Discography of unapproved recordings

These are pirate recordings and unlicensed refurbishments of old LPs that would be illegal in the UK.

Shortcuts: • Aries • Klassic Haus Restorations


Aries


Aries LP 1603
LP 1603
(LP)
Symphony 8 (1949†)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Myer Fredman

Symphony 14 (1959-60†)
(first performance)

London Symphony Orchestra, conductor Sir Edward Downes

Recorded: January 1969, June 1971
Location: studio recording, BBC Maida Vale Studio 1, London

attributed to ‘Wales Symphony Orchestra, conductor Colin Wilson’


Aries LP 1604
LP 1604
(LP)
Symphony 9 (1951†)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Myer Fredman

Symphony 12 (1957†)
(first public performance)

BBC Symphony Orchestra, conductor Norman del Mar

Symphony 23 (1965†)

University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra, conductor Bernard Goodman

Recorded: August 1966, March 1971, October 1973
Location: St John’s Smith Square, Royal Albert Hall, London (Prom), Great Hall, Krannert Center, Urbana, Illinois

attributed to ‘Wales Symphony Orchestra, conductor Colin Wilson’


Aries LP 1607
LP 1607
(LP)
Violin concerto 2 (1935†)
(first performance)

Ralph Holmes, New Philharmonia Orchestra, conductor Stanley Pope

Symphony 28 »Sinfonia in C minor« (1967†)
(first performance)

New Philharmonia Orchestra, conductor Leopold Stokowski

Recorded: June 1969, June 1973
Location: BBC Maida Vale Studios, London

attributed to ‘Emil Leibowitz (violin), Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Horst Werner’

Review – Anthony Payne in the Daily Telegraph
In the mountains, there you feel free’ – David Hackbridge Johnson

Aries LP 1611
LP 1611
(LP)
Symphony 18 (1961†)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Bryan Fairfax

Symphony 19 (1961†)
(first performance)

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conductor John Canarina

Symphony 22 »Symphonia brevis« (1964-65†)
(first performance)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Myer Fredman

Recorded: March 1971, October 1974, June 1976
Location: St John’s Smith Square

attributed to ‘Wales Symphony Orchestra, conductor Colin Wilson’

Symphonies 16 to 19: Style and manner – Martin O’Leary

Aries LP 1617
LP 1617
(LP)
Symphony 3 (1931-32†)
(first performance)

Ronald Stevenson, David Wilde (pianos), New Philharmonia Orchestra*, conductor Stanley Pope

Recorded: January 1974
Location: BBC Maida Vale Studio no. 1, London

attributed to ‘Lisbon Conservatory Orchestra, conductor Peter Michaels’

A listener’s impressions – Martyn Becker
Second thoughts – Christopher Kettle
Early English atonality in the first movement – Martin O’Leary
New vistas – Martyn Becker

Aries LP 1621
LP 1621
(LP)
Symphony 4 »Das Siegeslied« (1932-33†) Psalm 68 'Let God arise'
(first public performance)

Felicity Palmer (sop), BBC Singers, BBC Choral Society, Goldsmith’s Choral Union, London Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor John Poole

Recorded: October 1974
Location: Alexandra Palace, London

attributed to ‘Valerie MacLennan (sop), Edinburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, conductor Sir Allistair MacKenzie’

Music at war – David J Brown
Das Siegeslied and bad genes – Alan Dean Foster

Aries LP 1629
LP 1629
(LP)
Symphony 5 »Wine Of Summer« Lord Douglas (1937†)

Brian Rayner Cook (baritone), New Philharmonia Orchestra, conductor Stanley Pope

Symphony 25 (1965-66†)
(first performance)

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conductor John Canarina

Recorded: June 1976, September 1976
Location: invitation concert at Alexandra Palace, London

attributed to ‘John Hoffman (baritone), San Paulo Symphony Orchestra, conductor Francisco Teatro’

Words for music, perhaps – Chris Kettle

Aries LP 1631
LP 1631
(LP)
Symphony 2 (1930-31†)
(first professional performance)

BBC Symphony Orchestra, conductor Sir Charles Mackerras

Recorded: March 1979
Location: BBC Maida Vale Studios, London

attributed to ‘Dresden Symphony Orchestra, conductor Ernest Weir’


Aries LP 2601
LP 2601
(2 discs)
(LP)
Symphony 1 »The Gothic« (?1919-27†)
(first professional performance)

