Salute To Percy Grainger

This two-CD collection includes Britten's classic 1968 recording, which is one of the best of all Grainger recitals in itself...Dazzling sound. — Penguin Guide, 2011 edition More…

Release Date: 1st Nov 2010
Catalogue No: ELQ4802205
Label: Eloquence
Length: 1 hour 57 minutes

Presto Recording of the Week

31st January 2011

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Grainger: Shepherd's Hey

Work length2:18

English Chamber Orchestra
Benjamin Britten
Recorded: 1968-12-07
Recording Venue: The Maltings, Snape, Suffolk

Grainger: Willow Willow

Work length4:05

Peter Pears (tenor)
English Chamber Orchestra, Members
Benjamin Britten
Recorded: 1968-12-07
Recording Venue: The Maltings, Snape, Suffolk

Grainger: I'm seventeen come Sunday

Work length2:59

Ambrosian Singers, English Chamber Orchestra
Benjamin Britten
Recorded: 1968-12-07
Recording Venue: The Maltings, Snape, Suffolk

Grainger: Bold William Taylor

Work length3:39

John Shirley-Quirk (baritone)
English Chamber Orchestra
Benjamin Britten
Recorded: 1968-12-07
Recording Venue: The Maltings, Snape, Suffolk

Grainger: There was a Pig went out to Dig

Work length2:01

Ambrosian Singers
Recorded: 1968-12-07
Recording Venue: The Maltings, Snape, Suffolk

Grainger: My Robin Is to the Greenwood Gone

Work length5:40

English Chamber Orchestra, Members
Benjamin Britten
Recorded: 1968-12-07
Recording Venue: The Maltings, Snape, Suffolk

Grainger: Lord Maxwell's Goodnight

Work length3:30

Peter Pears (tenor)
English Chamber Orchestra
Benjamin Britten
Recorded: 1968-12-07
Recording Venue: The Maltings, Snape, Suffolk

Grainger: 'The Duke of Marlborough' Fanfare

Work length2:19

English Chamber Orchestra, Members
Benjamin Britten
Recorded: 1968-12-07
Recording Venue: The Maltings, Snape, Suffolk

Grainger: Let's Dance Gay in Green Meadow

Work length3:06

Viola Tunnard (piano), Benjamin Britten (piano)
Recorded: 1968-12-07
Recording Venue: The Maltings, Snape, Suffolk

Grainger: Scotch Strathspey and Reel

Work length7:56

Ambrosian Singers, English Chamber Orchestra
Benjamin Britten
Recorded: 1968-12-07
Recording Venue: The Maltings, Snape, Suffolk

Grainger: The Pretty Maid Milkin' Her Cow...The Sprig O' Thyme

Work length4:03

Peter Pears (tenor), Benjamin Britten (piano)
Recorded: 1968-12-07
Recording Venue: The Maltings, Snape, Suffolk

Grainger: Lisbon (Dublin Bay)

Work length1:27

English Chamber Orchestra, Members
Benjamin Britten
Recorded: 1968-12-07
Recording Venue: The Maltings, Snape, Suffolk

Grainger: The Lost Lady Found

Work length2:55

Ambrosian Singers, English Chamber Orchestra
Benjamin Britten
Recorded: 1968-12-07
Recording Venue: The Maltings, Snape, Suffolk

Grainger: Shallow Brown

Work length5:38

John Shirley-Quirk (baritone)
Ambrosian Singers, English Chamber Orchestra
Benjamin Britten
Recorded: 1968-12-07
Recording Venue: The Maltings, Snape, Suffolk

Grainger: Molly on the Shore

Work length3:49

English Chamber Orchestra, Members
Steuart Bedford

Grainger: Shenandoah

Work length1:40

John Shirley-Quirk (baritone)
Wandsworth School Boys’ Choir, Linden Singers
Steuart Bedford

trad.: Londonderry Air

Work length5:16

English Chamber Orchestra, Members
Steuart Bedford

Grainger: Brigg Fair

Work length2:33

Peter Pears (tenor)
Linden Singers
Steuart Bedford

Grainger: Green Bushes

Work length8:15

English Chamber Orchestra, Members
Steuart Bedford

Grainger: Under A Bridge

Work length3:10

Anna Reynolds (mezzo-soprano), John Shirley-Quirk (baritone)
English Chamber Orchestra, Members
Steuart Bedford

