Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
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When I compiled the Graded Gillock series for The Willis Music Company, a decision was made early on to focus on three books covering Grades 1-6, two grades per selection. You can read about those collections here, which have already become popular with teachers and students alike.
William Gillock (1917-1993) also composed a wealth of music for beginners, so it is a special joy to welcome a new collection from Willis Music. The Easiest Gillock Pieces brings together a careful selection of 31 of his pieces for pre-Grade 1 players.
This new collection complements the Graded Gillock series by covering the earlier stages of learning and opening up the prospect of players discovering the composer’s beginner music. Better still, it includes brand new duet parts: optional accompaniments which have been newly composed by Gillock’s famous protégé Glenda Austin, whose own music I have reviewed here.
So is this now an indispensable book for younger beginners? Let’s find out…
Easiest Gillock Pieces
The Easiest Gillock Pieces is an immediately attractive book, sporting an eye-catching cover with an autumnal feel.
Within, the Contents and Preface pages lead to the music itself, superbly engraved in a spacious and large music font, with lyrics (where applicable) and expressive markings clearly presented throughout. At the rear of each page, the optional accompaniments appear in a slightly smaller, but still easy to read, music font.
Most pieces are accompanied by a cartoon illustration:
In her Preface, Glenda Austin tells us,
“Many of these pieces are drawn from his two pedagogical piano methods, ‘Piano All The Way’ and ‘Now I Can Play’. Despite their charm and craftsmanship, many of these works have not appeared in other collections and remain relatively unknown.”
The pieces are presented in a suggested order of learning and have all been freshly edited with Charmaine Siagian. Here’s the list, in order:
- Tumbling In The Leaves
- My Frog
- Merry-go-round
- Night Fright
- The Centipede
- Free Flight
- Skaters
- The Ballet
- Trick or Treat
- Glass Beads
- Um-Pah-Pah
- Picnic Time
- Sailing
- The Tuba Player
- Let’s Waltz
- A Rainy Day
- Moon Magic
- Tulip’s Greeting
- The Candy Store
- A Ghost Story
- Firefly Frolic
- Russian Dance
- Sky Castles
- Bullfrog Serenade
- Phantom Footsteps
- Spooky Night
- The Little Shepherd
- Swing Your Partner
- Water Lilies
- French Doll
- Sailing Home
Easiest recommendation…
The first pieces are in five-note positions, with a single melody line shared between the hands. Right away, dynamics and phrasing are shown, encouraging musical engagement. And Gillock’s supreme gift for memorable melody shines through, elevating these tiny eight-bar tunes far above much of the music found in beginner method books.
As the book progresses, so do the technical demands, and Austin’s sequence has obvious musical and pedagogical logic. Accidentals soon begin to make an appearance, and playing with both hands together is steadily introduced. Later in the book, chords become common, and Gillock’s penchant for crossing hands becomes a recurring feature.
Quavers (eighth notes), octave shifts, grace notes, and repeats gradually appear, adding to the educational and musical value, while compound time arrives in the beautiful Water Lilies and closing Sailing Home. The pieces rarely venture beyond 16 bars, making them ideal miniatures to incorporate alongside whatever other piano method books you use.
Austin’s optional accompaniments appear throughout, and they nicely complement Gillock’s writing. Their inclusion neatly and immediately expands the book’s appeal, delivering convincing duet material for beginners and teachers who perhaps otherwise don’t play four-hand music as much as they would like.
The book could also prove invaluable as sight-reading material for later elementary players, and many teachers find that duet playing at sight offers an enjoyable way of helping learners develop a strong sense of pulse, phrasing and continuity.
The only piece without an optional accompaniment is French Doll, which seems to be a bonus extra solo performance work, being notably more demanding to play than the rest of the volume. At 34 bars, it is also the most substantial piece on offer. French Doll has long been a popular favourite in the US, and readers here in the UK may know it from the first book in the Graded Gillock series.
Closing thoughts…
Glenda Austin’s suggestion that many of these pieces remain relatively unknown is surprising, as this is elementary piano music of superior value and quality. Many established piano methods develop into self-contained ecosystems, but it would be a pity to allow William Gillock’s music to languish unnoticed, given that it has such substance.
I certainly anticipate using this publication as an engaging duet collection to supplement the other resources I rely on with younger elementary players, and very much hope that many more teachers will similarly give it a look. I think it’s brilliant and will make a great addition in any piano studio.
To conclude then, let me echo these words, which finish off Glenda Austin’s eloquent Preface so positively:
“Though these works were composed years ago, we believe they will feel fresh and inspiring to teachers and students. Their timeless appeal and expressive potential are sure to spark renewed excitement in the studio and beyond.”
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