SKU: ST.C130

ISBN 9790570811304.

As I sit myself down to write this brief foreword, I ask myself can there be music more stirring than these old Cornish folk melodies? Though not Cornish myself (I confess to being born a little further up the road, in Bristol), I feel I have spent sufficient time in these 'ere parts to resonate with the sturdy brass band tradition that continues to permeate this incomparably beautiful, rugged county. One can almost detect a French 'accent' when listening to the piano music of Debussy, and likewise, speaking as a lapsed brass player, there is undoubtedly something of the Cornish twang about Trelawny when played on a cornet or euphonium. Then again, one gets a different, yet entirely convincing effect upon hearing these melodies rendered on woodwind instruments; hence, with a little gamesmanship on my part, I am pleased to see my collection of these fifteen delectable ditties come to fruition in the form of arrangements for treble clef brass instruments (in B flat and E flat), trombone and tuba (bass clef), horn in F, flute, clarinet and bassoon. While many will find themselves humming the likes of Going up Camborne Hill, Lamorna or The Helston Furry Dance even before they have turned to the first page - for these are indelibly intertwined with Cornish culture – I wonder if I might draw your attention to The Cornish Squire, The Pool of Pilate and Cold Blows the Wind Today Sweetheart, which are quite simply sublime melodies, perhaps needing that extra bit of help in bringing them to mind nowadays. In the best tradition of musical hand-me-downs, Cornish folk music works equally ideally sung and played, and only by doing so on a regular basis can such traditions hope to continue forward with vigour and authority. A legitimate way of achieving this is to revitalise the harmonic scheme of these ancient tunes and bring them up to date for a modern audience; after all, it was such an approach that fuelled the imagination of Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan Williams in decades past, while skilfully paying homage to the underlying charm and, for want of a better word, simplicity, of the original music. But this is only a start – for without an energetic response from younger generations, Cornish folk music is destined to wither on the vine in much the same way as is happening with the Cornish dialect. So, put your instrument to your lips and proceed, not with caution, but with enthusiasm and a smile, for your great grandparents (and perhaps even their grandparents) would surely raise a glass if they could hear you doing your bit to ensure the survival of this splendid heritage.
Timeless Cornish melodies, cooked up for hungry clarinet players
Grades 1–4
Former Spartan Press Cat. No.: SP1219.

SKU: ST.C183

ISBN 9790570811830.

Drunken Sailor — the sequel
This needs a plaintive tone especially in the upper register where the dynamics are particularly important. To capture the mood of the piece those slurs in bars 35 and 36, for example, might even be close to a glissando. Use your imagination to recreate the sailor’s state of health!

The Vulgar Boatman
Not only more hidden melodies but more appalling puns! (Volga Boatman for those not versed in Russian folksongs). This is like a waltz: it is written in 3/4 time but played so as to give the impression of one beat in bar. The melodies need to be well sustained so that we hear four, eight or even more bars as a single phrase. Clues for the musical detective:- in addition to the Volga Boatman, you might spot just a hint of Sailing down the River on a Sunday Afternoon, We Sail the Ocean Blue (H.M.S. Pinafore), The Eton Boating Song and even Wagner’s Flying Dutchman.

Last Tango in Harris
Everyone must surely know these thinly disguised Scottish tunes, but can you make them sound like a tango? Bear in mind that tangos are not jazz: the rhythm is quite strict, but the tango character is in the tone and the phrasing. Notice how expressive the occasional shorter note value can be, as in bars 4 and 5 in the bassoon part.

Rheumanian Stretches
Or was that Rumanian Sketches? This is a chance to play the main melody in two registers of the bassoon. Try to make a good even sound in both octaves. This piece requires careful counting since the phrases in the bassoon part don’t always begin where you might expect. Think of this piece as a song.
Four Pieces for Bassoon and Piano

Grade 3
Former Spartan Press Cat. No.: SP1163.

SKU: ST.C182

ISBN 9790570811823.

Bodhán
The melody here is very broken up, so breathe and be ready for the next entry in good time. Don’t drag behind the drum in the piano part. Notice that only some of the notes are marked staccato.

À la Modal
Modes are scales based on the white notes of the piano, say, so you won’t find a single accidental in this piece. It shows that expression in music depends on more than just the dynamics, that is, how loudly and softly you play. We also need to observe the articulation markings such as staccato, tenuto and the accents on both long and short notes.

Schubert’s Ghost
Schubert is one of my favourite composers. I hope you enjoy the swing of the dotted rhythms and accents in this little Viennese impression. There are three musical quotations: one from Schubert himself, one from a later Viennese composer, Gustav Mahler and, near the end, the Dies Irae tune which has been used by many composers.
Three Pieces for Bassoon and Piano

Grade 2
Former Spartan Press Cat. No.: SP1162.

SKU: BT.AMP-430-400

ISBN 9789043148610. English-German-French-Dutch.

