"Brigg Fair" is a traditional English folk song sung by the Lincolnshire singer Joseph Taylor. The song, which is named after a historical fair in Brigg, Lincolnshire, was collected and recorded on wax cylinder by the composer and folk song collector Percy Grainger. It is known for its use in classical music, both in a choral arrangement by Grainger and a subsequent set of orchestral variations by Frederick Delius.
The original song
thumb|439x439px|[[Brigg Marketplace, 1836]]
The song, which is listed as Roud 1083, has only been collected from members of Joseph Taylor's family, as well as a Mr. Deene of Brigg. Joseph Taylor learnt "Brigg Fair" from gypsies camped near Brigg sometime around the year 1850. Initially, he spied on them from afar as they sat around their campfire singing, but the King of the Gypsies invited him in and taught him the song.
In 1907, Percy Grainger recorded Joseph Taylor singing "Brigg Fair" shortly after a music festival in Brigg, North Lincolnshire. The recording survives and is commercially available; it was digitised by the British Library and made available online in 2018.
Taylor knew only two verses of what can be assumed to be a longer song:
The fair
Brigg Fair is an annual event which has been held in the English market town of Brigg, North Lincolnshire, every year since 1205, It is held on August 5, unless that date falls on a Sunday, in which case the market is held on the preceding day. It is primarily an event at which horses and were bought and sold, together with horse-related products. It is now mostly organised by the travelling community.
Delius's orchestral setting
Delius heard Grainger's setting, and was impressed by both the tune and the arrangement. With Grainger's permission, he used the song as the basis of an orchestral work, first performed in 1908. After a pastoral introduction Grainger's setting is replicated by the woodwinds. A succession of variations on the original tune leads to a joyous finale.
Joseph Taylor was a guest at the first performance. this legend was denied by Taylor's grand-daughter, Marion Hudson.
Instrumentation
3 flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 3 clarinets, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (bass drum, triangle, tubular bells), harp, strings