Canon
Where to start with Grainger
Essential works to know this composer by — spread across their styles-
OrchestralThe Warriors, for orchestra and 3 pianos
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KeyboardA Bridal Lullaby
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VocalA Reiver's Neck-Verse, for voice and piano
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ChamberArrival Platform Humlet, for viola or massed violas
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VocalA Song of Autumn
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VocalA Song of Värmeland
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VocalAgincourt Song
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VocalAnchor Song, for baritone and male chorus
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KeyboardAndante con moto
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KeyboardAs Sally Sat A-Weeping, for 2 pianos
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VocalAt Twilight, for tenor and chorus
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VocalAustralian Up-Country Song
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ChamberBirthday Gift, for voices, 2 horns and piano
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KeyboardBlithe Bells
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OrchestralBlithe Bells
Listening guide
Hand-curated paths into Grainger's catalogueMost Popular
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Country Gardens
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Molly on the Shore
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Shepherd\’s Hey
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Irish Tune from County Derry
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Mock Morris
Most Acclaimed
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Lincolnshire Posy (wind band)
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The Warriors (orchestra)requires 3 pianos simultaneously
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Hill Song No. 1 (23 winds)
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Danish Folk Music Suite
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Colonial Song
Most Weird
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Free Music (1935-1947)he designed electromagnetic tone generators to produce continuous pitch glides impossible on conventional instruments; Free Music #1 was performed by machines after his death
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The Warriorsrequires 3 pianos, 3 conductors, and a large orchestra; intended to accompany an imaginary ballet
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Random Round (any number of players)aleatory — any number of players can perform any selection in any order
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Tribute to Foster1916 — uses tone clusters; 30 years ahead of its time
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Spoon Riverbased on Edgar Lee Masters’ poetry; unusual source for Grainger
Similar composers
Same era, overlapping styles — by genre & period affinityWorks 242
- Orchestral
- The Warriors, for orchestra and 3 pianos
- Blithe Bells
- Blithe Bells, for band and tuneful percussion
- Children's March
- Chorale no. 2, for wind ensemble
- Colonial Song
- Colonial Song
- Country Gardens, folk song, BFMS 22
- Danish Folk Music Suite
- Danny Boy, for band
- Died for Love, folk song for string orchestra
- Down Longford Way
- Early One Morning, folk song for string orchestra
- English Dance, for orchestra and organ
- English Dance, for theater orchestra
- Faeroe Island Dance
- Fisher's Boarding House, for orchestra
- Green Bushes, passacaglia for 22 solo instruments or orchestra
- Handel in the Strand, clog dance for orchestra
- Harvest Hymn,
- Hill Song no. 1, for 22 wind instruments
- Hill Song no. 2, for 23 or 24 wind instruments or band
- Hill Song no. 2, for orchestra
- In a Nutshell Suite, piano and Deagan percussion instruments
- Irish Tune from County Derry
- Irish Tune from County Derry
- Irish Tune from County Derry
- Kleine Variationen-Form, for small orchestra
- Lincolnshire Posy, folk song suite
- Marching Song of Democracy, for wind band with optional chorus
- Mock Morris, for orchestra
- Molly on the Shore, folk song
- Molly on the Shore, folk song
- Scherzo, for string orchestra
- Shepherd's Hey!, folk song
- Shepherd's Hey!, folk song for military band
- Spoon River, folk song for band
- Spoon River, folk song for elastic scoring
- The Crew of the Long Serpent
- The Duke of Marlborough Fanfare, for brass band
- The Immovable Do, for 9 solo strings or string orchestra
- The Immovable Do, for wind band
- The Lads of Wamphray March, for wind band
- The Power of Love, folk song for piano, harmonium and strings
- The Power of Rome and the Christian Heart, for band, organ and optional strings
- There Were Three Friends
- To a Nordic Princess, for orchestra with organ ad lib.
