The Portsmouth Sinfonia

In 1973, the Portsmouth Sinfonia signed a record deal with Transatlantic Records. Their first album, The Portsmouth Sinfonia Plays the Popular Classics, was produced by Eno and released in 1974. They also performed on Eno's 1974 album Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy). That May, the orchestra performed at the Royal Albert Hall, London. The performance was released as Hallelujah! — Portsmouth Sinfonia Live at the Albert Hall, produced again by Eno.
In 1979, the Portsmouth Sinfonia released 20 Classic Rock Classics, comprising covers of rock songs by acts such as the Who. They gave their last performance in 1980. Their single "Classical Muddly", a medley of popular classical pieces, reached number 38 on the UK singles chart in 1981.
The Portsmouth Sinfonia played as well as they could and did not intend to caricature professional orchestras. Members were expected to take the orchestra seriously, and rehearsal attendance was mandatory. The orchestra attracted fans who saw it in the tradition of eccentric English comedy. Eno said that though it was not intended as a joke, it was "sometimes extremely funny". Nyman described it as avant-garde, and the Sunday Times journalist Dan Cairns likened its openness to amateurs and rejection of virtuosity to punk music. The 1979 Rolling Stone Record Guide suggested their first two albums were the worst ever made.