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A collaboration between the Brigham Young University School of Music and the Percy Grainger Society, Approaches to Performing Grainger Symposium, held between March 27–28, 2026, was billed as “a two-day exploration of the music of Percy Grainger through a consideration of approaches to, and the contexts of, live performance”. The Symposium faithfully lived up to its stated purposes, with four concerts of the music of Grainger, workshops focused on performance issues in the chamber, choral, and band music of Grainger, scholarly presentations on a wide range of topics inspired by the work and life of Grainger, and a communal music-making session with audience singalong featuring an ‘elastic scoring’ performance of Grainger’s Ye Banks and Braes O’ Bonnie Doon

A unique aspect of the Symposium was the opportunity to illustrate scholarly presentations with live music. The Symposium owes much of its success to the generosity and talents of the BYU music students and their teachers in allowing their performances to be “meddled with” by the presenters to illustrate different stylistic approaches. The Keynote Speaker, acclaimed Grainger scholar Teresa Balough, not only presented a thorough and inspirational address to begin the Symposium, but also a stirring presentation on Grainger’s Kipling Jungle Book Cycle, illustrated by choral students of BYU. 

Given that Grainger’s complete works would fill over 25 compact discs, the Symposium was exposed to a commendably wide range of repertoire. Works for wind band, symphony orchestra, chamber groups, voice, chorus, and piano were showcased, with no shying away from the more formidable cornerstones of the Grainger repertoire. Scotch Strathspey and Reel, In Dahomey Cakewalk Smasher, and I’m Seventeen Come Sunday were performed, together with Handel in the Strand in the original orchestral version, along with the 1950 Stokowski-inspired setting of Country Gardens, again in its original orchestral arrangement. Individual students of the BYU vocal area, beautifully supported by collaborative artists from the BYU keyboard area, presented a broad range of Grainger’s solo vocal literature in an hour-long vocal recital. And the BYU keyboard area presented a masterful concert of Grainger’s wide-ranging and intriguing music for piano solo and piano teamwork. 

Many of the students and teachers at BYU had known little or nothing of Grainger before the experience of preparing music for the Symposium. Several of them expressed how impressed they were with Grainger’s inventiveness, and the freshness of his music and treatments: “his music sounds so fresh; he doesn’t sound like an early 20th-century composer.” Their comments reminded one of pianist/composer Ronald Stevenson’s observation that Grainger was a composer not just for the 20th century, but also for the 21st Century. They all endorsed the notion that Grainger art songs would be a strong contender for spots on their up-coming vocal degree recitals. 

The full list of delivered papers is given below, several of which will comprise the next edition of The Grainger Journal, to be published in July 2026.

• Hillsong No. 2: Grainger’s Best Work You’ve Never Heard (Mikayla Black) 
• The Use of Grainger’s Compositions in Teaching Chamber Music Papers (Amy Gabbitas) 
• Grainger for the Percussionist(s) (Jordan Waddell) 
• Percy Grainger’s Use of Baritone and Euphonium in Wind Band Literature (Madeleine Chadwell) 
• The Folk Music and Free Music of Percy Grainger: Fruits of the Same Tree (Chalon Ragsdale) 
• A Visit to Melbourne: Percy Grainger’s Autobiographical Museum (Nathan Haines) 
• Grainger’s Vision: Integrating Non-Orchestral Instruments into Orchestras in Educational Settings (Johannes Bowman) 
• A Carol for the Ages: Grainger, Folk Ritual, and the Sound of Christmas (Alexa Knaupp) 
• The Power of Rome and the Christian Heart: A Conductor’s Journey (Joanne Heaton) 
• The Juba Triangle: Dett, Grainger, and Sousa (David Reynolds) 
• Percy Grainger in the Words of Frederick Fennell: An Audio History (Nate Seamons) 
• The Rainbow: the genesis of a new “Grainger” work (Allen Feinstein) 
• A Cylinder of Wax: Reimagining Percy Grainger Through Historic House Music (Jason Green) 
• Architecture & Inspiration: Percy Grainger's Home & Studio (Curt Ebersole) 
• Letting in the Jungle: Percy Grainger’s Kipling “Jungle Book” Cycle (Teresa Balough) 

Brigham Young University provided outstanding support for the two-day seminar. The facilities and resources of the BYU School of Music and BYU Continuing Education worked together to provide a seamless and supportive atmosphere for the Symposium attendees. Every concern was seen to thoughtfully and supportively. The two-day Approaches to Performing Grainger Symposium was truly a model for the management of future events. 

