composer conducting and Robin Ray narrating. In 1970 a studio recording of Dead in Tune was also released by Argo. Other commercial recordings by the LSSO have been issued on Pye, Argo, CBS, Unicorn, Cameo Classics, Virgin and Performance labels. Concerts The orchestra has given concerts in some of Europe's major concert halls including the Musikverein in Vienna, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Beethovenhalle in Bonn, the Haydnsaal in Schloss Esterházy (Eisenstadt, Austria), the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels, the Berliner Philharmonie, the Robert-Schumann-Saal at the Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf, the Hans-Sachs-Haus in Gelsenkirchen, the Fairfield Halls in Croydon, and London's Royal Festival Hall. In a press review of one of the concerts given by the orchestra during their 1969 tour of Germany with Sir Michael Tippett and Richard Rodney Bennett, the LSSO was hailed as "Britain's best cultural export". Review Havergal Brian recordings The LSSO made the very first commercial recording of Havergal Brian's music for the Unicorn and CBS labels in 1972 and 1974 respectively. After Eric Pinkett's retirement Eric Pinkett retired from his post in 1976 and died in 1979. His memorial concert, held at the De Montfort Hall, Leicester in 1980, was conducted by Norman Del Mar, who had worked regularly with the orchestra since 1966 at home and abroad, notably their concert in the Vienna Musikverein in 1968. Eric Pinkett was followed by Peter G. Fletcher (1976–84), Stuart Johnson (1984–93), Don Blakeson (1993–97), Russell Parry (1997–2009), Andrew Bound (2009-2013), Peter Dunkley (2013-2015) and Richard Laing (2015–2017). The orchestra is currently conducted by Dan Watson. See also List of youth orchestras References External links Official LSSO website, part of Leicestershire Schools Music Service (Leicestershire Music Education Hub) Eric Pinkett era website (1948–1976) Articles, photographs, audio clips, videos and memorabilia items. LSSO on YouTube British symphony orchestras Education in Leicestershire English youth orchestras Music in Leicestershire Organizations established in 1948 Organisations based in Leicestershire