Here's the Vanguard release of the Nixa-Westminster lp (c.1952) from the picture above. Sir Adrian Boult conducts the "Philharmonic Promenade Orchestra" in music of Vaughan Williams. Featured pieces are A Norfolk Rhapsody, Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, the Greensleeves Fantasia and Gordon Jacob's orchestral arrangement of an English Folk Song Suite for Band.
Boult recorded these pieces many times, as you well know. In my opinion, these might be the best of em all, well played, enthusiasm unbridled, and interpretation beyond reproach. When you listen to Boult, you are left wondering why this music has not traveled better, outside of the UK, US and the former dominions of the UK, Vaughan Williams is a rare commodity.
I especially enjoy Jacob's arrangement of Folk Song Suite. I've played this piece many times in concert band and have not found a totally convincing orchestral performance of this masterpiece, until now. The closest satisfying rendition was by Morton Gould and this is taking into account Boult's later LSO version, which is for me, disappointing. Vaughan Williams intended this piece for the sonority of a band and getting an orchestra to adapt to that style and sound is a huge challenge. I think Boult achieves this here, for the most part.
Boult was always a keen advocate of the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams and probably no one made as many convincing recordings of this great composer's music. This is one of the best of them.
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