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: YM.GTP01101942

ISBN 9784636115994. 12 x 9 inches.

This is a collection of easy piano solo arrangements featuring memorable masterpieces FINAL FANTASY series of games I to XIII, which have fans all over the world. The best album includes iconic tracks such as Chocobo Theme and Aerith's Theme from the early games, as well as classic pieces like Eyes On Me and Because You're Here..

SKU: HL.14011732

ISBN 9780853607441. UPC: 884088433628. 9.0x12.0x0.123 inches.

These extended and quite complex pieces were composed during the second half of 1986, and the first performance was given by the composer on 21 November 1987. The first piece is darkly intense, No.2 is a playful and rather sardonic Scherzo with two distinct ideas, and is followed without a break by No.3, an extended slow piece. No.4 is a headlong toccata with a contrasting lyrical second theme and the jazz element here is quite strong.

SKU: AP.47084

ISBN 9781470640422. UPC: 038081540122. English.

This early intermediate duet is a study in both sound and choreography. In both parts, the left hand crosses over the right hand at different places in the piece. In the middle of the duet, the secondo plays a long scale-like line moving up the keyboard while changing places with the primo at the same time. This piece is sure to be a favorite with audiences and performers. A Federation Festivals 2020-2024 selection.

SKU: FP.FLJ34

ISBN 979-0-57050-200-4.

Twelve finely contrasted pieces for piano. Suggested grade 2.

SKU: AP.47365

ISBN 9781470641146. UPC: 038081545202. English.

Based on the twelve-bar blues, this early intermediate piece uses swing rhythms. The long notes in the right-hand melody suggest a relaxed mood and character. The middle section is a good study of intervals of 5ths, 6ths, and 7ths.

SKU: BR.EB-8164

ISBN 9790004180075. 9 x 12 inches.

Rome, 1839/40. Fanny Hensel finally fulfills her longing for Italy, and in her four rooms, well furnished, she writes a number of little piano pieces at an old, light-weight, played-out tin can of a piano. Fast forward to 1999: Christian Lambour presents four of these impressions, all within a medium range of difficulty, in a first edition as Roman Piano Pieces.