Percy Aldridge Grainger

Grainger authority Ronald Stevenson has used this piece as an example of how deeply influenced Grainger was by the harmonies of African-American spiritual singing, which often embeds the main melody in the middle of the texture. Thus, Grainger harmonizes all around this Sussex folk tune, not just below it. The initial bars are straightforward enough, every note of the slow melody supported by a chord with a little rocking figure emerging in the rhythm. The harmonization becomes richer in the second statement, where Grainger builds a modest climax but devotes the second half of the section to a long, gradual decrescendo, the melody ending in harmonic simplicity and peace. ~ All Music Guide