SKU: FP.FBS03

ISBN 9790570500192.

Sarah Baker is Vocal Composer in Residence at Education Music Services, an ABRSM examiner and a well known composer of songs and musicals for primary schools and massed-choral events.

All this experience has come together in the creation of this album of piano pieces, inspired by growing up in the Chiltern Hills. Suitable for players of around grade 4-5 standard, her evocative sound pieces describe a crash-landing hot air balloon, garden invading cows and a even a snake in a pond!

Air Balloon!: One vivid memory I have as a child is of the day that a hot air balloon passed over our house and made an emergency landing on the road in front! The sound of the gas being blown into the balloon to try to keep it high enough to pass the house sounded so loud and intimidating, and then there was the bustle of the neighbours as we all went out into the street to watch. It was both terrifying and exhilarating to watch the balloon float past and then land so near by.

Buzzards Circling: There is something so calming and restful about watching birds of prey circling in the thermal currents of a summer sky. Growing up in the Chilterns gave me plenty of opportunity to watch buzzards and red kites. This piano solo captures the beauty of their flight as they glide so effortlessly through the air.

There’s A Cow In The Garden Eating The Flowers: Inspired by the memory of seeing an unexpected cow in the garden! This surreal image is captured in a quirky waltz, as I portray both the absurdity of the moment and the sense of wonder I felt as a child, looking out of the window and seeing the cow walking round and eating the flowers. The final phrase articulates my longing: ‘I wish it would come again’.

Watching The World Go By: A short, reflective piece, remembering what it was like to have time to just sit and watch the world go by from my bedroom window.

Autumn Skies: A miniature about the beauty of Autumn skies and the poignant sense of loss for a summer gone. Friends I was fortunate to have several children of my own age living close by. We seemed to be forever making dens, playing out in the street and generally enjoying each other’s company. This piece reflects that sense of well-being.

Snake In The Pond: One hot summer I was astonished and scared to see a grass snake cooling off in our garden pond! I watched, both horrified and fascinated, as it rose up from the depths and then disappeared again. Here I portray the sense of the hazy summer afternoon as I peacefully watched the tiny movements of fish in the pond, contrasted with the fear and excitement of seeing the snake appear.

Morning Commute: I recollect many mornings stuck in traffic as my Dad took me to school on his way to work. There is one main road out of the village where I grew up, and that got more and more congested the closer we got to the town. We may not have chatted a lot, but it was always good to be together with my Dad, lost in our own thoughts.

The Witch’s Cottage: My siblings and I had a fascination with a small cottage nearby. It was set back from the road in a dark part of the woods and we called it 'the witch's cottage’. Every time we passed, I imagined I heard the distant cackle of the witch and wished I could catch a glimpse of her.

These pieces are written to complement my other collection, Night Time Impressions, which also draw on childhood recollections, particularly of the woods behind the house where I grew up. - Sarah Baker 2023.

SKU: SP.TS302

ISBN 9781585604029. UPC: 649571003029.

Everyone at Santorella Publications is extremely sensitive to the costly demands placed on piano teachers and their tenacious students. With this in mind, we decided to publish a series of Christmas sheets for easy piano with only those specific titles that you and/or your student(s) have decided to perform for their holiday concert, recital or maybe just for family and friends. Rather than purchase a large costly collection of songs that you may or may not have the opportunity to perform this year, we have provided an inexpensive alternative. For just $4.95, you can buy just that one, two or three songs that you truly want to learn this holiday season. That's three songs for the price of one! Each arrangement derives from our best-selling Christmas songbook, The Best Of Christmas For Easy Piano by Craig Stevens which is also available with or without a performance CD. If cost is not an issue and you'd like to buy this fantastic collection, be our guest, but if a big songbook is not in the budget this year, that's quite alright. Why not choose only those titles you've settled on for your Christmas performance? Here's your chance to learn O Come All Ye Faithful, Deck The Halls and The Snow Lay On The Ground published by Santorella Publications. Be sure to review our entire list of songs available for easy piano and yes, every one includes lyrics to sing along. Merry Christmas! Look at all the great Christmas sheets to choose from: (TS301 - TS313) O Come All Ye Faithful, Deck the Halls, The Snow Lay on the Ground - I Saw Three Ships, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Angels We Have Heard on High - We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Angels From the Realms of Glory, We Three Kings - Jingle Bells, Silver and Gold, Away in The Manger - Jingle, Jingle, Jingle, Joy To The World, Bringing the Season's Cheer - O Christmas Tree, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, The Coventry Carol - Holly and the Ivy, Good King Wenceslas, Away in a Manger - The Most Wonderful Day of the Year, Up On the Housetop, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day - Holly Jolly Christmas, Silent Night, O Little Town of Bethlehem - Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Jolly Old St. Nicholas, What Child Is This? (Greensleeves) - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, Carol of the Bells - O Holy Night, The First Noel - 12 Days of Christmas.

SKU: FP.FLJ12

ISBN 979-0-57050-194-6.

For many years a professor at the Royal Academy of Music, Joan Last was widely admired for her skill and vast experience in the teaching of young beginners and adults alike. This album features seven longer piano pieces useful for developing sustained concentration from younger pupils. Suggested grade 1-2.

SKU: HL.50513901