Grainger, 'Lincolnshire Posy' (movements 2 and 3) played by Peter Noke and Julian Hellaby

'Harkstow Grange' and 'Rufford Park Poachers' are the second and third movements of Grainger's two-piano suite 'Lincolnshire Posy'. The two-piano version is an arrangement of the earlier wind-band composition, based on Lincolnshire folk songs that Grainger had collected many years earlier. 'Harkstow Grange' is subtitled 'The Miser and his Man - a Local Tragedy', which, according to the composer, was written for wind band on February 1, 1937 and was "dished up" for two pianos on October 21, 1937. 'Rufford Park Poachers' is subtitled 'Poaching Song' (no surprises there!), but the composer is a little less precise over composition dates, the wind band version coming "early in 1937" and the dishing up for two pianos in "Oct., 1937". Grainger originally notated 'Harkstow Grange' after hearing it sung in 1905 by a certain George Gouldthorpe of Goxhill, North Lincolnshire. He notated 'Rufford Park Poachers' after hearing it sung in 1906 by one Joseph Taylor of Saxby-all-Saints, Lincolnshire ... and I'm sure that neither George Gouldthorpe nor Joseph Taylor ever imagined in their wildest nightmares that their names would end up appearing on an infernal device such as Youtube !! - and Grainger ... ?

This recording comes from our CD 'British Doubles', recorded early in 2006. (Maybe it should have been called 'Lincolnshire Posers'!)