Shepherd's Hey

Percy Aldridge Grainger

Subtitle: For Military Band

General Info

Year: 1918 / 1948
Duration: c. 2:25
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Carl Fischer
Cost: Score and Parts - $75.00 | Score Only - $10.50

Instrumentation

Condensed Score
Piccolo
Flute
Oboe I-II
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III-IV
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Saxophone (with substitute Alto Saxophone part)
E-flat Alto Saxophone
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Baritone
Tuba
String Bass
Piano (ad lib.)
Timpani
Percussion, including:

Bass Drum
Bells
Crash Cymbals
Snare Drum
Suspended Cymbal
Triangle
Xylophone

Errata

In Parts:

B-flat Soprano Clarinet I. m.76, beat 1&: quarter note F-sharp should read eighth note; m.76, beat 2: eighth note C should read quarter note.

Program Notes

Although Shepherd's Hey is paired with Irish Tune from County Derry in many editions, conductors should not infer that one piece must be performed with the other. Shepherd's Hey works very well on its own as a concert closer or opener; additionally, it could follow a heavier work to balance the program. Moderate technical facility is necessary to perform this reel with clarity, and there are several flourishes (particularly in the final measures) that performers must approach with maturity and control. A strong performance of Shepherd's Hey is rousing fun for players and audiences alike.

- Notes from Great Music for Wind Band

In some agricultural districts in England, teams of “Morris Men”, decked out with jingling bells and clicking sticks, can still be seen dancing to such traditional tunes as Shepherd's Hey, which are usually played on a fiddle or a combination of fife and drum. This is one of the many wonderful renditions of English folksongs transcribed by Grainger. Originally penned for an ensemble of 12 instruments in 1911, the band version was transcribed by the composer in 1948.

- Program Note from Lee University Wind Ensemble concert program, 23 November 2015

Shepherd's Hey was scored for wind band in 1918. The word 'Hey' denotes a particular figure in Morris Dancing. Morris Dances are still danced by teams of "Morris Men" decked out with bells and quaint ornaments to the music of the fiddle or 'the pipe and tabor' (a sort of drum and fife) in several agricultural districts in England. The ‘hey’ involves the interweaving of generally two lines of dancers, which may be symbolized by Grainger's use of two parallel lines of music at the opening of the composition, rather than a simple statement of a theme that then moves into variants.

- Program Note from Windband.org

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown
Audio CD: Cleveland Symphonic Winds (Frederick Fennell, conductor)

State Ratings

Alabama: A
Indiana: Senior Band Group I
Minnesota: Category 2
Mississippi: IV-A, V-A, VI-A
Oklahoma: IV-A
South Carolina: V
Texas: IV

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Syracuse University (N.Y) Concert Band (Jerry Junkin, conductor) - 13 April 2023
Clovis (Calif.) West High School Wind Symphony (Bryan Chesi, conductor) – 22 April 2022 (2022 San Joaquin Valley (Calif.) Concert Band Invitational)
Cuesta Wind Ensemble (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) (Jennifer Martin, conductor) – 17 November 2021
Luther College (Decorah, Ia.) Symphonic Band (Cory Near, conductor) – 10 November 2021
Appalachia: A Southeastern Wind Symphony (Knoxville, Tenn.) (Logan Campbell, conductor) - 29 May 2021
Indiana University (Bloomington) Concert Band (Jason H. Nam, conductor) – 19 November 2019
Northshore Concert Band (Evanston, Ill.) (Mallory Thompson, conductor) – 19 November 2019
Northshore Concert Band (Evanston, Ill.) (Mallory Thompson, conductor) – 26 September 2019
Northshore Concert Band (Evanston, Ill.) (Mallory Thompson, conductor) - 16 June 2019
Northshore Concert Band (Evanston, Ill.) (Mallory Thompson, conductor) - 9 May 2019
Los Banos High School Concert Band (Danielle Cavazos, conductor) - 16 March 2019 (2019 Sutherland Wind Festival (Fresno, Calif.)
Ouachita Baptist University (Arkadelphia, Ark.) Wind Ensemble (Craig V. Hamilton, conductor) – 4 March 2019
Kishwaukee Concert Band (Dekalb,Ill.) (Ronnie Wooten, conductor) – 14 October 2018
Granite Ridge Intermediate School (Fresno, Calif.) Symphonic Band (Jose Vargas, conductor) - 13 April 2018 (2018 San Joaquin Valley (Calif.) Concert Band Invitational)
Los Alamos (N.M.) Community Winds (Ted Vives, conductor) – 24 February 2018
Appalachian State University (Boone, N.C.) Symphony Band (John Stanley Ross, conductor) – 22 February 2018
Duxbury (Mass.) High School Wind Ensemble (Ric Madru, conductor) – 8 February 2018 (Carnegie Hall, N.Y.)
Raystown Wind Orchestra (Alexandria, Penn.) (James Everett Latten, conductor) – 28 January 2018
Ball State University (Muncie, Ind.) Symphony Band (Caroline Hand, conductor) - 1 December 2017
Kansas Wesleyan University (Salina) Wind Ensemble (Carl T. Rowles, conductor) - 21 November 2017

