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Beethoven's euphoric Symphony No.9, like his symphony No.5, is one of those pieces of classical music which transcends the barrier between musical genres - one of the few pieces of the classical canon in the popular consciousness. Few can fail to be uplifted and caught up in the joyous Ode to Joy finale. For this performance, recorded live at the Edinburgh International Festival in 1994, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment were joined by the renowned conductor and long-time collaborator, Sir Charles Mackerras, a partnership between him and the OAE that lasted almost a quarter of a century. This is Signum's second release with the OAE, following a release of Monteverdi's Vespers (SIGCD237) earlier this year. The next release, planned for December, will feature Sarah Connolly performing Mahler's Totenfier and Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the OAE under Vladimir Jurowski.