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Portsmouth Sinfonia



20 Classic Rock Classics (1979)

  1. Pinball Wizard
    Written-By - Pete Townshend
  2. Apache
    Written-By – Jerry Lordan
  3. Leader Of The Pack
    Vocals – Sinfonettes, The
    Written-By – Ellie Greenwich, George Morton*, Jeff Barry
  4. A Whiter Shade Of Pale
    A Whiter Shade Of Pale
  5. You Really Got Me
    You Really Got Me
  6. Uptown Top Ranking
    Written-By – Althea Forrest, Donna Reid, Errol Thompson, Joe Gibbs
  7. Glad All Over
    Written-By – Dave Clark, Mike Smith (16)
  8. Heartbreak Hotel
    Written-By – Elvis Presley, Mae Boren Axton, Tommy Durden
  9. Telstar
    Written-By – Joe Meek
  10. Bridge Over Troubled Water
    Written-By – Paul Simon
  11. Nut Rocker
    Written-By – Kim Fowley
  12. Don´t Cry For Me Argentina
    Written-By – Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice
  13. (We´re Gonna) Rock Around The Clock
    Written-By – Jimmy De Knight, Max C. Freedman
  14. You Should Be Dancing
    Written-By – Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb*
  15. It´s Only Make Believe
    Written-By – Conway Twitty, Jack Nance
  16. Nights In White Satin
    Written-By – Justin Hayward
  17. My Boy Lollipop
    Written-By – Johnny Roberts, Robert Spencer
  18. God Only Knows
    Written-By – Brian Wilson, Tony Asher (2)
  19. (I Can´t Get No) Satisfaction
    Written-By – Keith Richard*, Mick Jagger
  20. A Day In The Life
    Written-By – Lennon-McCartney


    Plays The Popular Classics (1973)

    1. Edvard Grieg – From Peer Gynt Suite No. 1: "Morning"
    2. Edvard Grieg – From Peer Gynt Suite No. 1: "In The Hall Of The Mountain King"
    3. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaïkovski* – From The Nutcracker Suite: "Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy"
    4. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaïkovski* – From The Nutcracker Suite: "Waltz Of The Flowers"
    5. Ludwig van Beethoven – Fifth Symphony In C Minor, Op. 67
    6. Gioacchino Rossini – William Tell Overture
    7. Richard Strauss – Also Sprach Zarathustra Op. 31
    8. Johann Strauss* – Blue Danube Waltz Op. 314
    9. Johann Sebastian Bach – "Air" From Suite No. 3 In D Major
    10. Georges Bizet – "Farandole" From L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2
    11. Gustav Holst – "Jupiter" From The Planets, Op. 32 (Excerpt)

    Arranged By – Portsmouth Sinfonia
    Cello – Clive Richardson, Gary Rickard, Gavin Bryars, Sue Evans
    Clarinet – Brian Eno, Gwen Fereday, Suzette Worden, Tony Talbot
    Conductor – John Farley (2)
    Double Bass – Angus Fraser, Brian Young, Ian Southward, Peter Clutterbuck
    Flute – Ann Shrosbree, Brian Watterson, Deborah Smith, John Lawrence, Utako Ikeda
    Horns [Tenor] – David Saunders (2)
    Mastered By – Arun Chakraverty
    Percussion – Jenni Adams, John Ryder, Maggi Wooton
    Producer – Brian Eno
    Recorded By – Bob Woolford
    Saxophone, Clarinet, Glockenspiel – James Lampart*
    Trombone – Jeffrey Steele, Maurice Joyce
    Trumpet – Chris Turner, Steve Beresford
    Viola – Linda Adams, Neil Watson, Simon Dale
    Violin – Cherril Smith, Gary Gunby, Imogen Morley, Jill Adams, Martin Kenny, Mick Steele, Nigel Coombes, Peter Beresford, Robert Carter (2), Robin Mortimer*, Russell Coates, Stefan Klima, Stephen Luscombe




    Hallelujah (1974)

