Tribute to Foster, part for mixed chorus, 7 February 1931

Tribute to Foster, part for mixed chorus, 7 February 1931

Audiences were fascinated and amused and sometimes bemused by the novelty and adventurous nature of Grainger’s orchestration in performances of his radical compositions. The Brisbane Courier-Mail observed, after a concert in October 1934, how “Novelties and humour intrigued the audience...but whether it all commended itself to the auditors is another matter. One sensed that the reactions were not always of the utmost pleasure, but...there was not a little that could be enjoyed for its own intrinsic merit or sheer beauty.” Tribute to Foster provided some light relief, the newspaper noting, “it was a felicitous experience to hear the soloists and a large choral group from the Brisbane Austral Choir, with the utmost seriousness of purpose, uniting in this example of modern choral music. Those who are ordinarily to be seen in public performance comporting themselves as earnest musicians engrossed in conventional music, on this occasion cheerfully devoted themselves to weird and wonderful effects ...”

Grainger Museum Collection

1931

SL1 MG3:94-1