BRITISH ORCHESTRAL MUSIC (Including Orchestral Poems, Suites, Serenades, Variations, Rhapsodies, Concerto Overtures etc) A Discography of CDs & LPs Prepared by Michael Herman Frederick Delius (1862-1934) Born in Bradford to German parents. His family had not destined him for a musical career but due to the persuasion of Edvard Grieg his father allowed him to attend the Leipzig Conservatory where he was a pupil of Hans Sitt and Carl Reinecke. His true musical education, however, came from his exposure to the music of African-American workers in Florida as well as the influences of Grieg, Wagner and the French impressionists. His Concertos and other pieces in classical forms are not his typical works and he is best known for his nature-inspired short orchestral works. He also wrote operas that have yielded orchestral preludes and intermezzos in his most characteristic style. Sir Thomas Beecham was his great champion both during Delius’ lifetime and after his death. Air and Dance for String Orchestra (1915) Norman Del Mar/Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra ( + Elgar: Serenade for Strings, Vaughan Williams: Concerto Grosso and Warlock: Serenade) EMI CDM 565130-2 (1994) (original LP release: HMV ASD 2351) (1968) Vernon Handley/London Philharmonic Orchestra ( + Summer Evening, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, Summer Night on the River, Vaughan Williams: The Wasps Overture and Serenade to Music) CHANDOS CHAN 10174 (2004) (original CD release: CHANDOS CHAN 8330) (1985) Richard Hickox/Northern Sinfonia ( + Summer Evening, Winter Night, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, Summer Night on the River, A Song Before Sunrise, La Calinda, Hassan – Intermezzo and Serenade, Fennimore and Gerda – Intermezzo and Irmelin – Prelude) EMI BRITISH COMPOSERS CDM 5 65067 2 (1994) (original CD release: EMI CDC 7 47610 2) (1986) David Lloyd-Jones/English Northern Philharmonia ( + Bridge: Cherry Ripe, Sally in our Alley, Sir Roger de Coverley), Haydn Wood: Fantasy-Concerto, Ireland: The Holy Boy, Vaughan Williams: Charterhouse Suite, Elgar: Sospiri, Warlock: Serenade, G. Bush: Consort Music) NAXOS 8.555068 (2001) Sir Neville Marriner/Academy of St. Martin in the Fields ( + Sea Drift, The Walk to the Paradise Garden, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, Summer Night on the River, A Song Before Sunrise, Hassan – Intermezzo and Serenade, Fennimore and Gerda – Intermezzo and La Calinda) DECCA 421 390-2 (1994) (original LP release: ARGO ZRG 875) (1979) MusicWeb International Updated: August 2020 Orchestral Music - Delius Boyd Neel/The Boyd Neel String Orchestra (rec. 1938) ( + A Song of Summer, Irmelin: Prelude, La Calinda, Caprice and Elegy, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, Two Aquarelles, The Walk to the Paradise Garden, Légende for Violin and Piano, 3 Preludes for Piano and 5 Songs) DANACORD DACOCD 717 (2011) (from DECCA 78s) Jose Serebrier/Philharmonia Orchestra ( + 2 Aquarelles, Irmelin – Suite and Songs) DINEMEC DCCD019 (1997) Gavin Sutherland/Royal Ballet Sinfonia ( + Purcell/Bliss: Set of Act Tunes and Dances, Warlock: Serenade, Glyn: Anglesey Sketches, Curtis: Serenade, Elgar:The Spanish Lady and Lane: Serenata Concertante) WHITELINE CDWHL 2136 (2003) American Rhapsody (original version of Appalachia) (1896) John Hopkins/Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra ( + Paa Vidderne, Folkeraadet and Spring Morning) MARCO POLO 8.220452 (1987) David Lloyd-Jones/Royal Scottish National Orchestra ( + Summer Evening, Winter Night, Spring Morning, The Walk to the Paradise Garden, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, Summer Night on the River, A Song Before Sunrise, Marche Caprice and Fantastic Dance) NAXOS 8.557143 (2004) Appalachia, Variations on an Old Slave Song for Orchestra and Chorus (1896, rev. 1902-3) Sir John Barbirolli/Alun Jenkins (baritone)/Ambrosian Singers/Hallé Orchestra ( + Brigg Fair, In a Summer Garden, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, Summer Night on the River, A Song Before Sunrise, La Calinda, Late Swallows, Hassan – Intermezzo and Serenade, Fennimore and Gerda – Intermezzo, Irmelin – Prelude, Song of Summer and The Walk to the Paradise Garden) EMI 5 65119 2 (2 CDs) (1994) (original LP release: HMV ASD 2635) (1971) Sir Thomas Beecham/ Cuthbert Matthews (baritone)/Royal Opera Amateur Chorus/London Philharmonic Orchestra (rec. 1935) ( + Rossini: William Tell Overture, Dvořák: Legend No. 2, Wagner: Entry of Gods into Valhalla, Mozart: Divertimento No. 15, Weber: Der Freischütz Overture, Rimsky-Korsakov: Symphony No. 2, Mendelssohn: Songs without Words Nos. 2 and 3, Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 and Handel: Amaryllis Suite) EMI CLASSICS IMG 575938-2 (2CDs) (2004) Sir Thomas Beecham/BBC Chorus/London Philharmonic Orchestra (rec. 1938) ( + La Calinda, Brigg Fair, Hassan - Closing Scene and Irmelin - Prelude) NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.110906 (2000) (original LP release: WORLD RECORD CLUB