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Irish Tune from County Derry (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Klarfeld) (1918/2014/2020)
Molly on the Shore (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Sheehan) (1920/2020)
O Mensch, Bewein' Dein Sünde Gross (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger; ed. Brand and Brion) (1724?/1937-1942/1987)
Prelude in the Dorian Mode (Flex instrumentation) (as scorer)
Shepherd's Hey (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Fisher) (1918/2020)
Two Movements from "Lincolnshire Posy" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Sweeney) (1937/2019)

All Wind Works

Angelus ad Virginem (as arranger) (1940s)
The Annunciation Carol
The Annunciation Carol (tr. Grainger) (13th Cent./1942/1993)
Arrival Platform Humlet (arr. Eichenberger) (1912/)
Arrival Platform Humlet (tr. Simpson) (1912/1916/1995)
Arrival Platform Humlet (tr. Patterson) (1916/2011)
Australian Up-Country Tune (arr. Bainum) (1930/1970)
Bell Piece (ed. Duffy and Ould) (1935/1953/1991)
Blithe Bells (1931)
Blithe Bells (arr. Jager) (1931/1989)
Blithe Bells (ed. Ould) (1931/2013)
A Bridal Lullaby (arr. Hartley)
Brigg Fair (arr. Ballenger) (1905/1991)
British Waterside (arr. Moss) (1921)
British Waterside (arr. Wilson) (1921/1998)
Children's March (rev. Erickson) (1919/1971)
Children's March (rev. Rogers) (1919/1995)
Children's March (arr. Wagner) (1919/2000)
Choral No 2 for Organ (as scorer; ed. Rogers) (1890/1941/20--?)
Colonial Song (1912/1918)
Colonial Song (ed. Rogers) (1918/1997)
Colonial Song (ed. Topolewski) (1918/2001)
Colonial Song (arr. Wagner) (1919/2014)
Country Gardens (1918/1990)
Country Gardens (arr. Sousa, Brion and Schissel) (1918/1953)
Country Gardens (arr. Karrick) (1918/2013)
Country Gardens (arr. Clark) (1918/1931)
County Derry Air (ed. Ould)
The Cutting of the Hay (arr. Wilson)
Danish Folk Music Suite (arr. Kreines) (1926-41/1950/)
Danny Deever (arr. Carpenter)
Danny Deever (tr. Ragsdale). See: Three Tragic Ballads
Died for Love
Died for Love (arr. Conway) (1912/2011?)
Down Longford Way & Shenandoah (as orchestrator; arr. Osmon) (1928/1935/1990)
The Duke of Marlborough Fanfare (1939)
The Duke of Marlborough Fanfare (ed. Hunsberger) (1939/2000)
The Duke of Marlborough Fanfare (arr. Ragsdale) (1939/1995)
Early One Morning (arr. Kreines). See: Two Grainger Melodies
Eastern Intermezzo (arr. Warshaw) (1899/1922/)
Faeroe Island Dance (1946//1954/1969)
Father and Daughter. See: Three Tragic Ballads
Folk Tune (as arranger) (1923/1942)
Four Grainger Songs (arr. Svanoe) (2003) (unpublished)
Gay but Wistful (tr. Patterson) (1916/2011)
Gay But Wistful. See also: Tune in a Popular London Style
A Grainger Threesome (arr. Ragsdale) (2007)
Green Bushes (1906/2007) (tr. Pappajohn)
Green Bushes. See also: Themes from "Green Bushes"
Gumsucker's March (arr. Rogers) (1914/1942/1996)
Handel in the Strand (arr. Brion and Schissel) (1912/2001)
Handel in the Strand (arr. Goldman) (1912/1961)
Handel in the Strand (arr. Rohrer) (1912/2015)
