Happy St. Patrick’s Day. To celebrate, we’re featuring our Dallas Wind Symphony recording that includes Irish Tune from County Derry. The album is Lincolnshire Posy: Music for Band By Percy Grainger. Another track from that recording, The Gumsuckers March also happens to appear on our new HRx Sampler.
Percy Grainger’s
LINCOLNSHIRE POSY
performed by the Dallas Wind Symphony
Showcases the wind band music of Percy Grainger, including favorites Lincolnshire Posy and Irish Tune from County Derry (“Danny Boy”). Australia considers Grainger its greatest composer; the U.S., where he lived most of his life, praises him as a music educator, composer and arranger of band music; and England considers him supremely important in the preservation and arrangement of British folk songs.
Grainger’s gems are performed to perfection by America’s only full-time professional wind band, conducted by Jerry Junkin. Grainger specified many unusual, optional, instruments, and this recording has them all. Hear these “original instrument” performances in the spectacular sonics captured by Reference Recordings’ world-renowned team of engineer Keith Johnson and producer Tam Henderson.
“How could you not enjoy this disc? The sound has the clarity, timbral fidelity, floor-shaking dynamic range, and spatial reality that we’ve come to expect from Reference. The performances are first-rate… this CD offers playing of prodigious quality—and no one who purchases it will be disappointed. Strongly recommended.” –Peter J. Rabinowitz, Fanfare
“The sound of Reference’s disc is simply fantastic… If one is looking for a single disc of Percy Grainger’s wind band music that contains a good amount of his “hits” in addition to some surprises, in great sound and well played, then you can hardly go wrong… it’s terrific in every way.” –Uncle Dave Lewis, AllMusic.com — complete review
“Wow. Just plain wow. Out of left field comes one of the best classical CDs of the year — an all-Percy Grainger program… The strongest impression left by this disc is the spectacular playing of the Dallas Wind Symphony — the best overall playing I have yet heard from such an ensemble on recorded media of any kind. This disc is proof positive that the DWS is one of America’s elite cultural institutions, up there with the Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Don’t believe me? Then get a copy of this disc and judge for yourself. If you’re not saying to yourself “Wow, just plain wow,” then you need to clean your ears out.” –Gene Gaudette, Synaphaï (Artistic Impact: 11 – Sound Quality: 11) — complete review
“They’re all played with appropriate gusto but also, where required, delicacy of spirit… The excellent sound quality is augmented by fine detail…” –Jonathan Woolf, Music Web International — complete review
“Led by artistic director Jerry Junkin, the DWS matches every varied mood with skill and spirit. And RR, known for super-duper sonics, again captures the ensemble, and the generous acoustics of the Meyerson Symphony Center, with reach-out-and-touch-it realism; the bass drum will give your subwoofer a workout.” –Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News — complete review
“An exquisitely well-played collection of Grainger’s folk-flavored compositions and arrangements for concert band… What he didn’t know about scoring for concert band wasn’t worth knowing. This might just be the best Grainger album to come along since Benjamin Britten’s 1969 Salute to Percy Grainger.” –Terry Teachout, Arts Journal — complete review
“All of the pieces sparkle and captivate . . . Sonics are excellent, an audiophile gem.” –John Sunier, Audiophile Audition — complete review
Track Listing – The Duke of Marlborough Fanfare; Lincolnshire Posy; The Merry King; Children’s March; Colonial Song; Mock Morris; The Gum-Suckers March; Molly on the Shore; Spoon River; After-Word; Lads of Wamphray; Irish Tune from County Derry; Shepherd’s Hey.