Tag Archives: Gabriele Finaldi

Dance Band History – L’Orchestra Rara/The High Society Dance Orchestra

L'Orchestra Rara at the Grosvenor House 1988

It may be quite unusual to have two accordions in a dance band outside of accordion orchestras but L’Orchestra Rara later also known as The High Society Dance Orchestra put the accordions to good use. Through some clever arranging the ensemble could recreate some very authentic dance band sounds from many different eras. The accordions played a vital role in creating the sound by often avoiding some of the sounds that people identify as being a typical accordion sound and using some of the more subtle sounds to blend effortlessly with winds and other instruments of the ensemble. The typical accordion sounds would then make even more impact when used in tango and musette.