Harlem 125th Street Walkabout (arr. Hartley)
Harvest Hymn (tr. Kreines) (1940/1983)
Hill Song No. 1 (1902)
Hill Song No. 1 (adapt. Rogers) (1901/1922/1923/1997)
Hill-Song Nr. 1 (trans. Clark) (1901/1922/1923/2019)
Hill Song No. 2 (arr. Rogers) (1907/1929/1990)
Horkstow Grange from "Lincolnshire Posy" (adapt. Sweeney) (1937/2008)
The Hunter in His Career (arr. Robinson)
The Immovable Do (1940)
I'm Seventeen Come Sunday (tr. Daehn) (1905-12/1987)
I'm Seventeen Come Sunday (arr. Wagner) (1905-12/1999)
In a Nutshell (tr. Patterson) (1916/2011)
In Dahomey (arr. Miller)
Irish Tune (arr. Stotter) (1918)
Irish Tune from County Derry (1918)
Irish Tune from County Derry (arr. Clark and Schmidt) (1918/2001)
Irish Tune from County Derry (arr. Erickson) (1918/1970)
Irish Tune from County Derry (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Klarfeld) (1918/2014/2020)
Irish Tune from County Derry (arr. Kreines) (1918/1996)
Irish Tune from County Derry (ed. Renshaw) (1918)
Irish Tune from County Derry (ed. Rogers) (1918/1994)
Irish Tune from County Derry/Shepherd's Hey (tr. Stamp) (1918/2021)
The Jungle Book Suite (arr. Ragsdale) (2011)
Jutish Medley (arr. Kreines) (1923-1929/)
Lads of Wamphray March (1905/1941)
Lads of Wamphray March (ed. Kreines) (1905/1937/2003)
Lads of Wamphray Ballad (arr. Ragsdale) (1905/2018)
Lincolnshire Posy (1937/1940)
Lincolnshire Posy (ed. Fennell) (1937/1987/2010)
Lincolnshire Posy (ed. Fennell; rev. Rogers) (1937/1987/2010/2020)
Lincolnshire Posy (arr. Higgins) (1937/2008)
Lincolnshire Posy (arr. Osika) (1937/)
Lisbon from "Lincolnshire Posy" (adapt. Sweeney) (1937/2017)
Lord Maxwell's Goodnight (orch. Wilson)
Lord Peter's Stable Boy (1925/1930)
Lord Peter's Stable Boy (arr. Kreines)
Lost Lady Found (arr. Sweeney) (1937/2011)
March (as arranger) (1946)
Marching Song of Democracy (1917/1948/1991)
Marching Song of Democracy (ed. Brion) (1917/1948/1991)
Marching Tune (2013) (arr. Story)
The Merry King (ed. Schissel) (1905/2006)
Mock Morris (arr. Kreines) (1910/1991)
Mock Morris (arr. Patterson) (1910/ )
Mock Morris (arr. Perna) (1910/2010/2016)
Mock Morris (arr. Simpson) (2010/1993)
Molly on the Shore (ed. Rogers) (1920/1998)
Molly on the Shore (ed. Clark and Schmidt) (1920/2002)
Molly on the Shore (arr. Johnston) (1920/2011)
Molly on the Shore (tr. Ragsdale) (1920/1978)
My Dark-Haired Maid (ed. Ragsdale) (1899)
My Robin Is to the Greenwood Gone (arr. Strum) (1912/1999)
Near Woodstock Town (arr. Cramer) (2004)
Nightingale and the Two Sisters, The (arr. Kreines) (1931)
Northern March. See: Youthful Suite
O Mensch, Bewein' Dein Sünde Gross (Flex instrumentation) (setting) (1724?/1937-1942/1987)
Pagodes from "Estampes" (as arranger) (1903/1928/1996)
A Percy Grainger Portrait (arr. Wagner) (2010)
Percy Grainger Suite (arr. Kreines) (1983)
A Percy Grainger Suite (arr. Erickson) (1996)
The Power of Rome and the Christian Heart (1947/1953)
Prelude in the Dorian Mode (Flex instrumentation) (as scorer)
Scotch Strathspey and Reel (arr. Osmon) (1901-1911/1982)
Sehet was die liebe tut (as arranger) (1937)
