01. - 04. (The sketches elaborated by Anthony Payne) Symphony No.3 [55'36]
05. (Orchestrated by Anthony Payne) So Many True Princesses Who Have Gone. Queen Alexandra’s Memorial Ode for chorus and orchestra* [6'46]
06. (The sketches completed and orchestrated by Anthony Payne) Pomp and Circumstance March No.6 [7'54]
Adrian Partington Singers*, BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Richard Hickox
Chandos SACD CHSA5057 (recorded in July 2007; SACD/CD issued 2007)
(rip from SACD; 24bit/96kHz flacs, booklet, cover and inlay scans)
Recording venue: Brangwyn Hall, Swansea
Recording engineer: Ralph Couzens; Producer Brian Couzens
When I posted Andrew Davis' pioneering recording of Anthony Payne's elaboration of Elgar's sketches for his third symphony here on MIMIC, I was too harsh on the late Richard Hickox's version. I think that I had been put off by a rather lack-lustre opening to the first movement but things rapidly improve and the fourth movement is particularly eloquent. I think that this last movement is the only part of the symphony which can be considered "echt" Elgar and Hickox probably realizes this fine music better than any other that I have heard. Andrew Davis and the BBC Symphony's recording for NMC remains my favourite recording overall but Hickox and Paul Daniels and the Bournemouth Symphony for Naxos are close runners up.
The first of the fill-ups So Many True Princesses Who Have Gone is a small jewel in Anthony Payne's orchestration and Hickox is in his element as a choral conductor here. The other fill-up is a much more prosaic affair. Anthony Payne dedicated this to Andrew Davis but it is rather like Pomp and Circumstance March No.3 - but without the tunes.
Excellent sound recording here in this this rip from SACD which I have converted to 24bit/96kHz flacs (not my rip - many thanks to the original uploader). And Hickox gets excellent playing from his orchestra.
Because of the large size of the files, I have posted them in a folder and you can select how many to download at one time.
Download from MEGA.