Grainger At Home

Grainger At Home is a biographical musical show written and directed by Karen Van Spall and Lucy Esdaile. Narrated and performed by Ella Grainger (Melanie Hillman), along with The Clinch Saxophone Quartet and the mezzo soprano Karen Van Spall, this is an innovative   finely woven tale about Australia’s most celebrated composer.

Seen through the eyes of his Swedish wife Ella Grainger, Melanie Hillman gives a composed and considered performance. She narrates a relationship that is obtuse and peculiar, via letters and monologue. Percy Grainger was a local Melbourne boy, grew up in Brighton, the only child of John Grainger (the architect who designed the Princess Bridge).

The story is interspersed with Grainger’s original compositions. The Clinch Saxophone Quartet - including Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone - offer an open interpretation of Grainger’s work, while Karen Van Spall gives an exquisite operatic performance that is quite spellbinding.

It is Percy’s relationship with his mother, Rose, that raised eyebrows and gave way to Grainger’s love of Sado masochism. His mother later committed suicide in New York (jumping off the tallest building in 1922), where Grainger was based for most of his life. Ella was a single mother and an artist/poet in her own right, when dating Percy. He requested in his marriage proposal that she was to partake in his sexual deviancy, if they were to be happily wedded.

Ella/ Hillman reminisces and floats in loving thought of her beloved Percy. Her space is old worldly; there are old sheets covering what appear to be bits of instruments. Grainger was also renowned for his experimental musical inventions. And can be seen at the Grainger Museum at Melbourne University, his philanthropic donation, built in the 1930s (a distinctive art deco building).

Percy Grainger the great Australian composer was renowned for his eccentric and peculiar values, thoughts, and lifestyle. He is defiantly one of a kind!

Flora Georgiou