Our favourite orchestral recording and our "Desert Island" choice, made by Decca with engineer Kenneth Wilkinson in Watford Town Hall. Without reading the sleeve note, try to spot the original analogue-recorded tracks from 1979 and the digitally-recorded tracks added for the 1990 CD release. A perfect demonstration to those who are certain that digital is better than analogue; and vice versa!

A splendidly natural recording from Prof. Johnson in Watford Town Hall and one of Malcolm Arnold's last conducting assignments.

Classic Bert Whyte recordings from 1959 and 1958 respectively, made in the Walthamstow Assembly Rooms and totally belying their age. The Vaughan Williams was recorded shortly after the composer's death and completed Boult's first cycle of the symphonies - the others being recorded for Decca. Unfortunately now unavailable - the Vaughan Williams can still be had in the Decca symphony set - 4732412.

Four excellent Tony Faulkner recordings made between 1992 and 1997.

Legendary "Living Stereo" recordings made by Lewis Layton in 1955 and 1958.

Classic Kenneth Wilkinson recording from the Kingsway Hall in Decca's "The Classic Sound" series.

Extraordinary that this wonderful live recording from 1957 had to wait so long for issue. An incredibly realistic recording of this Royal Festival Hall concert made by EMI engineers. Definitely one for lovers of the timps. - not obviously due to close miking! Only the rather congested string sound precludes a full recommendation.

From Deutsche Grammophon's golden age, two excellent recordings in their "Originals" series.

Spectacularly fine "Pianist's Perspective" recording made in the New York Academy of Arts & Letters on one of ProPiano's own fine Hamburg Steinways. Perhaps recorded a little close for some tastes but staggering, never the less.

Perhaps not the most exciting performances but the textures of the period instruments are wonderful in these Abbey Road Studio recordings by Mike Clements (aka  Mr Bear).

An excellent balance between voice and piano is heard in these New York Festival of Song recordings - but no longer available.

A splendidly natural orchestral balance and, somewhat unusually for Nimbus, not set in an over-reverberant acoustic.

Difficult and challenging music, performed with brilliance, in a recording with wonderfully accurate spacial location of the instruments.

Re-issued in 1999 after 15 years in limbo, these magnificent performances from 1958 and 1962 are revealed in extraordinarliy good sound in these Masterworks Heritage transfers. Unfortunately no longer available.

Another fine Prof. Johnson recording, made in the Troy Savings Bank Hall, with the celebrated jazz clarinetist in radiant and virtuosic form.

The epitome of how to make a good chamber music recording, wonderful performances and Robert von Bahr's simple microphone technique reveals all.

A splendidly natural Kenneth Wilkinson recording from Orford Parish Church.

A magnificent recording from Geneva's Victoria Hall by Jean-Martial Golaz, with Dame Felicity in very fine voice and the terribly under-rated Suisse Romande Orchestra on top form.

A famous recording with a very detailed sound of the orchestra in a fairly dry acoustic (quite different to the current Myerson Centre).

Splendid performances, including the complete chamber version of Appalachian Spring, and an astonishing bargain from Teldec.

Although they have divided the critics, we think these to be excellent orchestral recordings by Paul Myers and terrific performances.

More excellent recordings from Tony Faulkner, although some have found the dynamic range too wide. An astonishing bargain.

Another excellent Tony Faulkner recording of Anthony Payne's controversial realization of Elgar's jottings. Amazing what can be had at Naxos' bargain prices.

A border-line inclusion from a recorded sound point-of-view as it has to be admitted that these Christopher Parker recordings are beginning to show their age, but what performances!

Sadly, and inexplicably, deleted by Decca in the UK, wonderfully natural sound from Kenneth Wilkinson, this time recording at the Maltings, Snape. Just listen to the voices in Shenandoah. This disc offered a very good cross section of Percy Grainger's music and has been rescued by Decca's Australian division.

A floor-shaking recording by Craig Dory of the great showman organist.

One of the finest "new" recordings on SACD that we have heard and demonstrates the possibilities of this medium to the full. Excellent performances as well.

A first class recording by Peter McGrath of a small period instrument group giving very engaging performances.

Still our favourite recording of Messiah with such a natural balance of the voices and spectacularly articulated choral singing.

BIS' Robert von Bahr again offers the epitome of how to record, this time a choir.

A wonderful Christopher Parker recording of The Planets from the Kingsway Hall made in 1978, made originally in conjunction with KEF. It still leaves most of the more recent recordings in the shade.

Prof. Johnson again, this time in the Myerson Centre in Dallas.

A superbly natural recording of the piano from WFMT engineer, Bill Maylone, in these challenging works.

Another favourite from LP days, recently transferred to CD for the first time but now inexplicably deleted by EMI. The reason for the exceptionally fine sound has now been revealed; Kenneth Wilkinson "moon-lighting" from Decca! Regretably no longer available.

Another fine Tony Faulkner recording.

At last the BBC Legends series, which until now had promised so much and delivered so little, comes good with this magnificent release. Those who have possessed the earlier Descant and Music & Arts "off-air" transfers will know that this performance with the wonderful Alfreda Hodgson is without equal, but now they can also discover the excellence of BBC Manchester's studio recording. (Kathleen Ferrier fans - eat your heart out!)

