'SHEPHERD'S HEY' IS A FOLK TUNE COLLECTED IN 1906 FROM THE PLAYING OF THE FIDDLER OF THE MORRIS DANCE. 'HEY' DENOTES A DANCE ROUTINE USED IN MORRIS DANCING. WRITTEN BY PERCY GRAINGER, ARR. FOR BAND IN 1918. PERFORMED MY JR. YEAR IN THE CAL POLY BAND.
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Story behind the song
Shepherd's Hey (scored for wind band 1918)
Percy Aldridge Grainger
Arranged by Loras J. Schissel
Shepherd's Hey was originally written for piano and later scored for wind band in 1918. The word Hey denotes a particular figure in Morris Dancing. Morris Dances are still danced by teams of Morris Men decked out with bells and quaint ornaments to the music of the fiddle or the pipe and tabor (a sort of drum and fife). The hey involves the interweaving of generally two lines of dancers, which may be symbolized by the use of Grainger of two parallel lines of music at the opening of the composition.