For this Australian, Colonial Song is the sound of my beautiful country. It smacks me in the heart. Every single time. Percy's preface explaining why he wrote this extraordinary piece of music is essential to understanding Australians' visceral reaction to Colonial Song. For anyone born here, the land arouses a deep emotional response. It's nothing to do with nationalism. Australia is not an easy land. It tests you. It can kill you. But we love it dearly. Particularly those of us privileged to live outside the cities. And it has shaped the way we talk, write and sing. When Australians sing - and Australians sing *a lot* - "richness and intensity of tone and soulful breadth of phrasing" are indeed preferenced over "more subtly and sensitively varied delicacies of expression." This is why Australians squirm in misery when forced to sing Advance Australia Fair. A compromise national anthem - anodyne, meaningless, bland. Percy would've loathed it - we all do. But Waltzing Matilda ... a crowd of ten thousand Australians belting out Waltzing Matilda borders on a spiritual experience - listen carefully and you'll hear that "soulful breadth of phrasing" Percy voices in Colonial Song. Waltzing Matilda is not a "jolly" ditty. Anything but. It is about the legacy of forced servitude and contempt for authority. Australians weep when they sing it. Percy understood why. Other examples of "soulful breadth of phrasing" include Moreton Bay (Lionel Long nothing else will do), Lachlan Tigers, Wild Colonial Boy, and Limejuice Tub (the Whalers Song). In the twentieth century: Road to Gundagai (Peter Dawson's version), Wide Open Road by the Triffids, Hold On by the Models, Cattle and Cane by the GoBetweens, Great Southern Land by Iva Davies (subseqently rescored as the magnificent Ghost of Time) and anything by Nick Cave and John Williamson. And the work of Peter Scullthorpe. Scullthorpe knew how to paint a picture. Percy was a visionary, and lately I've wondered, what would he think of contemporary Australian music? Like the rest of us, I believe he would be delighted and moved by the late Gurrumul's masterpiece, Djarimirri (Children of the Rainbow Serpent). Djarimirri is without precedent - a truly astonishing body of work. What makes Djarimirri unique is that when the album was released, it immediately shot to number one on the Australian charts. Purchased across all demographics - ten year olds bought it, ninety year olds bought it, Whitefellas and Blackfellas bought it - no one can remember the last time a classical album reached number one in Australia. But Djarimirri is classical music with a twist - traditional Aboriginal chanting with western instruments. No didgeridoos. The cello is used to replicate the sound of the didge as Gurrumul chants with "richness and intensity of tone and soulful breadth of phrasing." Gurrumul knocked our collective socks off with Djarimirri - the cry of the Rainbow Serpent calling her children. Never before have I heard a piece of music capture the smell of rain in Australia. Or the movement of a saltwater crocodile as it glides through the shallows. Or the sound of our flag flirting with the wind. For this Australian, it is impossible not to cry listening to Djarimirri. It is exquisite. And there's so much more happening - out of nowhere Australian shed rock has exploded. These days all I want to hear is Australian music, written and performed in the Australian vernacular. It's everywhere and it's interesting. Damn I wish Percy was around to hear it. If you love Grainger, you will love Djarimirri. It is the 21st century version of Colonial Song - the sound of the Great Southern Land and her people. A bit like Percy really - mad, bad and dangerous to know :)
Percy Grainger is still considered as nothing more than "an arranger" - ie not a serious composer - probably because he didn't write symphonies. However with his arrangements he turned some simple folk songs (which he collected) into musical jewels. I defy anyone to say that Shallow Brown is not great music. And works that he wrote from scratch (ie not arrangements) are truly wonderful too. I love his music. Listen to him playing Handel on the Strand - great pianist, great music.
kEYBAWD that’s peculiar, as “Lincolnshire Posy” is often considered one of the great works in the Wind Band Literature, his “Children’s March” and “Molly on the Shore” are also classic pieces still being performed to this day. I speak as a wind ensemble musician myself :-)
RE: the comment about Grainger's arrangements: I have known of 'Brigg Fair' for many a year, but to hear Grainger's 'arrangement' (relative to his recording of the English countryman who sang it to him) is to hear something far beyond mere 'arrangement': a song of profound emotional depth, melancholy and tender beauty.
Certainly one of the most haunting and beautiful pieces penned by Mr. Grainger...this and his “Tune from County Derry” are my two favorites of his work, both for piano and wind ensemble...lovely.
His musical genius was not fully recognized in his lifetime, that is more the point I wanted to make. This work here is just gorgeous, and deserves far more performance than it often gets
Fantastic performance. This piece is probably rarely heard any more and such a loss for those who like Grainger. It has moments of technical difficulty and one has to work out the fingering slowly and then put it all together. Wonderful tune played so well. Excellent.
It's such a beautiful song. Even as a piano, but I find it so difficult to give the song it's full potential without an ensemble giving full support of the voicing.
![เจ็บที่ยังฮัก - ม่อน วรวิทย์ [ Official Mv ] จอนนี่มิวสิค](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KALIGSRSjFs/mqdefault.jpg)
His imagination in the arrangements is unique and there is no composer more in love with the sound of the piano
Strange, when he once claimed that he hated the piano. He certainly knew how to write well for it, though.
Look up karg elerts late piano works. You might like them. Esp. 2nd sonata
For this Australian, Colonial Song is the sound of my beautiful country. It smacks me in the heart. Every single time.
