‘Take Her Out and Air Her’: Irish Dances as Arranged by Stanford and Grainger

Abstract

Irish-born composer Charles Villiers Stanford (1852–1924) has received both acclaim and criticism for his integration of Irish folk melodies in his compositions and for his role in publishing collections of Irish folk melodies. Throughout his career, the music of Ireland provided the inspiration for a number of compositions including orchestral works, songs, opera and chamber music. This article critically examines his Irish Dances op. 89, later published and referred to as Four Irish Dances, the source material for the work and versions created for piano by both Stanford and the Australian composer Percy Grainger (1882–1961). The article also addresses gaps in scholarship related to the performance and reception of the work(s). It also highlights inaccuracies in contemporary commentary, and returns the authorship of the works to Stanford. This examination parallels other studies and enhances an understanding not only of Stanford’s compositional practice but the social, cultural and economic contexts of music at the turn of the twentieth century and their reception amongst audiences and critics.