Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
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With the popularity of her OUP collections, and her many contributions to the ABRSM piano and jazz syllabus, Nikki Iles has become a near ubiquitous voice in contemporary music education, her distinctive writing a permeating presence in piano publications.
Fans of her music (of whom I am certainly one) will give a warm welcome to the truly delightful pieces in her latest collection from EVC Music, Piano Tales for Winnie-the-Pooh. The book follows in the footsteps of her previous Piano Tales for Alice (UK Grades 1-3, reviewed here), and Piano Tales for Peter Pan (Grades 3-5, reviewed here).
Rather than rounding off her trilogy with an advanced collection as might have been predicted, Piano Tales for Winnie-the-Pooh delivers a selection of new compositions suitable for elementary to intermediate pianists. Let’s find out more…
Enter a magical world
The fifteen pieces included here introduce us to the popular characters of A.A. Milne’s whimsical stories, and have these titles:
- Hunny Bear
- Restless Rabbit
- Kanga Mama
- Roo’s Blues
- Poohsticks
- Sticky Fingers
- Eeyore’s Lost Tail
- Tigger’s Bounce
- Plucky Piglet
- Wise Old Owl
- Heffalump Stomp
- Farewell to Christopher Robin
- Up, Up and Away
- Thistledown
- The Hundred-Acre Wood
MIDI demonstrations of the pieces are available to sample on the publisher’s website here, giving an idea of the musical content. Though not performance interpretations, it is immediately clear that as ever, Iles music is both distinctive and easy to recommend.
Pieces such as Hunny Bear, Roo’s Blues (great title, although the piece itself conveys a bouncy swing), Sticky Fingers, and the brilliant Heffalump Stomp are fun jazzy numbers of the sort we have come to expect from Iles, while more tender emotions are explored in Eeyore’s Lost Tail and the poignant Farewell to Christopher Robin.
The gamut of styles and moods here superbly complements the previous titles in this EVC Music series, ranging from calypso to lilting compound time, and from jazz waltzes to ragtime and reggae. The spiky rhythms and angular melodic turns that characterise this composer’s work are to the fore throughout: this is Nikki Iles joyously doing what she does best.
With the level stated to range from Initial to Grade 5 (although personally, I think the easiest pieces are Grade 1) , this is a book to dip into and cherish over many years. And I doubt learners will be able resist coming back to this music again and again! That said, an intermediate player (at around Grade 3) will enjoy the easier pieces as quick studies while tackling the challenges of the later pieces in the collection.
Those wanting to select items for performance grades might have welcomed clearer signposting of levels, but the pieces are presented in approximate order of difficulty, and eagerness to explore the whole of the Hundred-Acre Wood may well inspire rapid progress!
The publication
EVC Music books have gone from strength to strength since the company was founded by Elena Cobb some ten years ago. This new title handsomely matches the visual appeal of the previous Alice and Peter Pan volumes.
In common with all new titles (and reprints) from EVC, the music is printed on high quality cream paper (there are 24 pages). Engraving is well spaced and superbly presented, and helpful fingering suggestions appear wherever needed throughout.
Each piece includes a performance tip from the composer, linking the music to the enchanting A.A. Milne characters and stories, thereby encouraging informed and enthusiastic music engagement.
Closing thoughts
This is another superb publication from Nikki Iles and EVC Music, and will undoubtedly be treasured by players of all ages.
While some pieces inevitably evoke the narrative and characters of Winnie-the-Pooh more overtly than others, Iles’ music never disappoints, and taking her inspiration from well-known children’s stories certainly seems to bring out the best in her as a composer.
Meanwhile, EVC Music’s high-quality production aesthetic impresses more than ever, despite the book being so very affordable. All told, Piano Tales for Winnie-the-Pooh can be warmly and very highly recommended!
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