The titles listed below are shown in the format of their original release. In some cases they may more easily be heard in other versions or reissues, for which the website www.discogs.com is an excellent resource.
Out of the exhaustive catalogue of recordings of The Lark Ascending I have chosen the one made by Iona Brown and Sir Neville Marriner in 1972; a popular interpretation, it seems to especially capture the mystery, spaciousness and poignancy of Vaughan Williams’ composition. This is also the recording with which I have become most familiar, having first heard it during childhood and which provided the source and inspiration for this book.
Laurie Spiegel: The Expanding Universe (Philo, 1980)
Steve Reich: Six Pianos (Deutsche Gramophon, 1974)
Music For 18 Musicians (ECM, 1978)
Octet (ECM, 1980)
Boards of Canada: Twoism (Music70, 1995)
Jim O’Rourke: Bad Timing (Drag City, 1997)
I’m Happy, And I’m Singing, And A 1, 2, 3, 4 (Mego, 2001)
Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Volume II (Warp, 1994)
John Fahey: The Voice of The Turtle (Takoma, 1968)
The Yellow Princess (Vanguard, 1968)
Robbie Basho: The Seal of the Blue Lotus (Takoma, 1965)
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Academy Of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Director: Neville Marriner: Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis / The Lark Ascending / Five Variants Of Dives And Lazarus / Fantasia On Greensleeves (Argo, 1972)
Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger: The World Of Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger (Argo, 1970)
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Sir Adrian Boult conducting The London Philharmonic Orchestra: A Pastoral Symphony (Decca, 1953)
Ralph Vaughan Williams: Sir Adrian Boult, conducting The Philharmonic Promenade Orchestra: Norfolk Rhapsody / English Folk Song Suite / Fantasia On A Theme Of Tallis / Fantasia On ‘Greensleeves’ (Westminster, 1954)
Stan Tracey: Jazz Suite (Inspired By Dylan Thomas’ ‘Under Milk Wood’) (Columbia, 1965)
Bobby Wellins, Scottish National Jazz Orchestra: Culloden Moor Suite (Spartacus Records, 2014)
The New Departures Quartet: The New Departures Quartet (Trans-atlantic Records, 1964)
The Byrds: ‘Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)/She Don’t Care About Time’, 7" (Columbia, 1965)
Nick Drake: Five Leaves Left (Island, 1969)
Bryter Layter (Island, 1970)
Pink Moon (Island, 1972)
Time of No Reply (Hannibal, 1986)
John Cameron: Kes (Trunk, 2001)
Harold McNair: ‘Indecision/The Hipster’, 7" (RCA Victor, 1968)
Donovan: Mellow Yellow (Epic, 1967)
A Gift From A Flower To A Garden (Pye, 1967)
Donovan In Concert (Pye, 1968)
Barabajagal (Epic, 1969)
The Incredible String Band: The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter (Elektra, 1968)
Pink Floyd: The Piper At The Gates of Dawn (EMI Columbia, 1967)
The Beatles: The Beatles (Apple, 1968)
Vashti Bunyan: Just Another Diamond Day (Phillips, 1970)
Traffic: Mr. Fantasy (Island, 1967)
Traffic (Island, 1968)
John Barleycorn Must Die (Island, 1970)
The Small Faces: ‘The Universal /Donkey Rides, A Penny A Glass’, 7" (Immediate, 1968)
Paul & Linda McCartney: Ram (Apple, 1971)
Traffic: When The Eagle Flies (Island, 1974)
Wings: ‘Mull of Kintyre/Girls School’, 7" (MPL, 1977)
Gavin Bryars: The Sinking of The Titanic (Obscure, 1975)
The Portsmouth Sinfonia: ‘William Tell Overture’ one-sided Flexi-disc (no label, 1970)
Plays The Popular Classics (Transatlantic, 1973)
Hallelujah (Transatlantic, 1974)
Brian Eno: Discreet Music (Obscure, 1975)
Michael Nyman: Decay Music (Obscure, 1978)
Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Simon Jeffes, performed by Members of the Penguin Cafe: Music From The Penguin Cafe (Obscure, 1976)
Penguin Cafe Orchestra: Penguin Cafe Orchestra (Editions EG, 1981)
Broadcasting From Home (Editions EG, 1984)
Signs of Life (Editions EG, 1987)
Kate Bush: The Dreaming (EMI, 1982)
The Hounds of Love (EMI, 1985)
The Raincoats: Odyshape (Rough Trade, 1981)
Young Marble Giants: ‘Final Day/Radio Silents/Cakewalking/Colossal Youth’, 7" (Rough Trade, 1980)
Hawkwind: Space Ritual (United Artists, 1973)
Hall of the Mountain Grill (United Artists, 1974)
Warrior on the Edge of Time (United Artists, 1975)
Ultramarine: Folk (Les Disques Du Crépuscule, 1990)
Every Man And Woman Is A Star (Brainiak, 1991)
United Kingdoms (Blanco Y Negro, 1993)
Soft Machine: The Soft Machine (Probe, 1968)
Volume 2 (Probe, 1968)
Third (CBS, 1970)
Kevin Ayers: Joy of a Toy (Harvest, 1969)
Kevin Ayers And The Whole World: Shooting at the Moon (Harvest, 1970)
Boards of Canada: Twoism (Music70, 1995)
Music Has The Right To Children (Warp/Skam, 1998)
In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country (Warp, 2000)
Rob St John: Surface Tension (Pattern & Process Press, 2015)