Duration 17:38 as side 2 of the LP record. This appears to be the second of 3 published recordings of Hanson's 1925 Lament for Beowulf, this one made (in 1958?) by the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra and the Eastman School of Music Chorus, under Hanson's own direction. (The first was by the same orchestra; the third was made in 1991 by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and Seattle Symphony Chorale, dir. Gerald Schwartz.) This is the first release of that recording, pairing it with Hanson's Symphony No. 2. This compilation was re-released several times by Mercury in the U.S. and Europe.

The text for the composition is taken from the Morris translation of Beowulf.

The liner notes by Lyons quote Hanson's "précis" of his Lament for Beowulf:

There is a brief picture of the great burial mound by the sea on which the funeral pyre of the hero is built. A great beacon mound is constructed and on it are placed the trophies of the hero, mementos of his famous battles and victories. The women lament as the mound is built by the warriors. Then follows an episode in which the wife of the hero and her hand-maidens voice their grief. The young warriors in a group surround the bier of their dead king and tell of his prowess. The work ends with the eulogy of the great hero. (back cover of LP sleeve)

MO2 1925(b) does not list specific recordings, but states that Hanson's Lament is "available on compact disc." This recording is the one documented by MO1 (p. 164) as Mercury Records SR 90192.

BAM (from re-release on Mercury Golden Imports LP, Italy, date unknown, and Mercury Living Presence LP, date unknown); catalog/seller listing for original release on Discogs.com; 1958 date of recording from detailed information in a different catalog/seller listing on Discogs.com, its ultimate source unknown.