The Percy Grainger Society wishes to direct its appreciation especially to BYU faculty organizers Dr. Brent Wells, Dr. Nate Seamons, and Prof. Jihea Hong-Park for their dedication and skill. We also appreciate the efforts of Dr. Shawn Smith, Director of the Brigham Young University School of Music, and Dr. Diane Reich, Dean of the BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications, for their outstanding support and hospitality. 

Chal Ragsdale, April 6, 2026, Percy Grainger Society 

by Dana Paul Perna, Emeritus Board Member, PGS
This note may not come as a surprise to many Society members, yet it seems a good moment to bring renewed attention to a publication that deserves to be better known. In a recent exchange I had with fellow emeritus member Barry Peter Ould, we found ourselves discussing the Schott edition of Organ Music by Percy Grainger—a handsome volume that, despite the quality of its contents, has not reached as wide an audience as it merits.

It appears that many organists are simply unaware of its existence. 

While Grainger only wrote one work for the medium, which is included within this tome, his compositions as carefully arranged for the instrument on his behalf, showcases his characteristic blend of imagination, vigor, and sensitivity to color in a manner that would certainly have pleased him. Completed in this publication from his actual sketched layout, among the selections one shall find his expressive setting of “Sussex Mummers’ Christmas Carol,” a work especially suitable for holiday performances and seasonal recitals.

This collection offers a glimpse into a less-explored facet of Grainger’s creativity and provides rich material for organists seeking distinctive repertoire. For those who play—or for those who have an organist among their friends or family—this volume would be an inspiring and welcome discovery.

Further details about the publication can be found at the following links:
•Schott Music – Organ Album
•Hal Leonard – Organ Album 

Dana Paul Perna, a longtime Recording Secretary of the Society and current member of the Emeritus group, continues to contribute generously to the life of the organization. The Emeritus designation recognizes former board members, including Barry Peter Ould and others, who have devoted many years of service to advancing the mission of the Percy Grainger Society.

Correspondence was a high priority and a major undertaking for both Percy and Ella---keeping in touch with their family and friends and updating colleagues and business contacts. But the December holiday mailings must have been in a category by itself. They received hundreds of cards and notes as evidenced by the many saved bundles of cards, tied with twine or ribbon and organized by year. An entire wicker hamper was stuffed with some of these bundles dating from the 1940s and early 1950s.

The cards shown here date to 1959. A checkmark on the envelope or card confirmed that a reply was sent. Two checkmarks or a written note on the envelope indicated including an announcement of the new Grainger recording:  Country Gardens and Other Favorites conducted by Frederick Fennell with the Eastman-Rochester “Pops” Orchestra.

Often striking and always engaging, the Christmas cards provide another window into the Grainger’s lives. Exemplifying imagery and graphic styles from an earlier time, they link us not only to the Grainger’s circle of friends and colleagues but also evoke a sense of that time period and help connect us to that era.

From 1978 through 2002, the UK-based Percy Grainger Society published and distributed The Grainger Journal, a softcover periodical focusing on the music and life of Percy Grainger. The journal contained a mixture of original articles, recollections, unpublished writings by Grainger, and reprints of out-of-print articles. Many of the pieces were written by individuals who were instrumental in establishing the field of Grainger scholarship, and who had a direct connection with Grainger through their association with Ella Grainger.  Recognizing this wealth of information, the Percy Grainger Society digitized and added the publications to our website, creating a noteworthy and distinctive resource freely available to all.

Edited by Dr. David Tall and Barry Peter Ould, the journal enjoyed support and contributions from the broad Grainger community including Stewart Manville, representing the Percy Grainger Library Society, Kay Dreyfus, representing the Grainger Museum, Grainger’s biographer, John Bird, Grainger’s friend and free music collaborator, Burnett Cross, the pianist and composer Ronald Stevenson and, of course, Ella Grainger. Reprints of Percy’s writings, presenting his life in his words, include “Crossing the Australian Desert on Foot” and “In the Land of Gaugin” (Vol.5 No.2, November 1983) or “Grainger on Grainger” (Vol.4 No.1, October 1981). While modest in size, the journals quickly established themselves as the primary source of current information about Grainger’s life and music and were distributed widely.

