Alan Dixon has also been in contact with  Mrs Betty Krein of North London who was married to accordionist Henry Krein (1905-1993) for 56 years. Henry played accordion with Mantovani on occasions in the 1940s and until 1954 when Emile Charlier took over on a more permanent basis. Henry's father Yasha was the distinguished composer of "Gypsy Carnival", an enchanting piece of music recorded by Mantovani on his stirring "Gypsy" album in 1968 and used thereafter as a popular feature in his concert program.

    Yasha emigrated from Russia to England in 1904 and fathered six children, one of whom was Henry, born in London on 15 April 1905. Another son, Michael, was a well-known saxophone and clarinet player.

Henry Krein was one of two accordionists used together in the Mantovani Orchestra in the early 1950s - the other was Reg Hogarth. Henry was the featured accordion player on many of the tunes on Monty's "Tango" album recorded in March and April 1953, this being the first occasion an accordion was used with the "New Sound". He also played a specially tuned Galanti Swallow accordion on Mantovani's no 1 British hit, "The Song From Moulin Rouge", originally recorded on 6 March 1953, but in the photograph shown here he is displaying a Musettina instrument.

 

In earlier times he worked for the BBC in Bristol and broadcast on many occasions with his Montmartre Players. Henry also played in London restaurants and even appeared in the wedding scene in the film "Fiddler On the Roof". A much respected musician, he was still active into his eighties - Betty has a color picture which shows him ready for action with his Sittimio Soprani accordion for a orchestra rehearsal at London's Royal Festival Hall two years before he passed away in November 1993.

 

Our thanks to Mrs Betty Krein and Mr Keith Rubach for their kind assistance.