This 15th volume in Chandos’ epic (the cynic in me adds “and less than urgently necessary”) Grainger Edition contains the third collection of orchestral music. Having heard the prior 14 discs, I can’t help but recall Constant Lambert’s dictum to the effect that, “The only thing you can do with a folksong is play it louder.” In case you didn’t already know, Grainger spent most of his compositional life arranging various folksongs and “found” musical materials for every conceivable combination of performing forces. Take any given title and with very few exceptions you can hear the version for orchestra, for chorus with orchestra, for chorus without orchestra, for solo voice, for chamber ensemble, for piano; if you’re really lucky, you can also find the band version, the “tuneful percussion” version, the orchestral version with “tuneful percussion”, the “room music” versions with or without harmonium, the band version with optional strings, the string version with optional band, the underwater version, the disco dance mix, the rap version, the version for string players with extra digits on their left hands, for kazoo choirs, for bell ringers, for chiropractors, seismologists, senior citizens, and if the rumors are to be believed, Grainger’s own personal favorite: the S&M version.
Okay, so it’s kind of hard to take Grainger seriously once you get to Volume 15, but what redeems this whole strange enterprise is the fact that most of his various arrangements are harmonically and instrumentally fascinating. He’s almost always fun to listen to, nowhere more so than when he cuts loose with the full orchestra plus percussion plus harmonium plus anything else that happens to be on hand at the time. That’s what you get here. The large ensemble versions of Green Bushes, The Power of Rome and the Christian Heart, and English Dance No. 1 are particularly enjoyable, and if you just have to have every possible version ever conceived of Irish Tune from County Derry (a.k.a. “Danny Boy”), you’ll find another one of those too. While I suppose I could discuss the differences between these arrangements and the zillions of others found elsewhere in Chandos’ edition or on other recordings, life really is too short. If you’re collecting the whole series, then you’ll want this enthusiastically performed, brilliantly recorded disc. Otherwise, unless you share Grainger’s own non-musical pastime and want to indulge the masochist in you, start with the first disc of orchestral music, and if you’re intrigued then by all means get the next two. [1/11/2001]
