I have been eagerly waiting for the next volume in Victoria Proudler’s Piano Grades are Go! series to appear, and if you have too, you won’t be disappointed. The two existing books, both of which I reviewed previously, have become mainstays of my piano teaching already. They have been popular with students of all ages, […] The post Review: Piano Grades are Go! Grades 4-5 (Victoria Proudler) appeared first on David Barton Music ..read more

I love to sight-read! …and yes, I can feel you groan as you read that! No one ever really taught me to sight-read, I just seemed to pick up the necessary skills, and my goodness, it’s probably the most useful musical skill of them all. I use it more than any other. Understandably, sight-reading isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and for many, it is prefaced by a sense of dread like no other. Sadly, I think sight-reading has got rather a bad name for itself, mainly because it’s something associated with music exams. Therefore, I think there is a distinction to be made between sight-reading, the thing ..read more

The new ABRSM Piano Syllabus seems to come round alarmingly quickly. It often feels as that no sooner have I reviewed one, the next one drops through the letterbox. The launch of the latest syllabus seems to have been relatively low-key. In many respects, this is understandable as the focus is almost exclusively on a refreshed repertoire offer, rather than any changes to the supporting tests. In their news item, ABRSM make no bold claims about the new syllabus, merely highlighting its ‘wide-ranging repertoire’. In addition to the new repertoire for each of the nine grades, ABRSM have also: Re ..read more

As the early-evening sun streamed through the beautiful stained glass windows, the high church surroundings of Birmingham’s St Alban the Martyr provided the perfect setting for a splendidly adventurous programme of music for Birmingham Bach Choir’s Summer Concert. The concert opened with Elgar’s majestic extended anthem, Give Unto the Lord, the choir relishing the vaulted acoustics of the church as the parts wove seamlessly in and out of one and other. The choir was perfectly balanced, as it was throughout the concert, and it was super to see and hear such a strong tenor and bass section. I wo ..read more

As you may have guessed, new volumes of Faber Music’s The Piano Player series are released far quicker than I can keep up in reviewing them. The series is clearly proving popular, and justifiably so. I know that as a private music teacher here in Lichfield, my adult students in particular are enjoying the variety of music presented in this series, and this volume, Classical Chillout is no exception. The volume contains 22 ‘beautiful and relaxing pieces’ suitable for the intermediate pianist. Once again, the books are adorned with the beautiful artwork of Edward Bawden. One of the things I lik ..read more

Given that if I was really honest, quite a bit of the stuff I’m sent for review is, at worst, pretty awful, mediocre at best, it makes it even more of a privilege to review something where I sit down to play through the music, and just go ”wow”! 22 Nocturnes for Chopin most definitely falls into this category, and if you read no further in this review, do go any buy a copy! In recent years, EVC Music have been giving voice to a range of composers whose music has perhaps been overlooked, and 22 Nocturnes for Chopin is no exception. The book is the culmination of a call for scores in which women ..read more

When I completed my PhD back in 2020, one of my recommendations was that those involved in the music industry, specifically those organisations related to music education, should: ‘consider developing opportunities which afford private teachers the opportunity to develop their wider educational knowledge and practice, in addition to instrument-specific skills.’ With this recommendation in mind, I’m pleased to introduce you to the Faber Music Teachers Community. In 2023, Faber Music embarked on an important research project with Sound Connections. The purpose was to increase their understandi ..read more

If you haven’t heard the name Yiruma, then even if it’s unknowingly, I’m sure you’ve heard ‘River Flows in You’, probably his most iconic piano piece. South Korean-born pianist composer, Lee Ru-ma, better known by his stage name, Yiruma, released his debut album, Love Scene, in 2001. Over 20 years on, we can all celebrate the breadth and variety in Yiruma’s music in these beautiful volumes from Faber Music, Solo: Yiruma 20th Anniversary. I say two volumes, but in actual fact, there is one volume, published in both standard and easy piano arrangements: a genius idea some might say! If you’ve h ..read more

Birmingham Bach Choir are an amateur choir with professional standards, and tonight’s concert in Lichfield Cathedral was no exception. Bach’s setting of the Passion according to St Matthew was delivered with a sincerity and confidence befitting of any professional ensemble. The whole delivery was well-paced with slick transitions between movements. The chorus sections were delivered with almost faultless German pronunciation, and an exemplary attention to detail. The choir achieved huge variety, from the quietest pianissimo, to a passionately dramatic fortissimo. The choir were accompanied by ..read more

These two new volumes from Faber Music, Lang Lang Music Theory, have been written to accompany The Lang Lang Piano Method. I confess, I’ve not seen this, but I note that these two books, Levels 1 and 2, can be used outside of the method books. World-renowned pianist, Lang Lang, aims, through these books, to ‘inspire today’s kids’ with his passion for music. The progressive series provides an ‘imaginative way’ to learn music theory. The books seek to cover the ‘fundamentals’ through a series of practice exercises. Level 1 covers: Notes on the keyboard Crotchets, minims, semibreves and their e ..read more