Shepherd’s Hey, BFMS 16: Study score

Percy Grainger, like his contemporary Bela Bartok, was intensely interested in folk music and became a member of the English Folk-Song Society soon after his arrival in London in the first decade of the 20th century. He produced numerous works based upon folk music from the British isles, with more than 45 items in his British Folk-Music Settings alone. As with many titles in the series, Shepherd’s Hey exists in multiple arrangements - dished-up by the composer himself. The first version (BFMS 3), composed between 1908-11, was for an ensemble of 12 players. The present orchestral ( full band in Grainger’s parlance) setting was produced two years later and published as No.16. This new, convenient-sized study score is a digitally restored reissue of the 1913 score first published in London by Schott & Co. In contrast to so many of the on-demand scores now available, this one comes with all the pages and the images have been thoroughly checked to make sure it is actually readable. The large conductor’s score and orchestra parts are also available from Serenissima Music, Inc.