The published musical compositions of Percy Grainger (1882–1961) fall into two main categories: (a) original works and (b) folksong settings. There are also numerous unpublished works, sketches and juvenilia. Grainger's compositional career lasted for more than half a century, from the end of the 19th century until the middle 1950s. Works tended to be written concurrently, and were often developed over very long periods of time—in some cases extending to several decades—before eventual publication. Many of the compositions exist in a number of different versions, some of which refer to "elastic scoring", a means which permits performances by undefined musical forces ranging from small instrumental groups to full orchestra.
Publication dates refer to the first publications of individual works, although Grainger often continued to revise and prepare new versions of works long after their initial publication. The lists below do not represent a full record of Grainger's compositional work. Grainger's biographer John Bird has referred to the near-impossibility of cataloguing all of the composer's work, bearing in mind that "[h]is original compositions are scattered to the four corners of the earth". In the mid-1970s the Grainger Museum in Melbourne began the work of rationalising and cataloguing its large collection of Grainger manuscripts, and published its initial results in 1978. Grainger also made many arrangements of other composers' works, which are not listed here.
Collections Grainger assembled many of his works under generic collection headings: American Folk-music Settings (AFMS) British Folk-music Settings (BFMS) Danish Folk-music collection (DFMS) Kipling Jungle Book Cycle (KJBC) Kipling Settings (KS) Room-music Tit-bits (RMTB) Sea Chanty Settings (SCS) Sentimentals (S) Settings of Dance – Folksongs from the Faeroe Islands (SDFFI) Settings of Songs and Tunes from William Chappell's "Old English Popular Music". (OEPM)
Original works TitleCollection ref.Musical forcesDate(s) composedYear of publicationCommentRefs."Anchor Song"KS 6Solo baritone, male choir or 4 voices, piano or orchestra1899–211922Verses by Rudyard Kipling"Arrival Platform Humlet"RMTB 7Viola, solo or ensemble1908–121916Other versions within the suite In a Nutshell"At Twilight"Unaccompanied tenor and mixed chorus1900–091913Words by Grainger"Australian Up-country Song"Unaccompanied mixed chorus1905–281930"The Beaches of Lukannon"KS 20 and KJBC 5Mixed chorus, strings ensemble, harmonium ad lib1898–411958Verses by Rudyard Kipling"Blithe Bells"2 flutes (2nd also piccolo), oboe, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons (bassoon 1 ad lib.), horn (or alto saxophone), 2 trumpets (or soprano saxophones, trp.2 ad lib), trombone ad lib, harmonium ad lib., glockenspiel, vibraphone ad lib., marimba ad lib., celesta ad lib., piano 4-hands, harp ad lib., strings19311932"The Bride's Tragedy"Chorus and orchestra or piano1908–131914Verses by Algernon Swinburne"Children's March: Over the Hills and Far Away"RMTB 4(a) Solo piano (excerpt)(b) Military band, pianos(c) Two pianos, four hands1916–18191819191920Colonial SongS 1(a) Solo piano(b) Piano trio(c) Soprano, tenor, violin, cello, piano(d) Soprano, tenor, harp and orchestra(e) Military band1905–2119131913191319181921Bird, p. 265"Danny Deever"Male chorus and orchestra, or baritone, male chorus, orchestra or piano1903–221924"Dedication"KS 1Tenor, piano19011912Verses by Rudyard Kipling"Eastern Intermezzo"RMTB 5(a) Solo piano(b) Two pianos, four hands1899–194519221922Other version within Youthful Suite"English Dance"(a) Two pianos, six hands(b) Chamber group (nine instruments)(c) Orchestra and organ1899–21192419241929"English Waltz"Two pianos, four hands1899–471947Other version within Youthful Suite"The Fall of the Stone"KS 16 and KJBC 1Chorus, with brass, woodwind, strings, harmonium, piano ad lib1901–231924Verses by Rudyard Kipling"Handel in the Strand" (clog dance)RMTB 2(a) (b) Solo piano(c) String orchestra(d) Two pianos, four hands1911–471912193019321947Bird, p. 267"Harvest Hymn"(a) Chamber or full orchestra, voices ad lib(b) Violin and piano(c) Unaccompanied chorus(d) Solo piano(e) Piano, four hands with voices ad lib(f) Strings with piano, harmonium or organ(g) Violin, cello, with organ or piano1905–38194019401940194019401942unknownHassan: General DanceOrchestra19231923Contribution to the revised version of Delius's incidental music to HassanBird, p. 268"Hill Song No. 1"(a) Two pianos, four hands(b) Two piccolos, six oboes, six English horns, six bassoons, contrabassoon(c) flute, piccolo, six