Selected and reviewed by Andrew Eales
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With so many Christmas-themed piano books on the market, and with yet more appearing to challenge our established favourites each year, it takes something quite special and distinctive to stand out from the crowd.
Calming Christmas Carols for Graded Piano, published by The Willis Music Company, is certainly unique, and may prove to be one of those ‘must-have classics’ that we didn’t realise we needed until it appeared.
Delivering “15 Peaceful Pieces for Piano Grades 1-5” freshly arranged by Alistair Watson, with three designated for each level from Grade 1 to Grade 5, the collection obviously has one eye on the education market, the other on appealing to the vogue for music with a relaxed vibe.
Cleverly, and rather uniquely positioned as the progressive collection to which learners can reliably return each year throughout their Elementary to Intermediate piano journey, and thus maximising the book’s continuing value to teachers, learners, and parents, the concept is certainly attractive. So let’s find out how well it lives up to its promise…
Calming Carols
First impressions of this publication are immediately good. The tasteful cover eschews gaudy cliché in favour of nostalgic warmth and traditional charm. Made from classy matt card, this opens to a book printed on good quality cream paper, and it is clear that the designers have made an effort to ensure the presentation is very easy on the eye.
The Contents page lists the included carol arrangements, which have been grouped according to their approximate grade level as follows:
Grade One
• Noël Nouvelet
• O come, all ye faithful
• Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
Grade Two
• Away in a Manger
• Once in Royal David’s City
• We Three Kings of Orient Are
Grade Three
• Coventry Carol
• I Saw Three Ships
• God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Grade Four
• Silent Night
• Jingle Bells
• Angels from the Realms of Glory
Grade Five
• In the Bleak Midwinter
• The First Nowell
• O Holy Night
This is a strikingly traditional list, but one which happily avoids the arcane: all the tunes here remain popular, and players will undoubtedly find at least a couple at each grade level which especially and immediately appeal. I think it is a solid selection, but those wanting to play more jazzy or contemporary Christmas hits will need to look elsewhere (a companion volume would work well although, as previously noted, there’s no shortage of alternatives!)
Watson’s arrangements prove to be quite free, and it’s here that the inclusion of the word “Calming” in the title proves apposite. These solos can almost all be described as gentle, dreamy piano pieces, which often reimagine their source material in creative and rewarding ways.
Alterations to the rhythm, pace, and anticipated harmonies add both to the musical and educational value of this material, allowing the player and their audience to freshly rediscover these beloved favourites. And again, those looking for more literal, standard, sing-along versions can find those in plenty of alternative publications.
Graded Piano
As I often remind readers, grade benchmarking is an inexact science. But these arrangements comfortably fit the levels to which they are assigned. Happily, should a learner be taking a performance grade around December time, none would in my view be problematic as “own choice” repertoire.
Technically, these arrangements will suit teenage and adult players better than youngsters with small hands. The included fingering often proves not only reliable, but useful for getting around difficult corners. The author’s Playing Tips to the rear of the book are certainly a nice touch, if fairly slight in their content.
For the Grade 1 and Grade 2 pieces, a notably larger music font has been used, which matches with the engraving in recent exam board books, and collections such as Graded Gillock and The Joy of Graded Piano.
The three Grade 1 pieces are comfortably within the expectations at this level, although Noël Nouvelet requires some slightly uncomfortable twists (and here, I would have offered more, and better, fingering suggestions), while Hark! The Herald Angels Sing includes stretches of up to a seventh, unusual at this level.
The Grade 2 pieces are a gentle step onwards, and Once in Royal David’s City notably includes pedalling to better showcase Watson’s sophisticated major seventh harmonies, which are sure to delight. Away in a Manger would benefit from pedalling too, but this is left to teacher and learners’ discretion.
Watson’s Grade 3 take on the Coventry Carol deliciously combines Satie’s Gymnopedie figuration with ingratiating jazz chromaticisms. The wistful I Saw Three Ships craftily modulates to the dominant for the central section, the melody appearing in the left hand. Late night jazz tinges resurface for a poignantly effective God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.
The Grade 4 arrangements share an air of innocent lullaby, the pop ballad harmonies and traditional flow of Silent Night the closest to the song as we more usually find it. Jingle Bells, here brightly arranged in E major (a new key to many at this level) requires careful pedalling, and evokes a mechanical music box. A similar ambience pervades Angels from the Realms of Glory, in which the carol is fragmented by sentimental pauses and reflective echoes.
The Grade 5 section begins with an arrangement of Holst’s setting of In the Bleak Midwinter, which behaves itself at first, before increasingly including unexpected harmonic twists. Effective legato chord placement and pedalling are essential here, as in the more joyous The First Nowell that follows.
Concluding this selection, Watson’s arrangement of O Holy Night is perhaps the best solo piano version I have come across, avoiding the overwrought drama that can elsewhere too easily overtake pianistic taste! Bravo.
Closing Thoughts
Calming Christmas Carols for Graded Piano is ultimately perhaps a rather niche collection, best suited to older learners who enjoy the relaxed vibe and jazzy harmonies of Watson’s arrangements, while equally welcoming the gently progressive scaffolding provided by the UK exam structure, and other graded anthologies.
While conveying the flavour of the collection, I want to underline the point that personally I really love this publication. In my view, this is a hugely useful and highly commendable addition to the pile of Christmas music that makes its way out of the cupboard around this time every year.
The clear signposting of levels, judicious selection of material, excellent presentation, and above all Watson’s superb arrangements ensure that Calming Christmas Carols for Graded Piano rises above most other seasonal fare, and I have no doubt that I will be using and recommending the collection a lot in the coming years.
These are carol revisions which are unexpectedly engaging, and will undoubtedly stand out in school concerts and seasonal performances. So if you are looking for that something special and distinctive that stands out from the crowd, well, here it is!
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