Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985) conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra (he was its music director for four decades) in Ralph Vaughan Williams’s wonderful if poignant Third Symphony (1922), which has been described as a “requiem” for World War One – a very sympathetic centenary performance (in decent sound) given on 12 October 1972, the composer having been born on that date in 1872. Benita Valente is the off-stage soprano in the Finale.

Thanks to Leonard Slatkin for finding this rarity and sending the link through.