Selected and reviewed by ANDREW EALES
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I have long been an admirer of the brilliant piano music of William Lawson Gillock (1917-1993), so it is with huge pleasure that, in conjunction with the Willis Music Company, I have selected and edited a new series of ‘graded’ collections showcasing a varied range of his best pieces.
Graded Gillock appears in three volumes, now available:
There’s little doubt in my mind that Gillock was one of the most significant educational piano composers of the twentieth century, as adept at turning out distinctively memorable and colourful piano pieces in an accessible style as he was at engaging the imaginations and enthusiasm of young learners, in doing so paving the way for today’s educational composers.
Gillock is perhaps best known here in the UK for his evocatively bluesy New Orleans Nightfall, stomping Swinging Beat and Latin-infused Carnival in Rio, all of which have been popular graded exam pieces in recent years. But what of his other music?
For this new series, I have used these favourites as a starting point, working with the composer’s long-term publisher Willis Music to explore and select Gillock’s most enjoyable and pedagogically useful music.
“The consistency William Gillock achieved in writing music that is both interesting to learners and pedagogically valuable is unmatched, in my opinion, and although a few of his pieces have appeared on exam syllabuses it is puzzling that his music is not better known in this country.
Andrew Eales has therefore done the UK market a great service by curating this series of graded books, which features 40-odd pieces altogether. The notation is enlarged in the first volume to facilitate reading, and reduces in size as you advance from book to book, a thoughtful touch… These books are a great introduction to the composer.”
Michael McMillan, Pianist magazine 128, October 2022
Graded..?
Based in New Orleans from 1943 and Dallas, Texas from 1970, Gillock’s teaching and composing career unfolded in a setting that wasn’t impacted by the criteria of graded assessments. His music was largely written for teaching studios, student recitals, music clubs and festivals.
The suggested grade levels in my collections are thus inevitably inexact, but will hopefully serve as a useful guide of suitability.
In all cases where Gillock’s pieces from the Willis Music catalogue have been set by the international examining boards I have sought to include them, while adding music of equal or greater appeal to curate three volumes that I believe will have enormous appeal to players of all ages.
I have presented the pieces in approximate progressive order of difficulty, adding a few notes to support learning and playing. These appear at the rear of each book as Editor’s Notes.
In a few instances I have made minor updates to standardise the fingering suggestions and overall score presentation, aiming to match the expectations of today’s teachers and players.
Amazing Music…
Without further introduction, here are the piece lists for each of the three volumes:
BOOK ONE • GRADES 1 – 2
- Spooky Footsteps
- Swinging Beat
- Autumn is Here
- The Harpist
- A Stately Sarabande
- Drifting Clouds
- Summertime Blues
- Enchanting Marketplace
- At the Circus
- On Rollerblades
- French Doll
- Dance in Ancient Style
- A Memory of Paris
- The Glass Slipper
- A Music Box Waltz
- Fiesta
BOOK TWO • GRADES 3 – 4
- Slumber Song
- Flamenco
- Sarabande
- In Old Vienna
- The Spanish Guitar
- The Juggler
- Journey in the Night
- Blue Mood
- Windy Weather
- The Constant Bass
- Carnival in Rio
- Hommage to Chopin
- Lazy Bayou
- Sunset
BOOK THREE • GRADES 5 – 6
- Downtown Beat
- Arabesque Sentimentale
- Mister Trumpet Man
- New Orleans Nightfall
- Bourbon Street Saturday Night
- Goldfish
- Nocturne
- Fountain in the Rain
- Etude in A Major (The Coral Sea)
- A Memory of Vienna
- Dusk on the Bayou
Over the last three decades, many of my students have found immense enjoyment and motivation playing the music of William Gillock, and today they continue to find inspiration in his catchy tunes and evocative imagination.
“As I’ve written before, I get quite a number of books sent to me for review. For many, as much as I value and enjoy their concept and content, I do wonder if they’ll stand the test of time. Then, just occasionally, some books come along which you know you’ll still be using and enjoying for many years into the future. This series of three books, Graded Gillock, edited by Andrew Eales and published by The Willis Music Company, is just one, or in this case, three, of those collections…
If you thought Gillock was all about ‘New Orleans Nightfall’ (which is, of course, a great piece), then these books will be a real eye-opener. There is so much lovely music to explore and play here, and the selection, production and editing is all first class… One of your ‘must-buys’ of 2023!”
David Barton, Read the full review here
I hope that through these books you too will find a succession of pieces which bring happiness and fulfilment to your musical journey!
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