Frederick Delius
BRIGG FAIR (arr. Peter Lawson)
Goodmusic Concert Classics GMCL253
Catalogue Number: GMCL253
Difficulty level: E What's this?
ISMN: 9790222341982
Download Available What's this?
Orchestration: 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, Cor Anglais*, 3 Clarinets in Bb, Bass Clarinet*, 2 Bassoons, Contrabassoon*, 4 Horns in F, 3 Trumpets in Bb, 3 Trombones, Tuba, Percussion (3 players: Tubular Bells, Triangle, Bass Drum), Harp
Strings (Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Bass)
(* indicates optional instrument cued in other parts)
In this version I have reduced the orchestra down nearer to normal size, from the large orchestra for which it was written, which was the fashion in those more extravagant times, to bring this gem of a piece to a wider audience - dispensing with a 3rd Flute and 3rd Bassoon and reducing the, six horns to four. Trumpets in B flat have replaced those in C and the Cor Anglais, Bass Clarinet and Contrabassoon are cued in elsewhere if they are not available. I’ve changed some of the dynamics to create a better balance as Delius was somewhat vague in this respect and at times it would be otherwise difficult to hear the tune properly. Delius asks for 12 Double Basses - I doubt whether that request has often been upheld! Peter Lawson
Brigg Fair is a set of variations by Delius on the folksong of the same name, the words and tune of which were taken down on a wax cylinder by the Australian-born composer Percy Grainger from the voice of one Joseph Taylor from a village near Brigg in north Lincolnshire. There had been a fair every August in Brigg since the year 1205, continuing to this day. Mr Taylor could only remember the first two of the verses - as he was recalling learning it from a group of gypsies about fifty years before - and extra verses were added from other folk-songs to replace the missing ones. Delius had been much taken with Grainger’s vocal arrangement of this folksong and asked him for permission to compose an orchestral set of variations on it. Grainger’s way of accompanying the plaintive melody - in the Dorian mode - with chromatically-falling harmonic lines is remarkably similar to Delius’s own style. Delius dedicated what turned out to be one of his finest and most deeply-moving masterpieces to Percy Grainger in return for the compliment.
Duration 15½ minutes
A PACK includes a full score plus all wind, brass and percussion parts and strings 4/4/3/4/2.
Strings (Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Bass)
(* indicates optional instrument cued in other parts)
In this version I have reduced the orchestra down nearer to normal size, from the large orchestra for which it was written, which was the fashion in those more extravagant times, to bring this gem of a piece to a wider audience - dispensing with a 3rd Flute and 3rd Bassoon and reducing the, six horns to four. Trumpets in B flat have replaced those in C and the Cor Anglais, Bass Clarinet and Contrabassoon are cued in elsewhere if they are not available. I’ve changed some of the dynamics to create a better balance as Delius was somewhat vague in this respect and at times it would be otherwise difficult to hear the tune properly. Delius asks for 12 Double Basses - I doubt whether that request has often been upheld! Peter Lawson
Brigg Fair is a set of variations by Delius on the folksong of the same name, the words and tune of which were taken down on a wax cylinder by the Australian-born composer Percy Grainger from the voice of one Joseph Taylor from a village near Brigg in north Lincolnshire. There had been a fair every August in Brigg since the year 1205, continuing to this day. Mr Taylor could only remember the first two of the verses - as he was recalling learning it from a group of gypsies about fifty years before - and extra verses were added from other folk-songs to replace the missing ones. Delius had been much taken with Grainger’s vocal arrangement of this folksong and asked him for permission to compose an orchestral set of variations on it. Grainger’s way of accompanying the plaintive melody - in the Dorian mode - with chromatically-falling harmonic lines is remarkably similar to Delius’s own style. Delius dedicated what turned out to be one of his finest and most deeply-moving masterpieces to Percy Grainger in return for the compliment.
Duration 15½ minutes
A PACK includes a full score plus all wind, brass and percussion parts and strings 4/4/3/4/2.
