The Adelaide Morris Men celebrated Percy Aldridge Grainger’s 142nd birthday  in July with a lively foot-up at his grave in West Terrace Cemetery. 

This annual event, now in its eighth year, honoured Grainger’s musical legacy, drawing enthusiastic onlookers. They performed traditional dances set to Grainger’s compositions, including his famous arrangement of Country Gardens.

Grainger, an internationally renowned composer, collected over 300 English folk songs between 1905 and 1910, using cutting-edge technology like phonographs to preserve native singers’ voices. His notable works include Mock Morris, Handel in the Strand, Shepherds Hey, and Molly on the Shore. Despite living most of his life in the USA, Grainger maintained strong ties to Australia, where he was born in Melbourne. He passed away in New York in 1961 and is buried alongside his mother in Adelaide.

The Adelaide Morris Men, formed as a Morris side in 1979 by folk-dance enthusiasts, perform traditional dances from the Cotswolds and Oxford areas. They are a vibrant part of South Australia’s cultural scene, performing locally, interstate, and abroad.


Pictures: The Adelaide Morris Men held a 142nd birthday party at the grave of composer Percy Grainger in July. Credit: Duncan Ritchie on Facebook.com/AdelaideMorrisMen