Part of the Anglo Music Play-Along Series, Philip Sparke’s 15 Intermediate Christmas Carols is aimed at the young instrumentalist who can play about an octave and a half and follows on from Sparke’s 15 Easy ChristmasCarols. Specifically tailored to suit the individual instrument, this book introduces the developing player to the world’s most popular Christmas tunes by selecting simple yet attractive melodies that fit their limited range. The book willprovide invaluable additional material to complement any teaching method and includes both piano accompaniment and a demo/play-along CD.

Philip Sparkes 15 Intermediate Christmas Carols sind Teil der Reihe Anglo Music Play-Along und richten sich an junge Instrumentalisten, die einen Tonumfang von ungefähr eineinhalb Oktaven beherrschen. Die Ausgabe schließt sich anSparkes 15 Easy Christmas Carols an. Für diesen Band wurden einfache und zugleich ansprechende Melodien ausgewählt, die genau auf das jeweilige Instrument zugeschnitten sind, sich für dessen begrenzten Tonumfang eignen, und den soSchüler an die weltweit beliebtesten Weihnachtslieder heranführen. 15 Intermediate Christmas Carols bietet damit wertvolles Ergänzungsmaterial, das zu jeder Instrumentalschulepasst und sowohl eine Klavierbegleitung als auch einePlay-Along-CD enthält.

Faisant partie de l’Anglo Music Play-Along Series, les 15 Intermediate Christmas Carols(15 chants de Noël de niveau intermédiaire) de Philip Sparke visent les instrumentistes qui arrivent jouer environ une octave etdemi. Adapté pour convenir chaque instrument spécifique, ce recueil introduit le musicien de niveau moyen aux chants de Noël les plus populaires en sélectionnant les mélodies simples les plus intéressantes qui correspondent leur registre limité.Ce livre fournit du matériel supplémentaire indispensable qui complète n’importe quelle méthode pédagogique et inclut un accompagnement pour piano ainsi qu’une version sur CD avec démos.

SKU: BT.AMP-407-400

ISBN 9789043148498. English-German-French-Dutch.

Part of the Anglo Music Play-Along Series, Philip Sparke’s 15 Easy Christmas Carols is aimed at the young instrumentalist who can play just over an octave. Specifically tailored to suit the individual instrument, this book introducesthe beginning player to the world’s most popular Christmas tunes by selecting simple yet attractive melodies that fit their limited range. This book will provide invaluable additional material to complement any teaching method and includes both pianoaccompaniment and a demo/play-along CD.

Philip Sparkes 15 Easy Christmas Carols sind Teil der Anglo Music Play-Along Reihe und richten sich an junge Instrumentalisten, die den Tonumfang von einer Oktave beherrschen. Auf jedes Instrument zugeschnitten, führen diese Ausgaben,für die einfache und zugleich ansprechende Melodien ausgewählt wurden die sich für diesen begrenzten Tonumfang eignen, den Anfänger an die weltweit beliebtesten Weihnachtslieder heran. Dieser Band bietet wertvolles Ergänzungsmaterial, das zu jederInstrumentalschule passt und sowohl eine Klavierbegleitung als auch eine Play-Along-CD enthält.

Faisant partie de l’Anglo Music Play-Along Series, les 15 Easy Christmas Carols(15 chants de Noël faciles) de Philip Sparke visent les jeunes instrumentistes qui arrivent jouer un peu plus d’une octave. Adapté pourconvenir chaque instrument spécifique, ce recueil introduit le joueur débutant aux chants de Noël les plus populaires en sélectionnant des mélodies simples les plus intéressantes qui correspondent leur registre limité. Ce recueil fournit dumatériel supplémentaire indispensable qui complète n’importe quelle méthode pédagogique et inclut un accompagnement pour piano ainsi qu’une version sur CD avec démos.

SKU: ST.C184

ISBN 9790570811847.

March of the Day
The subtitle says it all, I think. The piece has three main ideas each in the contrasting keys of Bb, Eb and F majors. Can you find a different character for each one? The danger for bassoonists in this sort of piece is that everything can sound accented, so be careful to follow the articulation marks as closely as you can.

Rondolettinetto
This is all about building phrases through repetition. It relies largely, therefore, on control of the sound. Try to achieve a really obvious contrast of character between the opening phrases and the less refined con spirito episode. This might be played just a touch faster than the opening and closing sections, if you wish. There is a hint of gentle parody in this piece if you can find a way of expressing that too.

Sand-dance Kid
This piece stretches the compass and range of expression even further. There are very obvious contrasts of staccato and legato and the phrase lengths of the middle section are far from regular. Try to scale down the dynamics at the end so that you end as softly as you can play.
Three Pieces for Bassoon and Piano

Grade 4
Former Spartan Press Cat. No.: SP1164.

SKU: BT.EMBZ8544

An ABRSM syllabus title.

SKU: BT.EMBZ13806

The premiere of the chamber music work written at the end of 1987 was given in August 1989 in Manchester. With its fast-slow-fast sequence of movements and the manner of its formation this piece of about 17 minutes duration follows to some extent classical models. Characteristic of its musical expression is, however, an individual mixture of the varied recollections of genre and mood. The success of the composition has been proved in numerous performances.

SKU: BT.EMBZ20093P

English-German-Hungarian.