The ensuing popularity of the work, and of the recording by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields directed by Neville Marriner stemmed directly from this national exposure of a piece thought before then to be complex, over-intellectual and 'difficult'. It is now firmly established as one of Tippett's most popular and frequently performed works, joining other well-loved works for strings by English composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams and Edward Elgar. References Compositions by Michael Tippett Compositions for string orchestra 1953 compositions Fantasias (music)