    1. Mr. Michael Bond's Address 1:05
    2. Tchaïkovski* – From The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a 1:57
    3. Sibelius* – From The Karelia Suite, Op.11 3:54
    4. Shubert* – Marche Militaire In D Major 5:33
    5. Tchaïkovski* – Piano Concerto No. 1 In B Minor, Op. 23 10:38
    6. Tchaïkovski* – Overture 1812 10:28
    7. Rossini* – William Tell Overture 2:21
    8. Handel* – From The Messiah, Pt. 2 - Hallelujah Chorus

    Arranged By – Portsmouth Sinfonia
    Cello – Clive Richardson, Gary Rickard, Gavin Bryars
    Clarinet – Andrew Tomsett, Brian Eno, James Lampard, Michael Flower (2), Noelle Sasportas, Savva Savva, Simon Fisher Turner, Susan Featherstone, Suzette Worden, Tony Talbot, William Hodgson
    Conductor – John Farley (2)
    Conductor [Choir] – Michael Parsons
    Cornet – Chris Turner, Gerry Ellis, Richard Wulliamy
    Double Bass – Angus Fraser, Brian Young, Ian Southwood*, Peter Clutterbuck
    Euphonium – David Sauders*, Michael Nyman
    Flute – Ann Shrosbree, Brian Watterson, Clive Langer, Debi Smith*, John Lawrence, John Mitchell, Patrick Allen (2)
    French Horn – Michael Archer
    Oboe – James Gregg, Kate St. John
    Percussion – Jenni Adams, John Ryder, Maggie Wooton*
    Piano – Sally Binding
    Producer – Brian Eno
    Trombone – Alan Tomlinson, Maurice Joyce, Nigel Morley, Piers Rowlandson, Pip Morrison, Yvonne Spencer
    Trumpet – John McPherson, Steve Beresford, Stuart Semark, Ted Brum
    Viola – Beverley Legge, Joyce Trenherz, Linda Adams, Nigel Watson, Printz Holman, Simon Dale
    Violin – Caroline Osbourne, Cherill Smith, Christiane Sasportas, Christine Shrosbree, Denise Hanson, Dirk Larson, Gary Bunby*, Imogen Morley, Janet Lowe, Jill Adams, Mark Hughes (6), Martin Champman, Michael Parsons, Michael Steele*, Nigel Coombes, Paul Buckton (2), Peter Beresford, Phil Woods, Phil Woods, Rachel Maloney, Richard Ellin, Richard Strange, Robin Mortimore, Sally Ridgway, Stefan Klima, Stephen Luscombe, Tom Puckey
    Voice – Michael Bond





Conductor – John Farley (2)
Leader [Musical Director] – James Lampard
Leader [Musical Director], Executive Producer – Robin Mortimore
Recorded at the Berwick Street Recording Studio, London, 1979.



Classical Muddly/Hallelujah Chorus (1981)

  1. Classical Muddly/Hallelujah Chorus

A Classical Muddly 3:19
B Hallelujah Chorus (From Handel's Messiah-Part III) 4:50

Track A : The Portsmouth Sinfonia's response to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's "Hooked On Classics". Basically short excerpts of well known classical music set to a disco beat.

Track B : Recorded live at The Royal Albert Hall.

Original sound recording made by Springtime.
Arranged By – Robin Mortimore
Producer – Martin Lewis



The Portsmouth Sinfonia

The self-proclaimed "world's worst orchestra" was founded by Gavin Bryars in 1970 when he was lecturing at the Portsmouth School of Art.

Bryars wanted to engage the masses with classical music, and sought a way to liberate the form from the pomposity of its audience. His idea was to form an orchestra of the people. Anyone could join, regardless of skill.

The orchestra comprised of known musicians playing instruments they had no knowledge of, virtuoso players and people who had never played an instrument in their lives. Their oeuvré would encompass the popular classics and rock songs - music that could be played by ear. No sight-reading skills were therefore required. The virtuoso players kept everything vaguely within the realms of what might be called a tune, with the other players reaching for (and missing) notes nearby. The result was a fascinating atonal mess of a noise, one which was considered profound by several of Bryars classical contemporaries.

The hilarious results of this experiment led to the Portsmouth Sinfonia's records being pitched at the comedy market which earned them a cult following, enough for them to be selling out the Royal Albert Hall by 1974.