of our finding aids, catalogs, and collection materials.

Note that the AHC does not censor or alter contents of the collections as they provide context and evidence of a time, people, place, or event. Therefore, we encourage users to bring questions and concerns about descriptions in our finding aids to our attention via email or anonymous web-form. For more information, read our full statement.

Preferred Citation

Preferred Citation

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

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Administrative Information

Preservation Note

System Requirements

Ray Noble musical recordings -- Phonograph records -- 78 rpm.

Ray Noble musical recordings -- Phonograph records -- 33 1/3 rpm.

Miscellaneous musical recordings -- Phonograph records -- 78 rpm.

Related Materials

Related Materials

There are no known other archival collections created by Ray Noble at the date of processing.

Acquisition Information

Acquisition Information

This collection material was received from Mrs. Gladys R. Noble in 1982.

Processing Note

Processing Information

This Collection was processed by Alexandra Cardin in November 2022.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Container list

Processed by Alexandra Cardin
2022

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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