Irish Tunes from County DerryPercy Grainger (1882-1961)Percy Grainger was a pianist, composer and arranger of folk tunes. Born in Australia in 1882, Grainger was heavily influenced in his musical beginnings by his mother who recognized his talents from an early age. Grainger's performances as a young child brought him recognition from well-known composers such as Fredereick Delius and Edvard Grieg. Grainger spent years collecting and recording folk songs throughout the English countryside. Grainger's many compositions are all influenced by folk songs which he recorded, transcribed and arranged for many different choral and instrumental ensembles. “Oh Danny Boy” is a cornerstone of Irish tradition as a folk melody from a song known as “London Derry”. Air". There are many different opinions on the exact origin of the folk tune; however, the most concrete evidence tells us that the Irish Tune of County Derry was taken from the Complete Petrie Collection of the Music of Ireland edited by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. The Irish Tune is technically simple; there are no difficult rhythms that hinder the successful interpretation of the melody. extreme ranges, balance of melody and harmonic lines and precision The song is in strophic form, has only two verses and follows the original lyrics O Danny Boy's need for precise harmonic tuning. led me to assign tuning tests to each of my students In order for us to successfully complete such a difficult piece, I felt that each student needed to demonstrate accurate tuning of each pitch in Irish Tune. written presentations for practicing with a tuner and tuning trend guides for reference...... middle of paper ...... red. To allow our ensemble to become familiar with this style of music, we rehearsed the piece at the beginning at a comfortable mezzo forte volume and insisted that the students watch the baton very closely. At the beginning, I made a special effort not to direct the piece in the same way twice in a row. The end result of our rehearsal techniques on the piece allowed us to perform with confidence while hopefully achieving the musical and emotional mood Grainger desired. The melody of Irish Tune itself is notably recognized by many. Percy Grainger took a simple folk song and created one of the most musically challenging works for a band. A rubato style with no rhythmic difficulties or key changes, the piece can be misleading to those who have never performed or conducted it. Irish Tune from County Derry will always be one of the most beloved works for concert band..