the Percy Grainger Society |
Our VisionWe envision an international community that values the exploration of the music, heritage, and culture of the early 20th century, particularly as it relates to Percy Grainger’s work, and is empowered to preserve it and interpret it for future generations. Our MissionOur mission is to promote the work and legacy of Percy Grainger with a membership community that preserves his historic house, encourages appreciation and performance of his music, and promotes a deeper understanding of the cultural, social, and economic context of his life and work. Diversity, Equity and InclusionDiversity, equity and Inclusion are at the core of our vision and mission above. The Percy Grainger Society’s commitment to these values is unwavering, across all our work, all around the world. These values are central to our stated vision and mission and, by implication, to our impact, through our membership, our programs, and beyond. We believe that having varied and inclusive perspectives helps generate better ideas and we seek and embrace such perspectives. |
 History of the SocietyAfter Percy Grainger’s death, Ella Grainger continued to live at White Plains. Helping musicians locate performing material was a frequent demand, as was the hosting of scholarly research and an ever-increasing number of people, mainly musicians, who wanted to tour the house because of its historic significance. Ella tackled and began organizing the piles of Grainger papers, recordings, and memorabilia that surrounded her.
One of Ella’s early efforts to preserve Percy's legacy resulted in a New York State Regent’s charter for the Percy Grainger Library Society,
granted provisionally in 1964, and permanently on September 26, 1969.
The house was soon placed on the National Park Service’s National
Register of Historic Places. Reflecting its broadening focus and
membership, the organization later changed its name to the International Percy Grainger Society. In 2021, following a strategic review, the International Percy Grainger Society merged with the UK-based Percy Grainger Society, to become one organisation, simply named the Percy Grainger Society.
|