Grainger: Molly On The Shore

Band musicians everywhere delight in playing the music of Percy Grainger, who was one of the first composers to write truly symphonic music for wind ensembles and military bands. Grainger is also widely respected for his interest in collecting and recording folk tunes of rural England. Some believe that he developed this hobby from his friend and mentor, Edvard Grieg, who himself was a noted collector of folk tunes from his native Norway. In 1906, Grainger hiked around Britain making field recordings of these folk songs on Edison wax cylinders, the first to make such recordings in Britain. Many of Grainger's most popular tunes, including Molly on the Shore, incorporate folk themes he collected on his adventures. He planted these themes into his compositions through very odd and eclectic means, using complex key signatures and odd rhythmic figures. These quirky elements, though, have made Grainger's music a popular favorite among bands and orchestras all around the world!