- Walking Tune
- We Were Dreamers
- Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon, folk song for brass or wind band
- Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon, folk song for elastic scoring
- Youthful Suite
- Keyboard
- A Bridal Lullaby
- Andante con moto
- As Sally Sat A-Weeping, for 2 pianos
- Blithe Bells
- Blithe Bells, for 2 pianos
- Children's March
- Children's March, folk song
- Colonial Song
- Country Gardens, folk song for 2 pianos
- Eastern Intermezzo
- English Dance, for 2 pianos, 6 hands
- English Waltz
- Fantasy on Gershwin's 'Porgy and Bess,' for 2 pianos
- Green Bushes, passacaglia for 2 pianos, 6 hands
- Handel in the Strand, clog dance
- Handel in the Strand, clog dance, for 2 pianos
- Hard-Hearted Barb'ra
- Harvest Hymn
- Harvest Hymn, for 2 pianos, 8 hands
- Harvest Hymn, for piano, 4 hands with voice or unison chorus ad lib.
- In Bristol Town, folk song
- In Bristol Town, folk song for piano, 6 hands
- In Dahomey
- In a Nutshell, suite
- Irish Tune from County Derry
- Jutish Medley, folk songs for 2 pianos, 6 hands
- Klavierstück in A minor
- Klavierstück in B flat major
- Klavierstück in D
- Klavierstück in E
- Klavierstücke
- Knight and Shepherd's Daughter, folk song
- Let's Dance Gay in Green Meadow, for piano, 4 hands
- Lincolnshire Posy, folk song suite for 2 pianos
- Mock Morris, for 2 pianos
- Molly on the Shore, folk song for 2 pianos
- My Robin Is to the Greenwood Gone
- Near Woodstock Town, folk song
- One More Day, My John, chanty for piano
- Paraphrase on Tchaikovsky's Flower Waltz
- Peace
- Random Round, for 2 pianos, 11 hands
- Rimmer and Goldcastle
- Sailor's Song
- Saxon Twiplay
- Scotch Strathspey and Reel, folk song
- Scotch Strathspey and Reel, folk song for piano
- Seven Men from All the World
- Shepherd's Hey!, folk song for 2 pianos
- Spoon River, folk song
- Stalt Vesselil
- The Brisk Young Sailor, folk song
- The Hunter in His Career
- The Immovable Do
- The Lonely Desert Man Sees the Tents of the Happy Tribes, for piano, 4 hands
- The Merry King, folk song
- The Rival Brothers, folk song
- The Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol, folk song
- The Warriors, for 2 pianos, 6 hands with optional brass ensemble
- The Widow's Party
- The Widow's Party March, for 2 pianos, 6 hands
- Three Scottish Folksongs
- Tiger, Tiger
- Train Music
- Walking Tune
- Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon, folk song for piano, 6 hands
- Zanzibar Boat Song, for piano, 4 hands
- Vocal
- A Reiver's Neck-Verse, for voice and piano
- A Song of Autumn
- A Song of Värmeland
- Agincourt Song
- Anchor Song, for baritone and male chorus
- At Twilight, for tenor and chorus
- Australian Up-Country Song
- Bold William Taylor, folk song for mezzo-soprano or baritone and piano
- Brigg Fair
- British Waterside
- Colonial Song, for soprano, tenor, harp and orchestra
- Creepin' Jane, folk song for voice and piano
- Crying for the Moon
- Dalvisa
- Danny Deever, song for baritone, male chorus and orchestra
- David of the White Rock
- Dedication
- Dedication
- Died for Love
- Dollar and a Half a Day, chanty for male chorus
- Farewell to an Atoll
- Father and Daughter, for 5 male narrators, double chorus, strings, brass and percussion
- Ganges Pilot, for male voice and piano
- Handkerchief Dance, Country Gardens, for choir
- Honey Pot Bee
- Hubby and Wifey
- I'm Seventeen Come Sunday
- Irish Tune from County Derry
- Irish Tune from County Derry
- King Solomon's Espousals, for chorus
- Kipling's Jungle Book Cycle, for chorus and chamber ensemble or piano
- Little Ole with his Umbrella
- Lord Maxwell's Goodnight, folk song for baritone and string orchestra
- Lord Maxwell's Goodnight, folk song for high voice and string quartet
- Love Verses from the Song of Solomon, for 4 soloists, chorus and orchestra
- Love at First Sight
- Love at First Sight, for soprano and chorus
- Lukannon, song for voice and piano
- Marching Song of Democracy, for chorus
- Marching Tune
- Mary Thomson
- Merciful Town, song for voice and piano
- Mo Nighean Dubh
- My Love's in Germanie
- Near Woodstock Town
- Northern Ballad, song for voice and piano
- O Gin I Were Where Gowrie
- Recessional, for chorus with organ ad lib.
- Ride with an Idle Whip, song for voice and piano
- Sailor's Chanty, for male voice and piano
- Scotch Strathspey and Reel
- Shallow Brown, chanty for 1 or 2 voices
- Sir Eglamore, for chorus
- Six Dukes Went A-Fishin'
- Skye Boat Song, folk song for chorus
- Soldier, Soldier
- Soldier, Soldier, for 6 soloists and chorus
- Songs of the North, 14 folk songs
- Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol
- Thanksgiving Song, for chorus
- The 3 Ravens
- The Bride's Tragedy
- The Bride's Tragedy, for chorus and orchestra
- The First Chanty, for voice and piano
- The Gypsy's Wedding Day
- The Hunter in his Career, for chorus
- The Lads of Wamphray, for chorus
- The Land o' the Leal
- The Lost Lady Found
- The Love Song of Har Dyal
- The Love Song of Har Dyal, song for female unison chorus and chamber ensemble
- The Men of the Sea, for voice and piano
- The Merry Wedding
- The Old Woman at the Christening, folk song for mezzo-soprano, harmonium and piano
- The Power of Love, folk song for soprano and chamber ensemble
- The Pretty Maid Milkin' Her Cow
- The Sea Wife, song for baritone
- The Sea Wife, song for voice and piano
- The Secret of the Sea, song for male voice and piano
- The Sprig of Thyme
- The Twa Corbies, for male voice, 2 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos and double bass
- The Widow's Party, for male chorus and orchestra
- The Widow's Party, for voice and piano
- The Wraith of Odin, for chorus
- The Young British Soldier, for voice and piano
- There Was a Pig Went Out to Dig
- Thou Gracious Power, hymn for chorus
- Three Burns Songs, for voice and piano
- To Echo
- Tribute to Foster, for 5 soloists, chorus, piano, musical glasses and orchestra
- Two Sea Chanties, for male chorus
- Under en Bro
- We Have Fed Our Sea for a Thousand Years, for chorus and brass
- Willow, Willow, song for voice, 4 strings and guitar
- Ye banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon
- Chamber
- Arrival Platform Humlet, for viola or massed violas
- Birthday Gift, for voices, 2 horns and piano
- Colleen Dhas and strings
- Colonial Song, for violin, cello and piano
- Eastern Intermezzo, for tuneful percussion
- Free Music no. 1, for violin, viola, cello and bass or for string orchestra
- Handel in the Strand, clog dance for piano, violin, viola ad lib. and cello
- Irish Tune from County Derry
- La Scandinavie, for cello and piano
- Lord Peter's Stable-Boy, folk song for elastic scoring
- Mock Morris, for 6 string players
- Molly on the Shore, folk song for violin and piano
- My Robin is to the Greenwood Gone, song for flute, English horn and strings
- Sea Song, for string quartet and harmonium
- Shepherd's Hey!, folk song for flute, clarinet, horn, concertino and strings
- The Maiden and the Frog, folk song for cello and piano
- The Merry King, folk song for 10 or more strings or winds or both and piano with organ ad lib.
- The Nightingale
- The Nightingale and the Two Sisters, folk song for elastic scoring
- The Only Son, for string quartet and harmonium
- The Running of Shindand, for 5 cellos
- The Shoemaker from Jerusalem
- The Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol, folk song for cello
- The Two Sisters, folk song for cello and organ
- Theme and Variations, for string quartet
- Tiger, Tiger, for 5 cellos
- Walking Tune, for wind quintet
- Youthful Rapture, for cello, violin, piano, harmonium and chamber ensemble