The talk by the composer on the recording of Simpson's ninth specifically refers to the influence of Bruckner but he leaves it to the listener to guess where the quote comes from (he plays the quote as an extract). It's from Bruckner's Third symphony, first movement, I think.

Apologies. The title of the thread was 'symphonies' ' and not any old thing!

Bing Crosby- 'I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas' ('Just like the one I used to know'=second phrase of main theme to slow movement of no.6-sorry).

Rautavaara's Third and Simpson's Ninth. Wellesz's third?

Sorry, I made a copy of cd from tape and it's on my ipod, so  I do have the mp3 files (presumably!!).  I haven't mastered the art of uploading  :-[ Can I attach mp3 files to an e mail? Or will send copy of cd if that's easier/the only other alternative!!

Can make cd of Hamilton's fourth symphony if the forum hasn't got it (doesn't seem to). Decent sound copy with slight break towards end of final movement (turning over a 45 minute tape!). HOWEVER, I can't say I like it very much. It's not as concentrated as his third and only the first few bars of the third movement break a dreamy rambling mood which ,for me, gets nowhere really.The overall effect seems sad and resigned. But how to make it available?

I don't know all of the works on the list, but agree that Gardner Read's Fourth Symphony is a remarkable work-one of the very best American symphonies- subject matter, emotion, structure, pace, orchestration, you name it! Don't expect anything happy and bright though. It's grim,elegiac, soul-searching throughout and therefore quite atypical of your normal symphony.

I agree with Tapiola. The comment about the Handley cycle being more about Handley and less about Bax is a bit unfair though - Handley was adamant that Bax was never meant,  and shouldn't be allowed, to wallow and keeping up the pace was important to help understand the structure. That said, I have to say I never listen to the Handley set (no. 3 in particular did absolutely nothing for me, rather like a performance he gave in Liverpool some years back - a rushed 'run through'!!), and I think that the Thomson and the Lyrita cycles better catch the spirit of the music.

I too was hoping for a Butterworth symphony or two for his 90th!

http://www.coomanarts.com/ss/121booklet.pdf

this is a link to the cd notes. There is a programme to the work which I did find surprising (a) because there is one and (b) the subject matter!

Thanks Corentin for getting back to us. I'm very relieved that we finally have an answer. It's a good work, so I'm very pleased you uploaded it. 
 :)

thanks for all replies on this. Holger, I have started to go through the list which was a great idea(although it did sidetrack me a bit-well, a lot, but there have been some interesting finds along the way!). By the time I rule out the symphonies I know,the composers I know who won't(well are very, very unlkely to) have written it, the list does reduce substantially. i have zipped through excerpts from NWCRI recordings, but of course can't access anything which hasn't been transferred to cd or the private recordings. I hope some of the American experts can work this one out as I would love to put a composer and title with it.

I really do like this work, but where's CB gone??!!  ??? In what format has he come by it? For those equally intrigued, check out his youtube upload on the collectioncb3 channel, as there's a parallel conversation as to what it might be.

I thought Wuorinen, but he's written a lot and I only know a few works. I see what you mean about the Ruggles, though. There's a heaviness (relative) in the orchestration than all the other works I thought it could be, and having played a clip of Sun Treader - you're spot on with the sound world. I initially went to Leslie Bassett and Tanenbaum's variations, which I thought it may be if not a symphony(well, or as well as a symphony!)(The Tanenbaum is a bit obscure I think, but on CRI)- but they are much more lightly scored. The Riegger too is a possibility but other than the symphonies I don't know what else is as long as this. I then cheated by arranging my itunes by durations, to get all the 22 minute tracks together, but of course the break in the music after about 11 minutes could be a second download track in the library, and then there's the possible embarrassment (although i think unlikely)of having the work on disc but not in i tunes!  I see CB has put it up for you tube viewers ideas and that JKSteven1 who uploads the obscure American stuff is on the trail.

Oh well, makes a change from all the HB.  ;D

I see none of the replies so far have ventured into a guess, and I'm not either. However, I doubt this is going onto a 'tonal masterworks' channel as it's so called, but I'd like to know what it is nevertheless! I agree it may be American but not necessarily.  There's a BACH motif in it as well which may give someone a clue. after you listen to it a few times it grows on you! Hurry up someone and identify it please as it's now beginning to annoy me, even if I've never heard of the composer(that doesn't mean making any old thing up though,although it's true I could be none the wiser if you did!).