Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
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Composer Angeline Bell first emerged in late 2022 with two distinctive and nicely contrasted piano collections from Editions Musica Ferrum, specifically My Lyrical Notebook and My Quirky Notebook. My review of both books was among the first, and in my conclusion I noted:
“With these two collections, Angeline Bell has certainly burst onto the scene with music that has the same explosive energy as the flora and fauna erupting from the pianos on her book covers. On the strength of these, her debut publications, she can be greeted as a major talent.”
Since then, Bell has brought us the super My Garden Notebook, which I reviewed here, and which was nominated in the contemporary category for The Art of Piano Education Awards in 2024.
Bell has more recently produced another two collections in the same series, underlining the point that she is as prolific as she is imaginative. My Seaside Notebook and My Forest Notebook build on the success of the earlier publications and offer selections of her compositions that, while still intermediate, are a little more advanced overall.
Both these publications appear in Musica Ferrum’s traditional house style, with well-engraved notation presented on luxury cream paper, and thick card covers that mix professionalism with characterful, colourful, homespun charm. Let’s investigate…
My Seaside Notebook
When this collection arrived towards the end of last year, I wondered what it might offer to differentiate it from the previous three collections. The clue, it turns out, is in the subtitle:
“20 intermediate piano solos in pop, jazz, and modern classical styles.”
While My Seaside Notebook includes pieces that conjure the relaxed vibe Bell has become popular for, this collection offers a subtle but discernible shift towards music in more contemporary commercial styles. Here’s the list of included titles:
- Whirlpool
- Rising Tide
- Seagull Attach
- Mango Merengue
- Sand in my Sandwich
- Broken Seashells
- Lounging by the Pool
- The Sailboat
- Beach Barbecue
- Moonlight Walk
- A Budding Romance
- Driftwood
- Watching Dolphins
- The Lighthouse
- Sand Dunes
- Without You
- The Surfer
- Funky Crab
- Al Fresco
- Land’s End
Several of these tunes bring the sunny impression of the book’s theme to life with Latin dance rhythms; holiday romance is portrayed with gentle pop ballad syncopations, and the excitement of surfing conveyed by a funk rhythm and rock piano vamping.
This variety of style perhaps sets this collection apart from the three earlier collections, although in common with all Bell’s music, there is a heavy emphasis on the development of repeated patterns, which makes the pieces easier to play than they might first appear.
From an educational point of view, as the book progresses, so does the difficulty, such that it would suit players from around UK Grade 2-5, spanning most of the “intermediate” phase. Later pieces in the book have key signatures of up to five sharps and flats, nominally adding to the educational value. Brief notes on each piece are included at the start of the book.
I have to admit that personally, I found some of these pieces more effective and distinctive than others, and I think that there are better introductions to these popular music styles, but others will disagree, and I suspect that for some this collection will be their favourite!
My Forest Notebook
This brings me neatly, and with similar subjectivity, to My Forest Notebook. Presenting “15 peaceful piano solos”, this collection showcases the composer’s strengths with a succession of beautiful, evocative, and well crafted pieces in the relaxed contemporary style she is better known for.
Introducing the collection, Bell recalls,
“I became interested in trees after my biology teacher took our class for a woodland walk. He taught us how to identify trees by observing the shape of the leaves, the texture of the bark, and the overall structure of the tree…
These pieces are inspired by some of my favourite trees.”
And sure enough, each is named after a specific tree, whose energetic they perhaps evoke:
- Copper Beech
- Sycamore
- Sweet Chestnut
- Magnolia
- Wild Cherry
- Silver Birch
- Maple
- Noble Fir
- Juniper
- Casuarina
- Blackthorn
- Ponderosa
- Bamboo Forest
- Aspen
- Mountain Ash
If Bell’s best strength is her ability to conjure memorable melody in the context of repeated and evolving harmonic patterns, her gift is certainly on display throughout this collection, and there’s a confidence to her writing that perhaps reflects her growing recognition and success as a composer.
As with My Seaside Notebook, the pieces are each introduced with a short passage in the composer’s “Performance Notes” at the start of the book, and they are organised in ascending order of difficulty.
Keys of four, five, and even six sharps or flats appear in later pieces, although teachers may be disappointed to hear that despite this apparent pedagogic win, they are not introduced in a systematic, ordered way. This is, however, material that will eloquently, effectively, and undoubtedly support the development of late intermediate players.
I very much enjoyed exploring the music in My Forest Notebook, and I personally think that this is perhaps Bell’s best collection yet.
Which Notebook?
Angeline Bell continues to impress as a composer of genuinely beautiful, expressive solo piano pieces for intermediate players, combining the pattern-based post-minimal style of Ludovico Einaudi with an easy melodic charm, and the simple, steady chord changes found in pop songs.
Having produced five Notebooks in around three years however, and all for intermediate players, some will be wondering which collection is the more essential. Honestly, it’s not an easy question to answer. Compounding the difficulty, neither composer nor publisher have suggested a pathway through this material, either musical or pedagogic.
Superb music festoons all five collections, and it would be a shame to miss any of Bell’s best compositions. Her music undoubtedly deserves a very wide uptake. But writing as an educator, I could recommend these collections with more conviction were they presented as a progressive series, with a clear learning framework and intent. Simply put, I am missing a sense of strategic pedagogy.
While Bell’s music certainly has enormous appeal, it’s fair to say that competing contemporary collections from Chris Norton, Victoria Proudler, June Armstrong, and Ben Crosland are easier to promote in an educational context because their pedagogy and progression are much more clearly structured and signposted, so that they offer a solid sense of musical progress.
Closing Thoughts
The wonder of Angeline Bell’s Notebooks is ultimately in the considerable appeal of her original music, which is superb. These collections offer a terrific treasury of immediately appealing intermediate piano music.
I suspect that those teenage and adult players who primarily play for pleasure will rush to purchase these scores. They would do well to listen to the composer’s recordings, picking whichever collection they feel most drawn to, in any order they choose.
All five of Bell’s Notebooks are distributed by Hal Leonard, and are available from Musicroom here:
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