Longest symphony

The Symphony No. 2 (the Gothic, or No. 1), composed in 1919-27 by Havergal Brian (1876-1972) lasted 1 hr 39 min in a recording broadcast by the BBC in 1954. A performance calls for an orchestra of 160 players, an organ, four small brass bands, four large mixed choirs, a children's choir and four vocal soloists, making it also the largest symphony.

Brian wrote an even vaster work based on Shelley's `Prometheus Unbound' lasting 4 hr 11 min but the full score has been missing since 1961.