Honor Sheppard, soprano; Shirley Minty, contralto; Ronald Dowd, tenor; Roger Stalman, bass; BBC Chorus; BBC Choral Society; City of London Choir; Hampstead Choral Society; Emanuel School Choir; Orpington Junior Singers; BBC Symphony Orchestra, conductor Sir Adrian Boult

Recorded: October 1966
Location: Royal Albert Hall, London

unattributed, except ‘conductor Sir Adrian Boult’

The Symphonies of Havergal Brian, Volume 3: Symphonies 30–32, Survey and summing-up – Malcolm MacDonald
HB: Aspects of Havergal Brian – Jürgen Schaarwächter
Opus est: Six Composers from Northern Europe – Paul Rapoport
Havergal Brian’s ‘Gothic symphony’: Two studies – Harold Truscott, Paul Rapoport, Havergal Brian
Music and meaning – Malcolm MacDonald
Brian as Faust – Malcolm MacDonald
Brian as Faust – Larry Alexander
Havergal Brian – The Gothic voice – Pauline Slevin
Havergal Brian’s last testament? – Lionel Pike
The conception of Part 2 – Colin G Davis
Flawed masterpiece? – Jonathan Rutherford
Creating the vocal score of the Gothic – 1 – Jeremy Marchant
Creating the vocal score of the Gothic – 2 – Philip Legge
Creating the vocal score of the Gothic – 3 – Jeremy Marchant
The Logistics of the Gothic symphony – 1 – Philip Legge
The Logistics of the Gothic symphony – 2 – Philip Legge
Beethoven, Berlioz, Brian (or Three Bs and more) – Jürgen Schaarwächter
Brian – the Gothic voice – Pauline Slevin
The Gothic Review – Mike Le Voi, 4MBS Concert Recording Team member
Choral Demands of the ‘Gothic – Jeremy Marchant
Brian’s Choral Challenges in the ‘Gothic’ – 1 – Jeremy Marchant

Aries LP 3601
LP 3601
(3 discs)
(LP)
Symphony 13 (1959†)
(first performance)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Stanley Pope

Symphony 15 (1960†)
(first performance)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Stanley Pope

Symphony 17 (1960-61†)
(first performance)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Stanley Pope

Symphony 20 (1962†)
(first performance)

New Philharmonia Orchestra, conductor Vernon Handley

Symphony 24 (1965†)
(first performance)

London Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Myer Fredman

Symphony 26 (1966†)
(first professional performance)

New Philharmonia Orchestra, conductor Vernon Handley

Recorded: April 1973, June 1976, October 1976
Location: invitation concert at Alexandra Palace, London

attributed to ‘Lisbon Conservatory Orchestra, conductor Peter Michaels’ (Symphonies 13, 15), ‘Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Horst Werner’ (Symphonies 17, 24), ‘Edinburgh Youth Symphony, conducted by John Freedman’ (Symphonies 20, 26)

Symphonies 16 to 19: Style and manner – Martin O’Leary

Klassic Haus Restorations

Havergal Brian: Symphonies Nos. 10 and 21
Klassic Haus Restorations KHCD-2012-018
KHCD-2012-018
(CD)
Symphony 10 (1953-54†)

Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra, conductor James Loughran

Symphony 21 (1963†)

Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra, conductor Eric Pinkett

Recorded: July 1972   Released: February 2012
Location: De Montfort Hall, Leicester
Producer: Robert Simpson   Engineer: Angus McKenzie

Digital remastering: Curt Timmons 2012.
Source: Unicorn LP UNS265.
In its original incarnation on LP RHS313 this was the first ever commercial recording of Havergal Brian’s music. It was recorded four months before the composer's death aged 96.

Havergal Brian: Symphony No. 22 and other works
Klassic Haus Restorations KHCD-2012-019
KHCD-2012-019
(CD)
Psalm 23 (c.1904,1944–45†) reconstructed 1944-45

Paul Taylor (tenor), Brighton Festival Chorus, Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra, conductor Laszlo Heltay

English suite 5 »Rustic scenes« (1953†)

Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra, conductor Eric Pinkett

Symphony 22 »Symphonia brevis« (1964-65†)

Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra, conductor Laszlo Heltay

Recorded: April 1974, April 1974   Released: February 2012
Location: Hove Town Hall, De Montfort Hall, Leicester
Producer: Robert Simpson (Sym 22, Psalm 23), William Robson (English Suite 5)   Engineer: Angus McKenzie

Digital remastering: Curt Timmons 2012.
Source: CBS (UK) LP 61612.