Grainger's extraordinary work, subtitled "music to an imaginary ballet," was prompted by a request from the English conductor Thomas Beecham to compose a ballet score for the Diaghilev company. The commission never materialized, but Grainger nevertheless proceeded to create a his most adventuresome work to date - employing a large orchestra with an expanded percussion section and three pianos, requiring three conductors for coordination. The world premiere for the now imaginary ballet took place in December 1919, with the composer on a piano plus the Chicago Symphony conducted by Frederick...

This is a new collection of six Grainger classics arranged for wind octet - five of his unique folksong settings plus his pseudo-baroque dance Handel in the Strand. The ensemble of 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons and 2 horns is one with a history going back to the baroque era, and became extremely popular by Beethovens time. While Grainger never arranged the works selected here for the ensemble, he arranged them for all manner of instrumental combinations ranging from string quartet to full orchestra.


1. Country Gardens, BFMS 22

2. Spoon River, AFMS 1

3. Molly on the Shore,...