A Fantastic Symphony

In E, 4 movements, 1907-08†, dismantled

LOST –

Havergal Brian's original first symphony, demoted by the composer from the symphonic canon in 1967
It was revised in 1908-09 as Humorous legend on Three blind mice (three movements)
It seems likely that the first and last movements were considered as separate pieces as early as 1914, when they were detached and published separately

orchestra

Derived works

• Fantastic variations on an old rhyme [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt I] [1 movement] [orch] – 11½´
• Scherzo and slow movement [from A Fantastic Symphony mvts II, III] [orch] — LOST
• Festal dance [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt IV] [1 movement] [orch] – 5´

Performances

Festal dance [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt IV] [1 movement] [orch] – 5´
December 1914 [first performance] Birmingham
Conductor Granville Bantock
Festal dance [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt IV] [1 movement] [orch] – 5´
June 1915 Royal Albert Hall, London (Beecham-Ronald Prom Concerts)
Conductor Sir Thomas Beecham
Festal dance [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt IV] [1 movement] [orch] – 5´
4 June 1919 Birmingham Institute School of Music
School of Music Orchestra, conductor Sir Granville Bantock
Fantastic variations on an old rhyme [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt I] [1 movement] [orch] – 11½´
28 April 1921 [first performance and encore] West Pier, Brighton, UK
Brighton Municipal Orchestra, conductor Henry Lyell-Tayler
Fantastic variations on an old rhyme [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt I] [1 movement] [orch] – 11½´
29 April 1921 West Pier, Brighton, UK
Brighton Municipal Orchestra, conductor Havergal Brian
Fantastic variations on an old rhyme [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt I] [1 movement] [orch] – 11½´
30 April 1921 West Pier, Brighton, UK
Brighton Municipal Orchestra, conductor Havergal Brian
Fantastic variations on an old rhyme [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt I] [1 movement] [orch] – 11½´
1 May 1921 West Pier, Brighton, UK
Brighton Municipal Orchestra, conductor Havergal Brian
Fantastic variations on an old rhyme [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt I] [1 movement] [orch] – 11½´
2 May 1921 West Pier, Brighton, UK
Brighton Municipal Orchestra, conductor Havergal Brian
Fantastic variations on an old rhyme [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt I] [1 movement] [orch] – 11½´
25 January 1923 [first performance of complete score] Winter Gardens, Bournemouth
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, conductor Sir Dan Godfrey
Fantastic variations on an old rhyme [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt I] [1 movement] [orch] – 11½´
2 April 1923 Winter Gardens, Bournemouth (Bournemouth Music Festival)
Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, conductor Sir Dan Godfrey
Fantastic variations on an old rhyme [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt I] [1 movement] [orch] – 11½´
15 March 1934 Usher Hall, Edinburgh
Mary Grierson (pno), Reid Orchestra, conductor Sir Donald Tovey
Festal dance [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt IV] [1 movement] [orch] – 5´
6 June 1934 Birmingham Town Hall
School of Music Orchestra, conductor Sir Granville Bantock
Festal dance [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt IV] [1 movement] [orch] – 5´
17 October 1934 Birmingham Town Hall
School of Music Orchestra, conductor Sir Granville Bantock
Festal dance [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt IV] [1 movement] [orch] – 5´
13 April 1935 Queen’s Hall, London
British Women’s Symphony Orchestra, conductor Grace Burrows
• Contemporary thirties criticism of Brian performances – Norman V Dagg
Festal dance [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt IV] [1 movement] [orch] – 5´
30 September 1935 Queen’s Hall, London (Prom)
Queen’s Hall Orchestra, conductor Sir Henry Wood
Festal dance [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt IV] [1 movement] [orch] – 5´
18 May 1960 Victoria Hall, Hanley, Staffs, UK
Hallé Orchestra, conductor George Weldon
Fantastic variations on an old rhyme [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt I] [1 movement] [orch] – 11½´
14–15 July 1979 City Hall, Hull, UK
Alan Smith (organ), City of Hull Youth Symphony Orchestra, conductor Geoffrey Heald-Smith
Festal dance [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt IV] [1 movement] [orch] – 5´
14–15 July 1979 City Hall, Hull, UK
David Martin (piano), City of Hull Youth Symphony Orchestra, conductor Geoffrey Heald-Smith
Festal dance [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt IV] [1 movement] [orch] – 5´
early 1990s [first Brian performance in Asia] Thailand
National Symphony Orchestra of Thailand, conductor Michael Marsh-Edwards
Festal dance [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt IV] [1 movement] [orch] – 5´
15–16 June 1992 National Concert Hall, Dublin
RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, conductor Adrian Leaper
Fantastic variations on an old rhyme [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt I] [1 movement] [orch] – 11½´
28–30 October 1994 Concert Hall of Ukrainian Radio
Ukraine State Symphony Orchestra, conductor Andrew Penny
Festal dance [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt IV] [1 movement] [orch] – 5´
July 25 & 28 2014 RSNO Centre, Henry Wood Hall, Glasgow
Roderick Williams, baritone; Royal Scottish National Orchestra, conductor Martyn Brabbins
Fantastic variations on an old rhyme [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt I] [1 movement] [orch] – 11½´
7 July 2017 St Jude-on-the-Hill, Hamsptead, London
English National Opera Orchestra, conductor Martyn Brabbins Nicholas Ansdell-Evans, organ

Recordings

Fantastic variations on an old rhyme [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt I] [1 movement] [orch] – 11½´
Cameo Classics CC9014CD-2 (2 discs) released 1994
14–15 July 1979 City Hall, Hull, UK
Alan Smith (organ), City of Hull Youth Symphony Orchestra, conductor Geoffrey Heald-Smith
• Review of City of Hull Youth SO CDs – David J Brown
• Review of Hull Youth SO recording – Lewis Foreman
• Review of City of Hull Youth SO CDs – David J Brown
• Review of Hull Youth SO recording – Lewis Foreman
Festal dance [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt IV] [1 movement] [orch] – 5´
Naxos 8.572020 released December 2010
15–16 June 1992 National Concert Hall, Dublin
RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, conductor Adrian Leaper
• Review of Adrian Leaper/Marco Polo CDs – Malcolm MacDonald
• The Marco Polo cycle – David J Brown
Fantastic variations on an old rhyme [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt I] [1 movement] [orch] – 11½´
Naxos 8.572641 released July 2011
28–30 October 1994 Concert Hall of Ukrainian Radio
Ukraine State Symphony Orchestra, conductor Andrew Penny
• The Marco Polo cycle – David J Brown
• First impressions – Larry Alexander
Festal dance [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt IV] [1 movement] [orch] – 5´
Dutton Vocalion CDLX 7314 released January 2015
July 25 & 28 2014 RSNO Centre, Henry Wood Hall, Glasgow
Roderick Williams, baritone; Royal Scottish National Orchestra, conductor Martyn Brabbins
Fantastic variations on an old rhyme [from A Fantastic Symphony mvt I] [1 movement] [orch] – 11½´
Dutton Vocalion CDLX 7348 released August 2018
7 July 2017 St Jude-on-the-Hill, Hamsptead, London
English National Opera Orchestra, conductor Martyn Brabbins Nicholas Ansdell-Evans, organ