In this Musical Moment, VocalEssence artistic director and founder Philip Brunelle shares insider information and beautiful music by the composer Percy Grainger.
Percy Grainger
1882-1961
Australian-American composer and pianist Percy Grainger was best known for his work as a collector and arranger of folk music. Grainger’s mother taught him from their home in Melbourne until 1895, when he began his study at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt. From 1901 to 1914, Grainger lived in London, working as a pianist and private teacher while traveling and using a phonograph to collect British folk songs. At the onset of World War I, he moved to the United States, where he found considerable fame for his outstanding talent both as a pianist and composer. He also inspired countless high school, summer school, and college students as an educator and lecturer. His work consists of numerous settings of folk songs and innovative original compositions. He inspired many fellow composers and continues to charm ensembles and audiences around the world with his compositions and arrangements.
Suggested choral pieces:
- Irish Tune from County Derry (Schott & Co ED11283)
- Thou Gracious Power (Schott & Co BDE 354)
- I’m Seventeen Come Sunday (Schott & Co HL.49029805)