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Close encounters

By Brenda Tremblay ~ Posted Wed, 07/28/2010 - 11:54am
Percy GraingerPercy GraingerPercy Grainger was born in Australia in 1882.   Until recently, he was pegged as a lightweight because of his folk song arrangements.  Recent releases reveal a more serious side, one that’s funny and sad, reflective and violent. We heard one of his popular pieces as today’s mystery work, “Molly on the Shore.”

 

Bob, a listener from Rochester, says he met Grainger.  Bob writes,

 

“Sometime during my stint with the Lehigh University Band (circa 1950).  As a visiting dignitary, he came down to the band room to talk with Bill Schempf (our Eastman-educated bandmaster) and the three of us happened to be in the same spot at the same time!  I was introduced.  (End of story, unfortunately.)  We had some pretty sophisticated music at that 'engineering' school. As a freshman, I attended a piano recital by Francis Poulenc, no less  -- didn't get to shake his hand.  And I believe Henry Cowell gave a recital in the same series.”

 

Whom have you met?  Would like to meet?

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