Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
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EVC Music is a publisher who continue to enjoy an interesting journey. From early beginnings a few years ago, publishing founder Elena Cobb’s music but soon growing to include music of upcoming composers she wanted to support, the publisher has developed a catalogue of music by composers as highly respected as Nikki Iles, Heather Hammond, Graham Lynch, Sam Wedgwood and Donald Thomson.
The latter has long been working in the sidelines as a music engraver for publishers such as Kevin Mayhew and Faber Music, but as a composer burst onto the scene with his award-nominated and deservedly popular series of Celtic Piano Music books, reviewed here, which I have found appeal to intermediate players of all ages.
Thomson is now back with more, and his latest collection in the Celtic Piano Music series offers 21 new pieces suitable for elementary players, equivalent to UK Initial to Grade 2 level.
Sporting a classy cover that builds on the image of the original collections, and with the high quality smooth cream paper that EVC Music have recently switched to, this is a genuinely impressive publication which can only further enhance EVC Music’s reputation for delivering quality product, and for being a publisher with an enviable track record for spotting and bringing to market some of the best new music around.
As this is an EVC publication, I must remind readers that I sometimes assist the publisher as a consultant on particular projects. However, let me confirm that this is not one of those, and that until the review copy landed on my door mat I had no idea about this book.
So as independent agents together, let’s discover what the collection offers…
Celtic Character
Introducing the new collection, EVC Music tell us that it is,
“A brand new collection of twenty-one pieces with a distinct Celtic character for beginner pianists. The compositions are presented in order of difficulty with seven tunes per grade.”
Without further ado, those tunes are:
- Catch That Coo!
- The Castle on the Loch
- Menacing Midges
- Lament
- Salt ‘n’ Sauce
- The Monarch of the Glen
- The Search for Nessie
- Fidddlers’ Jig
- Arthur’s Seat
- Highlander’s Fling
- Princes Street
- The Bothy by the Burn
- Puffin Polka
- The Skating Minister
- Bonnie Wee Lassie
- Otters in the River
- Haggis Hunt
- Lullaby
- Waverley Wlatz
- Scotch Snap
- Tartan Trousers
The book includes a QR code which can be scanned to head straight over to the audio recordings, which are in any case free to listen to on the publisher’s website here (where you can also purchase a digital copy of the score if you would prefer this to the actual book).
When I reviewed the previous Celtic Piano Music collection for more advanced players, I was impressed by the extent to which Thomson is able to capture the Scottish spirit in his music, but must admit I was skeptical he would achieve the same in pieces written for pre-Grade 1 players.
And yet he truly has! Among his cunning tricks, Thomson writes with a melodic ease that seems to have a direct connection to the traditional folk idiom. His pieces here often use basic modal harmonies, and have rhythmic poise that moves between highland dance rhythms and the lilt of the Scottish Air with a natural ease.
Impressively, these pieces are also steeped in pedagogic value, such that they will make a genuinely valuable addition to the repertoire of those in the formative stages of learning to play piano, whether children or adults.
And I can’t move on from this paean of praise without also applauding the sheer range of music included, with a variety of mood and style throughout the collection that considerably adds to its musical interest and value.
It is far from easy to write memorable, worthwhile music for players at elementary level, and Thomson is one of the few composers I have encountered who has truly succeeded in doing so. It is certainly no exaggeration to say that this music really does jump to the top of an overcrowded pile.
The Publication
As for the book itself, having switched up to luxury cream paper for the superb 22 Nocturnes for Chopin edition (reviewed here, and for my money among the best and most important piano publications of the last couple of years), it is a delight to see EVC Music bring the same deluxe look and feel to this new composer folio.
The notation itself is engraved by the composer, whose expertise is long established. The scores are well spaced, in a generous music font, and ample fingering suggestions are included throughout.
Another continuing improvement that EVC have committed to of late is the addition of background information to introduce the music they publish. Here, the book begins with a contents page followed by a two-page introduction featuring the composer’s biography and tips for each of the twenty-one pieces in the collection. A superb addition!
Closing Thoughts
It remains wonderful to be able to use composer folios such as this alongside mixed anthologies of music such as the Joy of Graded Piano books.
Donald Thomson’s Celtic Piano Music offers an outstanding and varied selection of excellent pieces in a beautifully produced publication that players can treasure and dip into over a period of a couple of years.
The book is a testament to Thomson’s calibre as a composer, to EVC Music’s growing commitment to excellence in new music publishing, and to the value that a top-class folio of inspiring music might add to a learner’s progression at the piano.
I have previously agreed with the publisher’s assessment that Thomson can be considered the “National Composer” to look to for Scottish-flavoured piano music, and I stand by that view. His music has already begun to make a noticeable mark in my teaching studio and adult piano club, and is likely to do so far more with the arrival of this stunning new collection.
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