Spoon River (AFMS 1)

Instrumentation

Musical Terms (6)

• clog dance English
  A percussive English folk dance in which the dancer's wooden-soled shoes strike the floor rhythmically; the subtitle Grainger gave to Handel in the Strand.
  In Handel in the Strand, realise the clog dance character through crisp staccato and a strongly marked rhythmic pulse, evoking the clatter of wooden soles.
• elastic scoring English
  Grainger's term for flexible instrumentation in which a single work is scored to permit performance by a wide variety of instrumental forces, from solo piano to full orchestra.
  When playing piano reductions of Grainger's elastic-scored works, feel free to bring out inner voices that would be handled by other instruments in the full version.
• Irish reel English
  A fast Irish dance form in 4/4 or 2/4 time, typically comprising two eight-bar strains repeated. Grainger used two contrasting reels in Molly on the Shore.
  Reel passages demand clean fingerwork and a forward-driving pulse; avoid lingering on any individual note — the momentum must feel continuous and inevitable.
• lilt English
  A natural, swinging rhythmic buoyancy in folk-influenced melody; a quality Grainger prized and frequently notated through his flexible barring and phrase markings.
  A lilt is felt, not counted. Allow the phrase to breathe and move slightly ahead of or behind the beat where the music naturally leans — Grainger's notation is a guide, not a straitjacket.
• morris dance English
  An English ritual folk dance, typically performed in lines or circles with handkerchiefs or sticks, in vigorous duple or triple meter. The basis for Shepherd's Hey and Mock Morris.
  Morris dance rhythms require a buoyant, lifted quality — emphasize the strong beats without becoming heavy; keep the texture bright and the pulse steady.
• room-music English
  Grainger's own term for intimate chamber and solo piano versions of his works, as opposed to concert hall or outdoor performances. Room-Music Tit-Bits (RMTB) is the series label for several piano solo pieces including Mock Morris and Handel in the Strand.
  Room-music pieces were conceived for an intimate, domestic setting; bring a conversational, unhurried quality to the phrasing rather than projecting for a large hall.