Selected and reviewed by ANDREW EALES
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Originally published by Boosey & Hawkes in 1988, Rainbow is a slim collection of seven miniatures suitable for the early intermediate pianist (around Grade 3), composed by the then upcoming Paul Harris.
Given their quality, it is perhaps no surprise that they gained an admiring following, taking their place on teachers’ music shelves alongside such earlier British pedagogic classics as Richard Rodney Bennett’s A Week of Birthdays and Malcolm Arnold’s Eight Children’s Pieces Op.36.
Rainbow won fresh fans when the sixth piece, Indigo was selected as an ABRSM Grade 3 piano piece a couple of years ago, and perhaps this has been the stimulus for Boosey & Hawkes to bring us a shiny new edition of the collection, complete with audio recordings, performance tips by the composer, and a striking cover that is a better fit for a new generation of players…
All the Colours…
According to the publishers,
“From the acclaimed educationalist and composer Paul Harris, Rainbow is a collection of piano miniatures based on each of the seven colours of the rainbow. These characterful pieces are ideally suited for teaching and would be a rewarding addition to any young pianist’s repertoire.”
The seven titles are, of course:
- Red
- Orange
- Yellow
- Green
- Blue
- Indigo
- Violet
The pieces are full of the quirky nuances and melodic gift that we have grown to love as characteristics of Harris’s music in the decades since Rainbow first appeared.
Having previously reviewed and subsequently spent a lot of time using Harris’s Piece a Week books, it is interesting to find the same sense of humour, eloquent stylisation and insouciant charm in these much earlier compositions.
Red, Green, and Violet are essentially scherzi skits that provide a brilliant study in developing articulation, while Yellow provides obvious contrast with its lyrical melody line, which is ripe with pedagogic potential for developing a cantabile touch.
It is no surprise that Blue uses swung quavers, while Orange has a meandering melodic warmth which, according to Harris, evokes the sun’s orange glow at sunset.
Indigo will be known to many piano teachers already, and is the longest piece in the collection at two pages, also delivering the most hummable tune.
While seven pieces may seem a meagre selection, the value here is that every one of the seven is a classic of its kind, making this a collection that players will want to explore in full.
The New Edition
The original edition of these pieces was decidedly dour, certainly not the most eye-catching affair, but the updated version joyously compensates with a fresh cover that is appropriately ablaze with colour.
There are twelve pages within, printed on classy off-white paper typical of this publisher. The scores are clearly presented, and include Harris’s typically precise notation, phrasing and expressive details. Fingering suggestions are added where needed, and not where they aren’t.
Incidentally, as an aside, one can tell from the composer’s musically designed phrasing marks throughout that he is fundamentally a wind player; some pedagogic piano music is lacking in this department.
The book includes a full page of Composer’s notes (in itself, the sort of pun Harris delights in!) and these are beyond helpful. Don’t miss them!
Finally, the recordings are performed by Paul Hughes, and are available for download from the publisher’s website using a QR code. For those wanting to preview them, I have found they are also available on Apple Music, and presumably other streaming services.
Closing Thoughts
Rainbow remains a solid and hugely rewarding entry in the early intermediate piano repertoire, and those who have yet to discover these pieces can be warmly encouraged to do so.
The new edition is a lovely affair, and gives these superb pieces the presentation and attention they truly deserve. Very highly recommended!
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