Cat No. JM50810
Price £53.95
Composer: Percy Grainger
Arranger: Douglas Wagner
Category: New & Recent Titles

Grade 3.0

PROGRAM NOTES :

The boundless energy and passion for life of Australian-born composer and pianist Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882—1961) is reflected in the four works included in this eclectic sampling of his music: Irish Tune from County Derry. No doubt the most beloved folksong of all time, Grainger turned this simple tune into an emotional concert work, full of rich harmonies and powerful sonorities. Settings include solo piano (1911), chorus (1912), string orchestra with two horns (1913), and military band (1918).

Mock Morris
In the composer’s own words: “The rhythmic cast of Mock Morris somewhat resembles traditional English Morris Dance tunes, though no actual traditional tunes are made use of. The piece was prompted by the motto, ‘Always merry and bright.” My Robin Is to the Greenwood Gone Written in 1912, this work is based on the folksong of the same name, taken from William Chappell’s 1893 collection, Old English Popular Music. Not a complete and formal arrangement of the tune, Grainger calls this a “free ramble,” where the only direct connection to the original tune is in the first nine stated notes, corresponding to the first line of the text. Children’s March: Over the Hills-and Far Away
The closing section of the medley draws upon the initial 1918 solo piano version of this buoyant and happy original
work. The composer later developed these themes into a major 400+-measure concert work in scorings for military band (1919) and two pianos/four hands (1920).

NOTES TO THE CONDUCTOR
Articulations and dynamics have been carefully indicated throughout. Balance should be a key consideration in the first eight measures, where the tune is woven into the musical fabric by clarinets, bassoon, and euphonium. The staccatos marked in measures 33—64 should be played with a ‘toh’ articulation for a fuller body of sound and a more
semi-detached style. Keep the style light and free in the final section. For an extended concert band version of Children’s March: Over the Hills and FarAway in the Alfred catalog (an abridged and less complicated edition of Grainger’s original).