A.B. Bonds refers to the Edison recording made in the 1880s.  It's audible
on-line at the Edison Historic Site Online Collection:

        http://www.nps.gov/edis/ed560000.htm

Its a wondrous experience to listen to the past.

It's an excerpt from the Handel Oratorio Israel In Egypt recorded by
Colonel George Gouraud at The Crystal Palace in London, England, on June
29, 1888. This is possibly the oldest surviving example of recorded music.
For myself I have welcomed CD as the best semi-permanent archival format
since the 78 rpm record.  I never did like LPs - fragile and clumsy to
handle. I understand the general view now is that the problems, caused I
believe by some faulty ink or dye, have been resolved.  Let's hope so.

Michael Woolf
New Zealand