 As his stature in the music world increased , Grainger became acquainted with many of its leading figures , including Vaughan Williams , Elgar , Richard Strauss and Debussy . In 1907 he met Frederick Delius , with whom he achieved an immediate rapport – the two musicians had similar ideas about composition and harmony , and shared a dislike for the classical German masters . Both were inspired by folk music ; Grainger gave Delius his setting of the folksong Brigg Fair , which the older composer developed into his famous orchestral rhapsody , dedicated to Grainger . The two remained close friends until Delius 's death in 1934 . 
