7 Cromwell Place from the Perspective of a Percussionist

 As a composer, Percy Grainger was an early advocate for the new and ever-expanding melodic percussion section of the early twentieth century. His compositions often have very large percussion sections that included the newest melodic percussion instruments of the day, a practice that was often impractical in the first half of the twentieth century.

But, in more recent times, a trend has emerged: it is far more common for composers to write for expanded percussion sections in both wind band and orchestral literature. If one looks closely at the way Grainger wrote for various melodic percussion instruments, it becomes evident that he had more than a passing familiarity with them instruments for which he was writing. Percy learned how to play various melodic percussion instruments, and he taught his wife Ella how to play them as well. The two of them would perform with ensembles playing his music on occasion, showing their skills as percussionists to the public.

In many ways, Grainger was either at the forefront of innovations in the percussive arts or vastly ahead of his time. This tour will show artifacts related to both Percy’s music and the Graingers as performers, and how it all relates to being a percussionist in the modern day.

The event is part of the ongoing series, Sunday Tours to the Percy Grainger Home & Studio. It is free and open to the public. Due to space limitations, registration is encouraged.

Percy Grainger occupied the house at 7 Cromwell Place from 1921 until his death in 1961, using it as his home base for his world tours, practice studio and laboratory for his avant-garde musical compositions and experimental music machines. After Percy Grainger’s death in 1961, his widow Ella continued to live in the house until her passing in 1979. This historic house, built in 1893, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in April of 1993.

This presentation will be broadcast on Facebook Live. 

Jordan Waddell (he/him) is a music historian and percussionist based in Hartford, Connecticut. A former member of the two-time IPEC-winning University of Alabama Percussion Studio, he graduated with a B.M. in Percussion Performance in 2024. In 2026, he graduated from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford with a M.M. in  Music History. His primary areas of research are ludo musicological semiotics and the life and works of Percy Aldridge Grainger. He is a volunteer at the Percy Grainger Home & Studio.