Orchestrational Archetypes in Percy Grainger’s Wind Band Music

This study examines the orchestrational techniques in four of Percy Grainger’s wind band compositions: Colonial Song, Irish Tune From Country Derry, Molly On The Shore, and five movements from Lincolnshire Posy: Lisbon, Horkstow Grange, The Brisk Young Sailor, and The Lost Lady Found. These are works which are representative of Grainger’s techniques. This information has been used to newly orchestrate three of Grainger’s pieces for band: The Cutting of the Hay; Lord Maxwell’s Goodnight, and British Waterside (or The Jolly Sailor). This study shows specifically why Grainger’s wind band music is so readily identifiable, asserting that his sound is a function of recurring orchestrational techniques rather than other compositional elements such as melody or harmony.