It has been Grainger's fate to be remembered more for what he called his "fripperies" than for his more serious works. Handel in the Strand is a perennial favorite, and well illustrates the wit and invention that brought him wide popularity after he settled in London in 1901. Australian-born, but a true cosmopolitan due to his travels in Europe and the U.S., Grainger was an exception to the high-minded seriousness of many of the early twentieth century English school of composers, with which he is often associated.

An unconventional personality and a formidable concert pianist, Grainger was influenced by the English folk song movement and arranged a number of traditional songs, including (another "frippery") Molly on the Shore. His compositions are highly original for their time and contain a variety of experimental techniques, such as jazz cross rhythms and improvisation.

The syncopated, perky tunes that form the basis of this work are clearly Handelian in character, though with a touch of Cockney arrogance—an amiable caricature of the Baroque liking for dance movements, complete with elaborate counterpoint, a canon, and a fugue. The technical detail is remarkable, yet never obfuscates the tuneful, lighthearted nature of the piece. Such virtuosity occurs in Grainger's more extended works but rarely sounds as engaging as in it does in this lively frolic.

Grainger's habit of writing several versions of the same work makes the dating of this and other works difficult. One- and two-piano (and other) arrangements exist, but the orchestral version is undoubtedly the most attractive.

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