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No problem. I love classical music and English music is still neglected and underrated by too many people. woodgnome, if the version you have with the LCO is conducted by Christopher Warren-Green on the Virgin Classics Ultraviolet label then you already have one of the truly great performances of the work. That is the one with 'The Lark Ascending' and Elgar's 'Introduction and Allegro' on it isn't it ? Really, you cannot go wrong with that one.

The Barbirolli is now re-released as one of EMI's 'Great Recordings of the Century' series at mid-price. It has a very similar list of works on it as the LCO. And the Vernon Handley is an almost faultless introduction to the glories of Vaughan williams' music. And it's cheap. Any discs that you may see around by Boult or Marriner are also brilliant performances of the work. Like me you'll start picking up different versions of the piece as you collect discs with other pieces on them.

.........'i'm a bit of an ignoramus in matters classical but have started picking up the odd piece in recent years.' We all have to start somewhere but once you're hooked - it's for life.

No reference to 'Brief Encounter' or even Eric Carmen's 'All by Myself' by way of Rachmaninov #2, steve ? You're slipping.......

no 1 was on bbc test card in 1959 .

.......strange to say, the only national anthem that stands examination as a piece of music is the old Hymn of the Soviet Union: .
Always conjures up an image of those missiles at the May Day Parade in Red Square......or perhaps kerchiefed babushkas toiling back-breakingly in the cotton-fields............

Forgive me nosey, I certainly meant no offence so I apologise if any was taken. I take a very great interest in many types of music and have lived with the stuff for years.

It's just that many people tend to turn their nose up at stuff like G & S and tend not to give it the critical praise it so richly deserves. Even so, mugs like me think their stuff is wonderful. Beats the Germanic pomposity of Wagnerian opera any day.

No offence taken, I just could not remember the correct term to use. I cannot disagree with your description of Wagner, his operas last for four or five hours don't they??????