double reeds, trumpet, euphonium, saxophones, harmonium, piano, percussion, six strings1901–231922 1922, 1924Koch International Classics CD 3-7003-2, liner notes"Hill Song No. 2"(a) Two pianos, four hands(b) Wind instruments and cymbals(c) Large wind ensemble1907–46192219501950"Hunting-song of the Seonee Pack"KS 8 and KJBC 8(a) Male voice choir(b) Male voice choir with optional wind and plucked strings1899–19221922 1958Verses by Rudyard Kipling Bird, p. 269"The Immovable Do"(a) Organ (b) Solo piano (c) Clarinet or woodwind choir(d) Chorus with various orch. or instrumental combinations(e) String or full orchestra1933–4219411941194119411942In a Nutshell (suite): "Arrival Platform Humlet"; "Gay but Wistful"; "Pastoral"; "The Gumsuckers March"(a) Solo piano(b) Two pianos, four hands(c) Orchestra, tuneful percussion, piano1908–16191619161916"The Inuit"KS 5 and KJBC 4Unaccompanied chorus19021912Verses by Rudyard Kipling"The Lads of Wamphray"(a) Male chorus with small orch. or piano(b) Wind Band1904–3819251941Words by Sir Walter ScottJosephson, p. 617"The Love Song of Har Dyal"KS 11Soprano, piano19011923Verses by Rudyard Kipling"Love Verses from The Song of Solomon"Soloists, chorus, instrumental or piano accompaniment1899–19311931"Lullaby" from Tribute to FosterSolo piano19151917"Marching Song of Democracy"(a) Chorus; orchestra, organ(b) Brass band1901–481917uncertain"The Men of the Sea"KS 10Unspecified voice, piano18991923Verses by Rudyard Kipling"The Merry Wedding (Bridal Dance)"Nine solo voices, chorus and orchestra or piano1912–151916Traditional Faeroese verses"Mock Morris"RMTB 1(a) Three violins, two cellos, viola(b) String orchestra(c) Solo pano (concert version)(d) Solo piano (popular version)(e) Violin and piano(f) Orchestra1910–14191119111912191219141937"Morning Song in the Jungle"KS 3 and KJBC 2Unaccompanied chorus19051912Verses by Rudyard Kipling"Mowgli's Song Against People"KS 15 and KJBC 11Chorus with oboe, harmonium, piano, violin, two violas, three cellos, double bass (instrumentation revised 1941–56)1903–561924, 1958Verses by Rudyard Kipling"Night Song in the Jungle"KS 17 and KJBC 3Unaccompanied male chorus1899–19241925Verses by Rudyard KiplingBird, p. 273"The Only Son"KS 21 and KJBC 10Soprano and tenor, with harmonium, piano, two violins, viola, two cellos, double bass (wind, timpani and harp ad lib)1945–471958Verses by Rudyard Kipling"The Peora Hunt"KS 14 and KJBC 7Chorus with various optional accompaniments; harmonium, strings, woodwind, piano or harmonium1901–061924"The Power of Rome and the Christian Heart"(a) Brass band, organ, with percussion and strings optional(b) Orchestra, organ, with percussion and strings optional1918–4319531953Bird, p. 274"Recessional"KS 18Chorus with optional accompaniment1905–291930Verses by Rudyard Kipling"Red Dog"KS 19 and KJBC 6Unaccompanied male chorus19411958Verses by Rudyard Kipling"A Reiver's Neck-verse"Tenor, piano19081911Verses by Algernon Swinburne"The Running of Shindand"KS 9Unaccompanied male chorus1901–041922Verses by Rudyard Kipling"The Sea Wife"KS 22Chorus with brass ensemble or strings with piano1898–19471948Verses by Rudyard Kipling"Soldier, Soldier"KS 13Six solo voices and chorus1899–19081925Verses by Rudyard Kipling"A Song of Autumn"Unspecified voice, piano18991923Verses by A.L. Gordon"The Two Ravens" ("The Twa Corbies")Baritone solo, with piano, two violins, two violas, two cellos, double bass1903–091924Traditional Scots ballad"Tiger, Tiger"KS 4 and KJBC 9Male chorus, optional tenor solo19051912Verses by Rudyard Kipling"To a Nordic Princess"(a) Solo piano(b) Orchestral 1927–281929"Tribute to Foster"Soloists and chorus; musical glasses, pianos or orchestra, tuneful percussion1913–311932Verses by Grainger and Stephen Foster"Walking Tune"RMTB 3(a) Solo piano(b) Wind quintet1900–051912The Warriors: Music to an Imaginary Ballet(a) Two pianos, six hands(b) Orchestra, three pianos (tuneful percussion ad lib)1913–1619261926"We Have Fed Our Seas"KS 2Chorus with brass ensemble, ad lib strings1900–111911Verses by Rudyard Kipling"The Widow's Party"KS 7(a) Male chorus with orchestra or pianos(b) Male chorus with brass band or pianos1906–2619231929Verses by Rudyard Kipling"Youthful Rapture"(a) Cello and piano(b) Cello, violin, piano, harmonium and other instruments ad lib1901–2919301930Youthful Suite: "Northern March"; "Rustic Dance"; "Norse Dirge"; "Eastern Intermezzo"; "English Waltz"Orchestra, with percussion, celesta, harmonium and piano ad lib1899–19451950"Zanzibar Boat Song"RMTB 6Piano, six hands19021923
Folksong adaptations and arrangements