Click here to view The Grainger Journal Archive

In 2021, the Percy Grainger Society was delighted to be able to relaunch The Grainger Journal in a new and expanded format, published twice a year with issues distributed to members in print and/or digital format. One of our most popular members’ benefits, The Grainger Journal continues to be devoted to the study of the music, life and cultural contribution of Percy Grainger. Each edition of the journal includes a wide range of articles promoting Grainger scholarship, occasional reviews of books and recordings related to Grainger, and news items that keep members up to date with developments in the society and at the Percy Grainger Home and Studio. Submissions to the journal are welcomed from established academics, new entrants to the field, and those who simply admire the works of Percy Grainger.

For more information on The Grainger Journal, or to order print or digital copies, click here.

Guidance notes for the preparation and presentation of submissions can be found here.

The video sculptures that make up the installation were constructed using found objects, wood, paper and cardboard, string and tape, elements of drawing and photography. These simple and everyday materials of production reflect the homemade qualities found in the house. Percy Grainger was not only a composer, but a designer, maker, and repairer.   Joel Sherry

This April, the Percy Grainger Home and Studio was alive with motion, video, and music, together with the many visitors who arrived at the house to experience the temporary installation, Restless Corners by artist Joel Sherry. Overlapping sounds filtered through house from 10 original sculptural video objects installed throughout the 1^st and 2^nd floors.

A temporary installation, Restless Corners is a series of movement-based objects exploring memory, time and space. Inspired by both the building and the Graingers’ lives, the works incorporate performance, sound, photography, drawing, found objects and Percy Grainger’s own musical compositions. Excerpts from Ella Grainger’s poetry were used as titles of the artworks.

I have used movement in my work as a choreographer, dancer and designer. Movement for me is a way to record space and time within the body, muscles and bones.   Joel Sherry

Joel Sherry worked with performance artists Cynthis Bueschel Svigals and Michelle Kelly Wurf, spending time in the house and responding to the spaces, environment, and history. The performance videos they created were incorporated into the objects created for those spaces, displayed on monitors within the pieces or through projection. The objects were set within the existing display of objects and furnishings in the house.

Installation Video: Click here to see a walk-through of the installation!

To document the exhibition, the artist created a short video-- a walk-through of the installation.  The video, approximately 7 minutes long, gives a brief look at each of the 10 pieces as a walk-through of the Grainger house. 

Restless Corners was made posssible through a generous ArtsAlive Independent Artist Grant with ArtsWestchester.  Additionally, the Percy Grainger Society is grateful to Joel Sherry, Cynthis Bueschel Svigals, Michelle Kelly Wurf and Stewart Lee, for their time and dedication. 

Percy’s childhood sketchbook is a highlight among the many treasures in the collection at the Percy Grainger Home and Studio. With multiple pages of his pencil drawings and watercolor images, it is evidence of Percy’s remarkable drawing ability from a young age. Additionally, the sketchbook is reflective of interests that continued through Grainger’s life. Images include trains, boats, mythologic scenes, and even musical notations such as notes and staff.

Items in personal collections are often not dated and/or the provenance may be muddled. Looking at similar drawings by Percy, also in the collection at the house, we can confidently date the images in the sketchbook to about 1887-88, when Percy was 5 and 6 years old. However, when opening the cover, an inscription reads: To Darling Percy/With loving thoughts always/From Autie May/20 Aug 1924. It seems that this book had been saved in Australia with Auntie May and was sent to Percy in 1924, when he lived in White Plains, NY.

Percy sketched and painted in watercolor throughout his life.  He designed the graphics for many of his published scores, creating the lettering and decorative borders, choosing colors, and planning the layouts. He also painted landscapes, copied folk patterns of embroidery and beadwork, and created detailed watercolor diagrams of his Free Music machines. The Percy Grainger Home and Studio is a showcase of the creative output of both Percy and his wife Ella.  Additional information and images can be found on the PGS website under Highlights from the Collection. And, follow us on Instagram @percygraingersociety for a variety of images featuring the house, collections and events.

Percy Grainger touched many lives through his music and performances. Additionally, there are many stories of personal connections, developed as he traveled and performed, and forged through his friendships and mentoring of other musicians and composers. Richard and John Contiguglia were only 12 years old in March of 1950 when they first met Grainger in their hometown of Auburn NY. This unexpected encounter profoundly influenced their musical journey.

The twin boys, both child prodigy pianists, were set to perform in Auburn with the child prodigy conductor Ferruccio Burco. For reasons unknown, Burco could not appear and was replaced unexpectedly by Percy Grainger.

Grainger traveled to Auburn by train, arriving before 6 am during a particularly heavy snowfall. After being recognized at the train station, he requested to be brought to the Contiguglia home, where he enjoyed a simple breakfast with his hosts. John and Richard had been roused out of bed to shovel the path from the street to their front door.