SHB 32 {5 LPs}) (1976) Sir Thomas Beecham/chorus/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) (rec. 1952) ( + Eventyr, An Arabesk, Hassan - Incidental Music, Koanga - Closing Scene, A Mass of Life, North MusicWeb International p2 Orchestral Music - Delius Country Sketches, In a Summer Garden, Over the Hills and Far Away, Sea Drift and Paris) SONY BEECHAM SMK 89430 (5 CDs) (2003) (original LP release: COLUMBIA CX 1112) (1953) Sir Andrew Davis/Andrew Rupp (baritone)/BBC Symphony Chorus, BBC Symphony Orchestra ( + Song of the High Hills) CHANDOS CHSA5088 (2011) Antal Dorati/Howard University Choir/National Symphony Orchestra (rec. 1971) ( + Paris and Dance for Harpsichord) IGS 089 (LP) Sir Charles Groves/John Noble (baritone)/BBC Chorus/BBC Choral Society/Goldsmiths’ Choral Union/London Philharmonic Choir/ÅLondon Philharmonic Orchestra (rec. 1967) ( + Song of the High Hills and Summer Night on the River) CARLTON BBC RADIO CLASSICS 15656 91332 (1996) Richard Hickox/John Shirley-Quirk (baritone)/London Symphony Orchestra Choir/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ( + Sea Drift, A Song Before Sunrise and La Calinda)) DECCA ELOQUENCE 467 601-2 (2002) (original LP release: ARGO ZRG 934) (1981) Bo Holten/Johan Reuter (baritone)/Aarhus Cathedral ChoirAarhus Symphony Orchestra Choir/Aarhus Symphony Orchestra ( + Sea Drift and Koanga: Excerpts) DANACORD DACOCD 732 (2013) Sir Charles Mackerras/Daniel Washington (baritone)/Welsh National Opera Chorus/Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera ( + Irmelin - Prelude, Two Aquarelles, Dance Rhapsodies Nos.1 and 2, Over the Hills and Far Away, Florida Suite and North Country Sketches) DECCA BRITISH MUSIC 4737162 (2 CDs) (2003) (original CD release: DECCA 443 171-2) (1996) Stefan Sanderling/Leon Williams (baritone)/Tampa Bay Master Chorale/Florida Orchestra ( + Sea Drift) NAXOS 8.572764 (2012) Aquarelles (2) for String Orchestra (arr. E.Fenby) (1917/1938) Sir John Barbirolli/Hallé Orchestra (rec. 1948) ( + The Walk to the Paradise Garden, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, Fennimore and Gerda – Intermezzo, Song of Summer, A Song Before Sunrise, Irmelin - Prelude and Idyll) DUTTON LABORATORIES CDSJB 1005 (1997) ( + A Song of Summer, La Calinda, Caprice and Elegy, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, Air and Dance, The Walk to the Paradise Garden, Légende for Violin and Piano, 3 Preludes for Piano and 5 Songs) DANACORD DACOCD 717 (2011) (original LP release: HMV TREASURY EX 29 0107 3) {2 LPs}) (1984) (from HMV 78s) MusicWeb International p3 Orchestral Music - Delius Daniel Barenboim/English Chamber Orchestra ( + On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, Summer Night on the River, Fennimore and Gerda – Intermezzo, Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Greensleeves, Oboe Concerto, The Lark Ascending, Walton : Henry V - The Death of Falstaff and Touch Her Soft Lips and Part) DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 439 529-2 (1993) (original LP release: DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 2542 161) (1975) Benjamin Britten/English Chamber Orchestra ( + Elgar: Introduction and Allegro, Britten: Simple Symphony, Prelude and Fugue, Bridge: Sir Roger de Coverley and Purcell: Chacony) DECCA BRITISH COLLECTION 425160 (1995) (original LP release: DECCA SXL 6405) (1969) Norman Del Mar/Bournemouth Sinfonietta ( + On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, Summer Night on the River, A Song Before Sunrise, Hassan – Intermezzo and Serenade, Irmelin - Prelude, Late Swallows and Fennimore and Gerda – Intermezzo) CHANDOS COLLECT CHAN 6502 (1990) (original LP release: RCA RED SEAL RL25079) (1977) Eric Fenby/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ( + Life's Dance, Légende for Violin and Orchestra, Caprice and Elegy, Songs of Farewell and Cynara) UNICORN-KANCHANA UKCD 2077 (1995) (included in collection: "The Delius Collection") HERITAGE HTGCD 700 (7 CDs) (2012) (original LP release: UNICORN-KANCHANA DKP 9008-9 {2 LPs}) (1981) Clio Gould/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ( + Elgar: Introduction and Allegro, Sospiri, Vaughan Williams: 5 Variants of Dives and Lazarus, Warlock: Capriol Suite,Tippett: Little Music for Strings and Holst: Brook Green Suite) APEX 256462114-2 (2005)Guildhall String Ensemble ( + Holst: St. Paul’s Suite, Ireland: Downland Suite – Minuet, Finzi: Prelude, Romance, Elgar: Spanish Lady Suite, Warlock: Capriol Suite and Walton: Henry V – Death of Falstaff and Touch Her Sweet Lips and Part) RCA RED SEAL RD 87761 (1987) David Lloyd-Jones/Northern Sinfonia ( + Hope: Momentum Suite, Bridge: Two Pieces, Carse: Two Sketches. Tomlinson: Graceful Dance, Holst: Moorside Suite and Lewis: English Suite) NAXOS 8.555070 (2002) Sir Charles Mackerras/Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera ( + In a Summer Garden, The Walk to the Paradise Garden, North Country Sketches. Florida Suite, Brigg Fair, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring,