Percy Aldridge Grainger

In 1917 Percy Grainger, an Australian who had moved to America in 1914 with his mother, enlisted in the U.S. Army and while there made a piano arrangement of a popular English folk song, The Vicar of Bray. He entitled it Country Gardens and later fashioned an orchestral version at the behest of Leopold Stokowski. As his admirers are aware, Grainger had become an inveterate collector of folk tunes while living in London in the early 1900s and began arranging many for instrumental performance. Country Gardens was his greatest success in any genre and provided the composer with lavish royalties throughout his career. Numerous arrangements have been made of this two-minute piece, including several for orchestra, chorus and orchestra, wind band, accordion, and for two pianos and one-piano, four-hands.

The piece is simply constructed and usually heard, at least on recordings, in an orchestral version. It opens with the lively folk tune that has made it so popular: the joyous melody seems a mixture of dance and laughter in its exuberant and festive gaiety. Some will find a good measure of mischief and mocking in its colorful music, as well. The melody is repeated several times, growing louder and more garish in its instrumentation. For contrast, it alternates with a brief second subject, which, though subdued, does not break from the jovial character of the music.