Tír Na HiFi

Britten - Occasional Overture, The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Steuart Bedford, London Symphony Orchestra, Naxos), Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge & Prelude and Fugue for 18-part String Orchestra (Steuart Bedford, English Chamber Orchestra, Naxos)

Britten - Simple Symphony

Vaughan Williams - Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (Christopher Warren-Green, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Warner Apex)

Two beautiful discs from Wilfried Rombach and his Ensemble Officium on the Christophorus label. Gorgeous repertoire in sublime performances. There truly is something about unaccompanied sacred vocal music that touches you very deeply, like a long uninterrupted river of song resonating in your soul.

Butterworth - The Banks of Green Willow

Elgar - Serenade for Strings

Holst - St Paul's Suite (Christopher Warren-Green, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Warner Apex)

Grieg - Peer Gynt Suites (Herbert von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker, DG)

Korngold - Suites Captain Blood & The Prince and the Pauper (Andre Previn, London Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Grammophon)

Copland - Appalachian Spring (Leonard Slatkin, St Louis Symphony Orchestra, EMI)

Bartok - Violin Concerto No.1 (Gyorgy Pauk/Antoni Wit, National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Naxos)

Beethoven - Overture Egmont & Symphony No.7 (Riccardo Chailly, Gewandhausorchester, Decca)