Colonial Song is an ode to his home land penned by Australian composer Percy Grainger. His goal was to create a melody that was “as typical of the Australian countryside as Stephan Foster’s exquisite songs are typical of rural America.” I chose this particular piece as I can deeply resonate with Grainger’s concept for the piece, and can hear, quite clearly, his love for his homeland in every note. The song is quite polyphonic, using quite the variety of instruments, most being aerophones and idiophones. While it is quite clearly steeped in western music tradition, I believe it gives us a fascinating view of the Australian countryside from a man who loved his home quite dearly.

Colonial Song – Percy Aldridge Grainger