Sir Adrian Cedric Boult, CH (/boʊlt/; 8 April 1889 – 22 February 1983) was … Read Full Bio ↴Sir Adrian Cedric Boult, CH (/boʊlt/; 8 April 1889 – 22 February 1983) was an English conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family, he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London for the Royal Opera House and Sergei Diaghilev's ballet company. His first prominent post was the conductor of the City of Birmingham Orchestra in 1924. When the British Broadcasting Corporation appointed him director of music in 1930, he established the BBC Symphony Orchestra and became its chief conductor. The orchestra set standards of excellence that were rivaled in Britain only by the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO), founded two years later.
Forced to leave the BBC in 1950 on reaching retirement age, Boult took on the chief conductorship of the LPO. The orchestra had declined from its peak of the 1930s, but under his guidance, its fortunes were revived. He retired as its chief conductor in 1957 and later accepted the post of president. Although in the latter part of his career he worked with other orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and his former orchestra, the BBC Symphony, it was the LPO with which he was primarily associated, conducting it in concerts and recordings until 1978, in what was widely called his "Indian Summer".
Boult was known for his championing of British music. He gave the first performance of his friend Gustav Holst's The Planets and introduced new works by, among others, Elgar, Bliss, Britten, Delius, Rootham, Tippett, Vaughan Williams, and Walton. In his BBC years, he introduced works by foreign composers, including Bartók, Berg, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, and Webern. A modest man who disliked the limelight, Boult felt as comfortable in the recording studio as on the concert platform, making recordings throughout his career. From the mid-1960s until his retirement after his last sessions in 1978 he recorded extensively for EMI. As well as a series of recordings that have remained in the catalog for three or four decades, Boult's legacy includes his influence on prominent conductors of later generations, including Colin Davis and Vernon Handley.
Forced to leave the BBC in 1950 on reaching retirement age, Boult took on the chief conductorship of the LPO. The orchestra had declined from its peak of the 1930s, but under his guidance, its fortunes were revived. He retired as its chief conductor in 1957 and later accepted the post of president. Although in the latter part of his career he worked with other orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and his former orchestra, the BBC Symphony, it was the LPO with which he was primarily associated, conducting it in concerts and recordings until 1978, in what was widely called his "Indian Summer".
Boult was known for his championing of British music. He gave the first performance of his friend Gustav Holst's The Planets and introduced new works by, among others, Elgar, Bliss, Britten, Delius, Rootham, Tippett, Vaughan Williams, and Walton. In his BBC years, he introduced works by foreign composers, including Bartók, Berg, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, and Webern. A modest man who disliked the limelight, Boult felt as comfortable in the recording studio as on the concert platform, making recordings throughout his career. From the mid-1960s until his retirement after his last sessions in 1978 he recorded extensively for EMI. As well as a series of recordings that have remained in the catalog for three or four decades, Boult's legacy includes his influence on prominent conductors of later generations, including Colin Davis and Vernon Handley.
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English Folk Songs -Suite : I. March
Sir Adrian Boult Lyrics
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The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Chris Jarrett
Perfect tempo - Boult!
Patricia McLeveen
Too fast, Sir Adrian!
cosycleaner
A great fan of Sir adrian Boult as I am I agree this is far too fast.
Bandsman Pat
I agree, far too fast and the brass & woodwind are polluted by the Mantovani style string playing. I think Sir Adrian made a bolt of it !.
Lee Goodspeed
1889, actually.
silverdalesapphires
Is this FAST or what? Karajan's tempo is far more natural and the balance is better.
Ian McKinnon
Suffers from speed requiired by 78rpm recording. The strings make it sound like the Harry Davidson version!
adam28xx
It wasn't recorded on a 78 but was one of 14 Marches that Boult recorded for a 'World Record Club' LP in August 1967. With seven marches being fitted onto each side of the LP, you might be right in speculating that he took them at a hell of a lick so as to make sure they all went on. Even so, despite the adverse comments regarding his speedy tempos, it's an enjoyable LP in my opinion. In particular, if you listen to Richard Rodger's "Guadalcanal" March you'll hear Boult and the LPO really letting their hair down! ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiwi3GmeiuU
adiacanthus
I agree, way too fast. It's played here as a quick march which was not intended by the composer.
Francesco Bertaccini
Too fast so sorry