I’m putting together a collection of mp3 music for my mom. One of her favorites is Mantovani. I’ve got 6 of his CD’s for her. Once in awhile I like to listen to it too. His orchestra music was recorded in the 50’s,60’s, and 70’s. Is there a contemporary orchestra that’s as good you could recommend?
Last year I bought her Susan Boyle’s cd and Mclaughlin. I also have some broadway musicals.
Can you recommend some easy listening? Instrumentals or vocals are fine.
that’s Sarah Mclaughlin.
stinking timeout, struck again 
Contemporaries:
Melachrino
Billy Vaughn
David Rose
Percy Faith
101 Strings
Roger Williams
Peter Nero
Hugo Winterhalter
Bert Kaempfert
Henry Mancini
I have about 500 hours of music on my laptop. The only pieces fitting your specifications are “Rise” by Herb Alpert and “Feels So Good” by Chuck Mangione.
I found Clebanoff Strings and Orchestra on youtube.
great stuff
Zeldar thinks for that great list. 
I’d forgotten about Melachrino. He’s very similar to Mantovani.
The CD Baby search engine is pretty good; I put “Mantovani” in there and got this list; you can also search by genre. Under “easy listening” there are subtypes including “ballads,” “easy pop,” “instrumental pop,” “musicals,” and many more. On most you can listen to samples before you buy to see if it’s the kind of thing your mom would like, and many are downloads.
If you go to the $5 sale page and find three or more you like, they’re $5 each (hard copy only).
Each listing says “Recommend if you like . . .” and gives an artist name, so if you like, for example, Jim Brickman, you might like Marc Vaillancourt.
Your mom might like Lorie Line.
Enya!
I love Enya in a completely sincere, non-ironic way even though she’s the only new-age artist in my music collection that leans more towards dance/hip-hop.
Watermark is a perfect album, one of my all-time favourites, I’d recommend it to anyone looking for nice, inoffensive (so inoffensive it hurts) easy-listening music.
In conclusion, I love Enya.
Quite welcome! I used to work in a record shop in that era and was just rattling off names from memory.
For a broader array of music in that overall genre, try:
“Silk and Steel” by – of all bands – Savatage off of Gutter Ballet.
A beautiful fingerstyle guitar piece. Hearing this for the first time made me buy the guitar I have today, 20 years later.
Highly recommend http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Hits-Leroy-Anderson/dp/B000003FAG/ref=pd_bxgy_m_img_c
Also a Chet Atkins collection if she’d like some nice country guitar instrumentals or Floyd Cramer for country-styled piano.
Scenes, by Marty Friedman of Megadeth fame. Great New Age Fusion music. Even my parents like it.
Twin Peaks music by Angelo Badalamenti
Halcyon & On & On -Orbital
I don’t consider Broadway musicals ‘easy listening’! 
Just the opposite! I blast them in my car and sing along to rouse myself out of the glums.
The Weather Channel plays a lot of nice stuff, though I don’t know what it is. I’ll have to go to the website, they list the music they play, mostly jazz and new age stuff.
Enya.
Bette Midler, Josh Groban and Judy Collins.
Harold Budd
I’ll toss back gladly to the above Floyd Cramer. Booker T. and the MGs, as well. Solo piano records by NO guys like Dr. John and James Booker tend to be very much in an easier-listening vein, as well. So many others, but just to continue these above with some recs for now, it’ll have to do for now.
Thanks everyone! 
There’s been some great suggestions.
As I grow older I’m beginning to understand why my parents loved this music. I still love classic rock. But there are times I want a change. I’ve started listening to jazz, show tunes, Latin etc. Music in any style can be appreciated.
There’s a local guy I know named Donovan Johnson. I’ll bet your mom would love him.