Their day together included visits to the concert hall, rehearsals, and other preparations as well as discussions on music and composition. In voicing their desire for more music set for two pianos, Grainger encouraged them to develop their own music arrangements and provided guidance. Follow this link to read the full account of Grainger’s visit that developed into to a lifelong friendship and noteworthy mentorship.

The Percy Grainger Home and Studio is full of treasures—objects and items that help provide a window into the lives of Percy Grainger, his wife Ella, and his mother Rose.  Recently, in a chest in the large basement fireproof room (the room where Percy stored his files, manuscripts and scores), a small envelope was uncovered and a story emerged.

The envelope was folded in half, labeled and dated, with a small coin purse still enclosed.  Inside the purse was a one of Percy’s notes, signed and dated, and 3 coins.

This purse was used by Ella Viola Ström when she wore my army clothes at Pevensey Oct 30 1927. She left the purse in the knickers and I found them there on S. S Republic, Nov. 1, 1927.   Percy Grainger

Percy and Ella first met in 1926 on the S.S. Aorangi while traveling from Australia to Vancouver, Canada.  Later, in the fall of 1927, Percy traveled to England to spend time with Ella at her seaside cottage at Pevensey Bay on the southern coast. Photos in the collection show Ella wearing men’s clothing and Percy even bought her a pair of men’s army boots made of yellow calfskin.  It is no surprise that Ella could have mistakenly left her purse in the pants, and such a treat to find it saved together with Percy’s note identifying the “purse of darling Ella’s”. A more complete picture of this time period can be found in Ella’s and Percy’s separate accounts of their courtship, recently published in  The Grainger Journal , Volume 20, Number 1.

Percy Grainger was detailed and meticulous, making notes and providing dates and information on so many of the projects and events in his life.  He kept day books with brief entries on the accomplishments and events of his day, or even just listed what he ate at the restaurant and how much it cost.  His manuscripts often include the date and place where he worked on the composition and, if on a train, he included a little drawing of a train at the bottom. His notes are immensely helpful as we continue to organize and care for the objects, instruments, and archives in the collection of the Percy Grainger Society.

Interested in learning more about Percy Grainger and his concept of Free Music?  For those unable to have attended our exhibition or the related tours and events, many resources have been archived and are available through the Percy Grainger Society website.

This past March, Teresa Balough’s engaging and in-depth presentation explored the concepts and wider implications of Grainger's Free Music. Speaking from the first floor of the Percy Grainger Home and Studio and expanding on the (now closed) Free Music exhibition, Balough discussed the origin and Grainger’s concept of Free Music, his compositional work, his collaboration with his wife Ella and the scientist Burnett Cross, and how he used the house in White Plains to work on his Free Music machines.  

As a young man Grainger gained the courage to risk his reputation as a pianist and popular composer to write daring harmonies with complex irregular rhythms. In middle age he took up the cause of lesser-known composers and encouraged the appreciation of music from other cultures and eras. And as the years advanced, he devoted himself more and more to the development of his ‘Free Music’ ideals and their implementation in the physical world through the development of the Cross-Grainger Free Music Machines.

Teresa' Balough's presentation, The Wider Implications of Percy Grainger’s ‘Free Music’,  was recorded and is now available through this link.

Grainger scholar Teresa Balough has been studying the life and work of Percy Grainger for many years. She is the author of The Life and Work of Percy Aldridge Grainger: Till Life Become Fire (2023), co-editor of Distant Dreams: the Free Music Correspondence of Burnett Cross and Percy Grainger 1944–1960 (2020) and has published other books, essays, articles and monographs on Grainger.  

Did you know that in 1897, the American inventor Thadeus Cahill patented an electronic instrument designed to transmit music around New York via telegraph wires?  His Mkll Telharmonium weighed 200 tons and broadcast concerts from the Telharmonic Hall in New York City between 1906 and 1910. Between 1902-1904, Grainger worked on plans for a Beatless-Notation Machine and Beatless Music Typer, devises designed to capture the performance of non-metrical rhythms and translate them to graphic notation.

Explore the Free Music Timeline to discover other key moments in the history of electronic music in relation to Percy Grainger’s work as a composer and inventor of Free Music machines.

Our exhibition, Tone Rhythm Pitch: Exploring Percy Grainger’s Free Music, closed last month, but information on Grainger’s work in experimental music continues to be available on our website.  Explore past blog posts on Free Music and 7 Crowell as a Workshop, the GLOSS website, or our the digital exhibition brochure.