Grainger: Jungle Book & Other Choral Works

John Mark Ainsley, tenor; David Wilson-Johnson baritone; Polyphony; Stephen Layton, conductor

Percy Grainger (1882-1961)
Shallow Brown / Jungle Book / Good-bye to love / Died for love / The power of love / The Rival Brothers / Six dukes went afishin' / The sprig of thyme / Willow, willow / Recessional / Lord Maxwell's goodnight / The Three Ravens / The running of shindand / Early one morning / The love song of Har Dyal / My love's in Germanie

This reissue commemorates the 50th anniversary of Grainger's death in February 1961.
Harmonium, four guitars, two mandolas, two mandolins, two ukuleles, piccolo, three clarinets, bass clarinet, bassoon, contrabassoon, two alto saxophones, horn, strings, piano, baritone and choir: and that's just the scoring for one piece, the famous sea shanty Shallow Brown.
Grainger's Jungle Book cycle was recorded here (for the original Hyperion release) for the first time. The eleven contrasting movements vividly portray the sentiments of Kipling's poetry and Grainger wrote of the cycle that it was 'composed as a protest against civilization'.
'This disc offers a sympathetic, endearing portrait of a composer too often valued for his wackiness and eccentricity alone' (Classic CD)
'Unquestionably an important and relishable release' (Hi Fi News)
'A capella singing at its very finest' (Soundscapes, Australia)
'Ce superbe album vient confirmer l'extraordinaire intuition de Grainger pour l'écriture chorale. La perfection des solistes, des choeurs et des ensembles instrumentaux permet d'apprécier dans ces moindres nuances le sauvage raffinement de Grainger' (Diapason, France)
GRAMOPHONE EDITOR'S CHOICE
GRAMOPHONE CRITICS' CHOICE

Price: $13.98