Percy Grainger: Dec 9-13

[LMcD]

A beautiful piece.

If there were a poll to decide on the most unusual title for a musical piece, a strong contender would surely be 'Arrival Platform Humlet'.
I agree that there's something haunting and special about Shallow Brown.

[ardcarp]

Glancing swiftly down Wiki's list of Grainger's works, there is a fair proportion of vocal/choral pieces, some with bizarre names.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Percy_Grainger

I'm sad to say the only one I know well [not with a bizarre name] is his arrangement of Brigg Fair for solo and chorus. He was a bit of a magpie, and I've always thought this one a bit reminiscent of Delius.
Upthread there was some comparision with Ernest Tomlinson, I guess in reference to the fact that much of his work is seldom performed. But there, I think, any comparison ends!

[MrGongGong]

Grainger is an interesting composer in many ways
it's interesting how folks like to "claim" composers
reminds me of when Jonathan Harvey died the CE folks waxing lyrical about his choral music but unable to square that with the things he did at IRCAM etc

[ardcarp]

Gongers, do you see any similarities (in Grainger's compositional approach rather than actual sound) with Charles Ives?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Gongers, do you see any similarities (in Grainger's compositional approach rather than actual sound) with Charles Ives?

- there's that aggressive "masculine" front to their personalities, as well.

[MrGongGong]

Gongers, do you see any similarities (in Grainger's compositional approach rather than actual sound) with Charles Ives?

Yes, though i'm no expert on either

Grainger (like Ives) seems to have had a fascination with the sonic possibilities of music(s)

[Serial_Apologist]

- there's that aggressive "masculine" front to their personalities, as well.

Are we allows to say that? When I was new to this forum I got well and truly lambasted for making comparison between a composer's music and his or her gender.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Are we allows to say that? When I was new to this forum I got well and truly lambasted for making comparison between a composer's music and his or her gender.

It's the "front" (and the inverted commas around "Masculine") that is what they have in common - Ruggles had this as well - rather than their gender. The loud, self-presentation as a "man's man", the fear of being regarded as a "cissy" for being a Musician, rather than their Y-chromosomes (or, indeed, Y-fronts).

[ardcarp]

Brigg Fair for solo and chorus

It started off today's programme, beautifully sung by Mark Padmore, but maybe a bit too slow and over-indulgent to capture fully the folk element.
Anyway it is clear our Percy did quite a 'Cecil Sharp' up in Lincolnshire.

[rauschwerk]

It started off today's programme, beautifully sung by Mark Padmore, but maybe a bit too slow and over-indulgent to capture fully the folk element.
Anyway it is clear our Percy did quite a 'Cecil Sharp' up in Lincolnshire.

Yes, Grainger marks it to be performed 'with gentle swing' but it is rather often dragged.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Yes, Grainger marks it to be performed 'with gentle swing' but it is rather often dragged.

- as if it's meant to remind listeners of the Delius adaptation! It's a happy song - the singer is looking forward to meeting up with his girlfriend, not lamenting her early death from TB.

[ardcarp]

...and what a wonderful edition of CotW that was! His folk-song instrumental pieces are so 'off the wall', using that uniquely English mode* without making it reek too strongly of cowpat. The programme was crowned by that great performance of A Lincolnshire Posy which I knew but had forgotten about. The RNCM Wind Orchestra (conducted by an old friend of mine, Tim Reynish, sometime horn player in the CBSO) captured Grainger's wackiness to perfection.

https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%209549

*If one thinks about it, much English folksong melody is based around using [for instance] the first six notes of a d melodic minor scale alternating with the first six notes of a c major scale with leading notes largely absent. That's clearly a gross simplification, but the folk melodies of Somerset seem to have a lot in common with those miles away in the Northeast.

[ardcarp]

Unto Brigg Fair sung by Joseph Taylor:

https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/brigg-fair-folksong-recording