Danny Deever (arr. Ragsdale)

Percy Aldridge Grainger

Percy Aldridge Grainger (trans. Chalon Ragsdale)

This work is the first movement of the composer's Three Tragic Ballads.

General Info

Year: 1924, 1902, 1909 / 2016
Duration: c. 3:20
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Male chorus, orchestra
Publisher: Aux Arcs Music, through C. Alan Publications
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $80.00   |   Score Only (print) - $30.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Contra-Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contra Alto Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion, including:

• Bass Drum
• Crash Cymbals
• Marimba I-II
• Snare Drum
• Suspended Cymbal
• Vibraphone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Danny Deever started life as a poem from the Barracks Room Ballads of Rudyard Kipling, a major cultural hero of Percy Grainger’s. Grainger scored the piece for small male unison chorus, large male choir, and a large orchestra including saxophones and euphonium.

The song tells the story of Danny Deever, a British soldier in foreign service, hung for a minor offense. Grainger’s setting captures beautifully the contrasting moods of boisterousness, horror and “whistling past the graveyard” so common in a soldier’s experience.

Grainger reported a 1905 visit with Kipling: "He had me down at his place in Sussex to hear the choruses I have written to so many of his verses ... I played him my Danny Deever and We Have Fed Our Sea For A Thousand Years and he said they were like 'deaders rotting in bilge water'. Later he added, 'Till now I've had to rely on black and white, but you do the thing for me in color.’”

Grainger's setting of Danny Deever is Nr. 12 of Grainger’s Kipling Settings, all of which are “lovingly dedicated” to his mother Rose.

- Program Note by transcriber

Performance Notes

This piece can be performed as a standalone work or as a set Three Tragic Ballads, with Three Ravens, The and Father and Daughter.

Media

• Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

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

• Perusal score