Another classic from EMI in the 1950s, Douglas Larter's very fine recording can sound excellent on a well-balanced audio system, but edgy and hard on one that is not. In it's earlier CDC incarnation it was particularly revealing of different cable types; the first track tells all!

Another favourite recording from DG's golden age.

Another magnificent recording from Geneva's Victoria Hall by Jean-Martial Golaz, with a performance that leaves many more famous recordings in the shade. Unfortunately no longer available.

Excellent Bob Auger recording of this classic performance.

An outstandingly fine addition to the San Francisco Symphony's own label. A magnificent recording by Andreas Neubronner's team makes the most of SACD's potential.

An excellent Douglas Larter recording from the early 1960s with Klemperer and the Philharmonia at their best.

Another excellent Douglas Larter recording this time from the late 1950s (licensed from EMI) with the Philharmonia at their finest. Exquisite wind playing in a disc that eclipses most recent recordings. (Unfortunately, the coupled Symphony No.1 is not its equal as a performance or a recording but the set was very cheap.) Unfortunately, no longer available

Tony Faulkner's recording team seem to have at last got to grips with the dreadful Barbican Hall acoustics and have produced a splendid recording of Jansons' gripping performance. Hopefully a SACD version will become available soon. Earlier recordings in this series have been seriously disappointing - compare the lack-lustre Tony Faulkner recordings of the Elgar Symphonies with Colin Davis in this series with his wonderful recordings for Warner Classics of Andrew Davis' performances - chalk and cheese!

Now available on EMI's budget label. Wonderfully natural and dynamic recordings.

Another excellent Layton Lewis "Living Stereo" recording from the late 1950s.

Another organ spectacular recorded by Craig Dory in the Zurich Tonhalle.

Already very fine, we now await a "High Performance" transfer from RCA. Unfortunately no longer available.

Kenneth Wilkinson again with one of the finest opera recordings that we know. The end of the first act should undoubtedly make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end!

At last reissued in a budget set (but unfortunately with Symphony No.2 split across the two discs).

This small company of ex Philips engineers have consistently issued the most satisfying SACD releases. This re-issue of Philips "quadrophonic" recordings from the 1970s sound particularly fine in stereo and the performances are extraordinarily poetic.

Magnificent playing by Argerich and the BPO and stunning recording from DG in their "golden age". Try the slow movement of the Ravel Concerto which reveals the artistry of the BPO wind section in all it's glory - knocks spots off any other recording. Must be the 'Originals' transfer though.

More "Living Stereo" from Lewis Layton.

Two very natural chamber music recordings made in Heidelberg by Teije van Geest.

Philips recording and Schubert and Haydn playing of the highest order but now astonishingly deleted by Philips.

Recorded by engineer Da-Hong Seetoo at concerts at the Aspen Music Festival in 1999, it is hard to imagine finer-sounding and more alive recordings of the string quartet.

More masterly chamber music recordings from Robert von Bahr with playing of the highest order.

More "Living Stereo" from Lewis Layton.

Another fine recording from the Victoria Hall in Geneva by Jean-Martial Golaz. Unfortunately no longer available.

Strange that Philips now consider these to be sone of their 50 greatest recordings, considering that they have made them unavailable for the last decade! They still do not acknowledge the engineer but these recordings in the Concertgebouw are stunning and Davis was at his finest with this great orchestra in 1977.

More classic "Living Presence" from Robert Fine.

Controversial interpretations, but never dull; these discs' star qualities are the recordings, made in 1995 and 1998 respectively, by engineer Thijs Hoekstra with all valve equipment.

More fine Tony Faulkner recordings and another astonishing bargain from Teldec.

Splendid Mike Clements recordings and a remarkable bargain with very fine perfomances from Handley and the LPO.

Another stunning recording from Kenneth Wilkinson. Old as it is (1971), we can do no better than quote Stereophile: "it has it all; sonics, soundstaging, dynamics and vocal timbre".

A late addition to the Chesky catalogue, splendid orchestral recordings made at various London locations between 1985 and 1995 by John Dunkerley, Tryggvi Tryggvason, Tony Faulkner and Mike Ross-Trevor.

Kenneth Wilkinson again, recorded in the spacious acoustic of Walthamstow Town Hall, this is a neglected and underrated treasure by a great Wagnerian cast and conductor.

One of the finest yet in RCA's "Living Stereo" series. Lewis Layton's recordings from 1957 to 1962 are absolutely stunning in this transfer to CD and the performances are nothing short of breath-taking.

RCA "Living Stereo" again, at its finest.

One of Chesky's many fine "Readers Digest" recordings made by Decca engineers for Charles Gerhardt.

Prof. Johnson in the Myerson Hall again.

Another splendidly natural recording by Craig Dory, made in the Troy Savings Bank Hall.

One of organ recording specialist, Neil Collier's, best.

A long standing classic and one of the best "Christmas" discs.

Another fine Christmas recording with carols familiar and not so familiar; now sadly unavailable with the demise of the Conifer label following its take over by BMG.

Another long standing classic from Harmonia Mundi.

Stepping out of our normal classical constraints, in addition to the "Man with the Wooden Flute" we can also recommend these jazz , popular and folk music recordings on a similar basis. And:

Well, we suppose this does have a slight classical connection - Phillip Pickett plays shawm, curtal and crumhorn.