Grainger: Dollar and a Half a Day

Work length3:43

John Shirley-Quirk (baritone)
Wandsworth School Boys’ Choir, Linden Singers
Steuart Bedford

Grainger: The Merry King

Work length3:14

English Chamber Orchestra, Members
Steuart Bedford

Grainger: Six Dukes Went a-Fishin'

Work length2:57

Peter Pears (tenor), Osian Ellis (harp)

Grainger: Stormy

Work length1:22

John Shirley-Quirk (baritone)
Wandsworth School Boys’ Choir, Linden Singers
Steuart Bedford

Grainger: The Three Ravens

Work length3:27

Peter Pears (tenor)
Linden Singers, English Chamber Orchestra, Members
Steuart Bedford

Grainger: Died for Love

Work length1:16

Anna Reynolds (mezzo-soprano)
English Chamber Orchestra, Members
Steuart Bedford

Grainger: Country Gardens

Work length1:50

Percy Grainger (piano)

Grainger: The Power of Love

Work length3:26

Peter Pears (tenor)
English Chamber Orchestra, Members
Steuart Bedford

Grainger: The Hunter in His Career

Work length1:39

Wandsworth School Boys’ Choir, English Chamber Orchestra, Members
Steuart Bedford

Grainger: The Warriors

Work length18:22

Achim Holub (assistant conductor)
Philharmonia Orchestra
Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Achim Holub

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Recording of the Week, Percy Grainger

31st January 2011

The fiftieth anniversary of the Australian pianist, composer and all-round eccentric brings reissues of his own recordings on APR and a tribute from Benjamin Britten and friends, plus the Jungle Book from John Mark Ainsley, Polyphony and Stephen Layton.

Recording locations: ‘The Maltings’ Concert Hall, Snape, UK, December 1968 (CD 1: 1-14), November 1972 (CD 1: 15-19, CD 2: 1-3, 5-7, 9-10), March 1976 (CD 2: 4); unknown location, May 1927 (CD1: 8); All Hallows, Gospel Oak, London, UK, February 1994 (The Warriors)

A composer with an extraordinary ear for sonority, original in his outlook, sometimes misunderstood, now revered, Percy Grainger is one of Australia’s most unique sons, and, in the words of Sir Peter Pears, one of its “most independent and single-minded spirits”. Many of these recordings, of vocal and chamber orchestra pieces, were made by Decca in 1968 and 1972 and issued, together with a 1927 recording of Grainger playing his Country Gardens and of Peter Pears and Osian Ellis performing Six Dukes wenta-fishin’ in two volumes, with the title Salute to Percy Grainger. The title is retained for this anthology and to it is added Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s Deutsche Grammophon recording of The Warriors, presenting nearly two hours of some of Grainger’s finest utterances in some of their earliest (and best) performances to be captured on record. Ten of these items [CD2: 1-10] make their first appearance on CD.

The performers are a Who’s Who of great Decca artists. Benjamin Britten and Steuart Bedford share the conducting duties on the Decca recordings, and the vocalists include Sir Peter Pears, Anna Reynolds and John Shirley-Quirk, together with the Ambrosian Singers and the Wandsworth Boys’ Choir. The notes are written by celebrities too – Sir Peter Pears and Grainger scholar, John Bird – and include affectionate reminiscences. Complete song texts are included.

"This is an altogether delightful anthology, beautifully played and recorded by these distinguished artists … the recording is an extremely good one” Penguin Guide ***

“the enchantments remain … will surely give pleasure” Gramophone

Reviews

2011 edition

This two-CD collection includes Britten's classic 1968 recording, which is one of the best of all Grainger recitals in itself...Dazzling sound.

31st October 2010

The performances by Britten, the tenor Peter Pears and the glorious baritone of John Shirley-Quirk, not to mention the Ambrosian Singers, Linden Singers and Wandsworth Boys’ Choir, have a finesse that defines an imperilled English musical tradition we are in danger of losing.

Offer,Salute To Percy Grainger

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Recording of the Week, Percy Grainger

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