July 8 - Beck; Percy Grainger (The Musical Birthday Series, 5th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 8th are found here: Steve Lawrence; Percy Grainger (2019), Raffi (2020), Billy Eckstine (2021), and George Antheil (2022) 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

Beck (b. 8 July 970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beck Eclectic

I considered, and said, what the heck,

I might as well celebrate Beck;

But I couldn’t decide,

Should I praise or deride?

Is it brilliant or self-centered dreck?

 

 

♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫  

 

Percy Grainger (8 July 1882 – 20 February 1961) was a pianist and composer chiefly remembered for his folk song arrangements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Needing Weeding

 

Grainger seemed to have become bored with the tune when he re-orchestrated the piece later in life with intentional "wrong" notes, and remarked, “The typical English country garden is not often used to grow flowers in; it is more likely to be a vegetable plot. So you can think of turnips as I play it.” – adapted from Wikipedia, s.v. “Country Gardens”

The sympathetic critic pardons

Grainger’s thoughts on “Country Gardens”,

Because the thing became a danger

To the fame of Percy Grainger.

A garden near a roof of thatch

Will likely be a veggie patch,

And not a place to spend the hours

Contemplating English flowers.

A garden by a humble stoop

Will grow the makings of a soup; —

And so, my gentle friends, have mercy

On the thoughts of Grainger (Percy).

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.]