Hill Song #1 (score & parts) - 2FL/6OB/6EH/6BSN/CBSN

Hill Song #1
for two flutes, six oboes, six English horns, six bassoons, and contrabassoon
by Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882-1961) - Australian composer, arranger, and pianist

Edited by Alan Stout, 1969

Percy Grainger's Hill Song #1 remains a problematic work nearly 100 years after its composition. As the earliest work by this major composer which was scored entirely for wind instruments, it is an early indication of the great works for wind band that were to follow. Unfortunately, the composer was so convinced of the impracticality of its demands that he never pursued the possibility of having the work performed in its original scoring in his lifetime. In 1921, Grainger arranged ("dished-up") this work for two pianos, at which time he significantly revised the placement of the barlines and established a thoroughly consistent use of mixed meters. This two-piano setting served as the basis for a chamber orchestra scoring of the work that the composed executed in 1923. In this orchestral version, the music transposed down a whole step, but the music is essentially the same as all earlier versions. As Alan Stout did not adopt the composer's revised placement of barlines and usage of mixed meter, a comparison of the various versions is somewhat cumbersome, but his pioneering work in producing this, the only available performing edition of this significant work, has finally enabled performances to take place.

- R. Mark Rogers

Flutes double piccolo. And yes, this piece is indeed for two flutes, six oboes, six English horns, six bassoons, and contrabassoon, all separate parts. This is Grainger's ORIGINAL instrumentation, which he later revised for 2 pianos, convinced of the impracticality of its demands in the earlier/original version. TrevCo online did not allow for 6EH so the piece comes up under a search for 3EH (others as is).