Episode
Grainger and 'Country Gardens'
- Podcast
- Composers Datebook
- Published
- Jul 3, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 120
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
Synopsis Country Gardens is the best-known work of Australian-born American composer, arranger, and pianist Percy Grainger. Its score bears this note: “Birthday-gift, Mother, July 3, 1918.” His mother Rose was responsible for his excellent early musical training. In 1918, he arranged a folk tune given to him in 1908 by Cecil Sharp, a major figure in the folklore revival in England. He titled this arrangement Country Gardens , and it went over so well at his recitals that he decided to have it published. It was a big hit and broke sales records. In fact, until his death in 1961, its sales generated a significant portion of Grainger’s annual income. Like other composers with a mega-hit, Grainger came to resent being known for just one tune and would say to audiences: “The typical English country garden is not often used to grow flowers. It’s more likely to be a vegetable plot. So you can think of turnips as I play it”. In 1931, Country Gardens was arranged for wind band by someone other than Grainger, but around 1950, at the special request of a Detroit band director, Grainger prepared his own wind band arrangement, which likewise became a hit. Music Played in Today's Program Percy Grainger (1882-1961): Country Gardens ; Royal Northern College of Music Wind Orchestra; Timothy Reynish Chandos 9549