Sheep Shearing Song (as arranger) (1904/1923/1942/2017)
Shenandoah (arr. Osmon)
Shepherd's Hey (1918)
Shepherd's Hey (arr. Clark) (1918/2001)
Shepherd's Hey (ed. Rogers) (1918/1994)
Shepherd's Hey (arr. De Stefano) (1918/2012)
Shepherd's Hey (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Fisher) (1918/2020)
Spoon River (1919-29/1940s)
Spoon River (arr. Bainum) (1922/1967/2009)
Spoon River (ed. Carson & Naylor) (1922/2010)
Spoon River (arr. Sheldon) (1922)
Spoon River (arr. Story) (1922/2014)
Six Dukes Went A-Fishin' (arr. Kreines)
The Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol (scored Goldman) (1916/1965)
The Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol (arr. Clark) (1916/1996)
The Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol (arr. Simpson) (1916/1988)
The Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol (arr. Stotter) (1911/1916/2006)
Themes from "Green Bushes" (arr. L. Daehn) (1906/1987)
This is Not My Plaid (arr. Ragsdale) (2014)
The Three Ravens. see: Three Tragic Ballads
Three Tragic Ballads (arr. Ragsdale) (1924, 1902, 1909/2016)
- Danny Deever (1902/1909/2016)
- The Three Ravens (1902/2000)
- Father and Daughter
A Tribute to Grainger (arr. Ragsdale) (1999)
Tune in a Popular London Style (arr. Rogers) (1916/2005)
Tuscan Serenade (as arranger) (1865/1937/1994)
Two Grainger Melodies (trans. Kreines) (1912/1988)
Two Grainger Sweets - Harvest Hymn and Mock Morris (arr. Krienes)
Two Movements from "Lincolnshire Posy" (arr. Ryan) (1937/2019)
Two Movements from "Lincolnshire Posy" (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Sweeney) (1937/2019)
Walking Tune (1900)
Walking Tune (arr. Daehn) (1900/1940/1988)
Walking Tune (arr. Simpson)
The Warriors (tr. Pappajohn) (1916/1998)
We Have Fed Our Sea for a Thousand Years (1911)
The Widow's Party (arr. Moon) (1923/1929/2011)
The Widow's Party (arr. Osmon) (1923/1929/2009)
Willow, Willow (1911/1992) (orch. Simpson)
Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon (1949)
Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon (arr. Ragsdale) (1903/1936/2008)
Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon (arr. Sweeney) (1949/2006)
Youthful Suite (tr. Rogers) (1899/1950)
- Northern March (arr. Rogers) (c. 1900/2010)
- Rustic Dance (1899/1950/2010)
- Eastern Intermezzo
- English Waltz (1899-1901/1940-1947/1999)
Zanzibar Boat Song (arr. Hazzard) (1902/2013)

Resources

Aldrich, Mark. (2004). A Catalog of Folk Song Settings for Wind Band Galesville, Md.: Meredith Music Publications, p. 122.
Fennell, Frederick. "Irish Tune from County Derry and Shepherd's Hey." The Instrumentalist 33 (September 1978): 18-25. Reprinted in Conductors Anthology, Volume 2. 2nd ed. Northfield, Ill.: The Instrumentalist, 1993, pp. 22-26.
Nicholson, Chad. (2009). Great Music for Wind Band: A Guide to the Top 100 Works in Grades IV, V, VI. Galesville, MD: Meredith Music Publications. pp 8-9.
Rudgers, Gregory B. Shepherd's Hey. MBM Times, Issue 6 (2012), 61.
Shepherd's Hey, Windband.org Accessed 29 May 2016