Percy's preface explaining why he wrote this extraordinary piece of music is essential to understanding Australians' visceral reaction to Colonial Song. For anyone born here, the land arouses a deep emotional response. It's nothing to do with nationalism. Australia is not an easy land. It tests you. It can kill you. But we love it dearly. Particularly those of us privileged to live outside the cities. And it has shaped the way we talk, write and sing. When Australians sing - and Australians sing *a lot* - "richness and intensity of tone and soulful breadth of phrasing" are indeed preferenced over "more subtly and sensitively varied delicacies of expression." This is why Australians squirm in misery when forced to sing Advance Australia Fair. A compromise national anthem - anodyne, meaningless, bland. Percy would've loathed it - we all do. But Waltzing Matilda ... a crowd of ten thousand Australians belting out Waltzing Matilda borders on a spiritual experience - listen carefully and you'll hear that "soulful breadth of phrasing" Percy voices in Colonial Song. Waltzing Matilda is not a "jolly" ditty. Anything but. It is about the legacy of forced servitude and contempt for authority. Australians weep when they sing it. Percy understood why. Other examples of "soulful breadth of phrasing" include Moreton Bay (Lionel Long nothing else will do), Lachlan Tigers, Wild Colonial Boy, and Limejuice Tub (the Whalers Song). In the twentieth century: Road to Gundagai (Peter Dawson's version), Wide Open Road by the Triffids, Hold On by the Models, Cattle and Cane by the GoBetweens, Great Southern Land by Iva Davies (subseqently rescored as the magnificent Ghost of Time) and anything by Nick Cave and John Williamson. And the work of Peter Scullthorpe. Scullthorpe knew how to paint a picture.
Percy was a visionary, and lately I've wondered, what would he think of contemporary Australian music? Like the rest of us, I believe he would be delighted and moved by the late Gurrumul's masterpiece, Djarimirri (Children of the Rainbow Serpent). Djarimirri is without precedent - a truly astonishing body of work. What makes Djarimirri unique is that when the album was released, it immediately shot to number one on the Australian charts. Purchased across all demographics - ten year olds bought it, ninety year olds bought it, Whitefellas and Blackfellas bought it - no one can remember the last time a classical album reached number one in Australia. But Djarimirri is classical music with a twist - traditional Aboriginal chanting with western instruments. No didgeridoos. The cello is used to replicate the sound of the didge as Gurrumul chants with "richness and intensity of tone and soulful breadth of phrasing." Gurrumul knocked our collective socks off with Djarimirri - the cry of the Rainbow Serpent calling her children. Never before have I heard a piece of music capture the smell of rain in Australia. Or the movement of a saltwater crocodile as it glides through the shallows. Or the sound of our flag flirting with the wind. For this Australian, it is impossible not to cry listening to Djarimirri. It is exquisite.
And there's so much more happening - out of nowhere Australian shed rock has exploded. These days all I want to hear is Australian music, written and performed in the Australian vernacular. It's everywhere and it's interesting. Damn I wish Percy was around to hear it.
If you love Grainger, you will love Djarimirri. It is the 21st century version of Colonial Song - the sound of the Great Southern Land and her people. A bit like Percy really - mad, bad and dangerous to know :)
Ettie Sawcolt Great analysis
Idiocy born from nationalism.
Percy Grainger is still considered as nothing more than "an arranger" - ie not a serious composer - probably because he didn't write symphonies. However with his arrangements he turned some simple folk songs (which he collected) into musical jewels. I defy anyone to say that Shallow Brown is not great music. And works that he wrote from scratch (ie not arrangements) are truly wonderful too. I love his music. Listen to him playing Handel on the Strand - great pianist, great music.
I just discovered Percy Grainger for the first time and fell instantly in love his music!
hear hear!
What about "Walking Tune"?
kEYBAWD that’s peculiar, as “Lincolnshire Posy” is often considered one of the great works in the Wind Band Literature, his “Children’s March” and “Molly on the Shore” are also classic pieces still being performed to this day. I speak as a wind ensemble musician myself :-)
He wrote original works that didn't involve folk songs
RE: the comment about Grainger's arrangements: I have known of 'Brigg Fair' for many a year, but to hear Grainger's 'arrangement' (relative to his recording of the English countryman who sang it to him) is to hear something far beyond mere 'arrangement': a song of profound emotional depth, melancholy and tender beauty.
Certainly one of the most haunting and beautiful pieces penned by Mr. Grainger...this and his “Tune from County Derry” are my two favorites of his work, both for piano and wind ensemble...lovely.
Dear Percy Grainger. A wonderful composer who had a cruelly short life
He lived actually 79 years. Maybe that´s short for you ;)
His musical genius was not fully recognized in his lifetime, that is more the point I wanted to make. This work here is just gorgeous, and deserves far more performance than it often gets
@@benjamin-hughmackay2094 Yes. Because it is so far removed from the horrible noise of today.
Fantastic performance. This piece is probably rarely heard any more and such a loss for those who like Grainger. It has moments of technical difficulty and one has to work out the fingering slowly and then put it all together. Wonderful tune played so well. Excellent.
It's such a beautiful song. Even as a piano, but I find it so difficult to give the song it's full potential without an ensemble giving full support of the voicing.
If all Australians loved Australia as much as Percy did, what a country it would be.
Would you have a link ot purchasing the score by any chance?
It's publicly available
Who is the pianist, please identify?
This reminds me not of Australia, but a place called Timor Leste.
Calm, serene, wild and somehow peaceful...
Despite their history.