Shepherds Hey, English Morris Dance, Percy Grainger, SWO Symphonic Wind Orchestra, SYO Concert

"Shepherds Hey" English Morris Dance by Percy Grainger. Performed by the Symphonic Wind Orchestra, conducted by Russell Hammond. The SWO is for wind, brass and percussion musicians aged 14 - 22 years.

Best viewed larger by clicking the "480p" button.

Recorded live on 20 March 2010 at the Sydney Youth Orchestras SYO Autumn Concert at Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Australia.

The Orchestra's website is http://www.syo.com.au

About Percy Grainger.....

George Percy Grainger (8 July 1882 to 20 February 1961) was an Australian born composer, and pianist, who worked under the stage name of Percy Aldridge Grainger. Percy Grainger was born in Brighton, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria.

Father - His father John Harry Grainger was a successful and talented architect who grew up in France and was educated in a monastery school in Yvetot. He emigrated from London, England in 1876. John Grainger's business partner and best friend was David Mitchell, the father of Nellie Melba. Her father was determined to prevent Nellie from taking up singing as a career and John Grainger is credited with encouraging her singing. He maintained a close friendship with Nellie and later designed her house "Coombe Cottage" in 1912.

Mother - Percy Grainger's mother, Rose (née Rosa Annie Aldridge; 3 July 1861 to 30 April 1922). Percy Grainger's mother was domineering and possessive, although cultured. While pregnant, she allocated time each day to stare at a statue of a Greek god in the belief it would pass some of its qualities to her child.

Youth - A striking individual with blue eyes and brilliant orange hair, Percy gave his first public performance at the age of 12, and critics hailed him as a new prodigy.

Education - Due to taunts about his appearance, Percy Grainger spent less than three months in school and after refusing to return was home schooled by his mother. She was a strict disciplinarian, but ironically her tombstone reads, "Wise, wonderful, devoted, angelic mother." Grainger excelled in languages and his correspondence shows he was fluent in 11 foreign languages including Icelandic and Russian

Relocation - Grainger moved to the United States at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. In 1917 he enlisted into a United States Army band, playing the oboe and soprano saxophone, giving dozens of concerts in aid of War Bonds, Liberty Loans and the American Red Cross. In 1917 he was elected an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity. In 1918, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States.

Career Success - By 1925, Grainger was financially secure. He was now earning $5,000 (2007:$58,692) a week for performances and charging up to $200 (2007:$2,348) an hour for private lessons. In 1932, he became Dean of Music at New York University, and underscored his reputation as an experimenter by putting jazz on the syllabus and inviting Duke Ellington as a guest lecturer. Twice he was offered honorary doctorates of music, but turned them down, explaining, "I feel that my music must be regarded as a product of non education".

Marriage - In November 1926, Grainger met the Swedish artist and poet Ella Viola Ström, and fell in love at first sight. Their wedding took place on 9 August 1928 on the stage of the Hollywood Bowl, following a concert before an audience of 20,000, with an orchestra of 126 musicians and an A Cappella choir, which sang his new composition, "To A Nordic Princess", dedicated to Ella.

Source - adapted from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Grainger


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Category:

Music

Tags:

• Shepherds Hey
• English Morris Dance
• Percy Grainger
• Australian Composer
• SWO
• Symphonic Wind Orchestra
• SYO
• Concert
• wind
• brass
• percussion
• bass
• Sydney
• Youth
• Orchestra
• Australia
• conductor
• Russell
• Hammond

[matthewbrunswick]

@DriXx590 They should probably be concentrating on teaching English.

[evocurl]

robbie is da best

[DriXx590]

we are going 2 play this song in my scholl