Percy Grainger Archive

GRAINGER Complete Music for Wind Band, Vol. 1 -The Royal Norwegian Navy Band / Bjarte Ingest – Naxos 

by Audiophile Audition | May 9, 2018 | Classical CD Reviews

Grainger heard and unheard in a nice debut CD of an ongoing collection from Naxos GRAINGER Complete Music for Wind Band, Vol. 1: Molly on the Shore, Country Gardens, Shepherd’s Hey – The Royal Norwegian Navy Band / Bjarte Ingest (Texts and translations included) – Naxos CD 8.573679 TT: 67:59 ****: This is the first volume in a complete sequence of Percy Grainger’s music for wind band and it very closely follows Grainger’s instructions on performance and scoring, whether for Hammond organ, Swiss hand bells or steel marimba. Grainger wrote a series of Chosen Gems for Winds, which include beautiful transcriptions of music by composers such as Bach, Franck and Fauré. This first volume also contains some of his greatest and most joyous creations—the immortal Country Gardens, Shepherd’s Hey and Molly on the Shore, along with many more selections. I’ve always been a fan of Grainger’s music, going back to my high school band days, where Grainger’s Lincolnshire Posy was always a favorite. Grainger’s music is always exuberant and emotive. The performance by the Royal Norwegian Navy Band is top notch, precise and energetic, just what Grainger’s music calls for. Several of the works in this CD are world premiere […]