A Colour Symphony, the 1922 composition from Sir Arthur Bliss dedicated to Sir Adrian Boult was inspired by the heraldic meanings associated to colours, and first performed at the Gloucester Three Choirs Festival with Bliss conducting the London Symphony Orchestra.
Written after an invitation from Elgar - who apparently found it "disconcertingly modern" - the first performance was not a total success (with inadequate rehearsal time, and staging issues meant that some instruments were missing), but it entered the repertoire nevertheless. This blog post from Unsung Symphonies and the album sleeve notes below describe the movements and their colour associations.
Here we have a splendid performance by Vernon Handley and the Ulster Orchestra, recorded by Chandos in the Ulster Hall in Belfast in March 1986.
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