This is one of the many LPs of American music produced by Howard Hanson and Mercury when Dr. Hanson was the head of the Eastman School.
This program from circa 1955 presents three exceedingly beautiful pieces for string orchestra. The Thomas Canning work is an attempt to replicate Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis using a hymn tune by the American Justin Morgan. Louis Mennini's Arioso is recommended to anyone who enjoys Barber's Adagio for Strings. And Arthur Foote's Suite is a romantic work reminiscent of Tchaikovsky.
The Canning and Foote works have had more modern recordings, but not the Mennini, to my knowledge. Canning and Mennini were colleagues of Hanson at Eastman. Mennini's brother, Peter Mennin, was also a well-known composer.
I dubbed this record using two different cartridge-stylus combinations. I prefer the string sound on the version here, although it retains more surface noise. I've done my best to lessen the heavy tape hiss that is still somewhat evident.
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