OUP Music – Pianodao

John Rutter • Complete Piano Album

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
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One of the most extraordinarily popular and successful British composers of his generation, John Rutter’s choral works, anthems, hymns and carols are beloved the world over for their distinctive mix of French choral, English pastoral, and American popular influences.

John Rutter has enjoyed a long career at the pinnacle of the English choral world, from his appearance as a chorister in the 1963 recording of Britten’s War Requiem conducted by the composer, through his time at Cambridge and his numerous prestigious appointments and accomplishments up to the present day.

As he enjoys his 80th birthday year, Rutter is rightly considered a national treasure, and his publishers OUP Music are celebrating with a fresh compilation of his two recent solo piano albums in one superb book of 16 pieces, as well as the publication of his piano concerto, Reflections.

The Complete John Rutter Piano Album brings together his transcriptions first published as Piano Collection: A Flower Remembered in 2020, along with those that make up the subsequent John Rutter Christmas Piano Album.

For fans of his music, the Complete John Rutter Piano Album is an obvious and more cost-effective choice, so the review that follows draws from and replaces my earlier reviews of the initial, separate publications.

Christmas for Ten Fingers

The Christmas Shortlist

Selected and reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Over the last two years, OUP Music have done a stellar job of refreshing and updating their enduringly popular Piano Time method series (reviewed here) and Tunes for Ten Fingers (reviewed here) children’s primer books, with a fresh new look, audio files, updated pedagogy, and brand new music.

They haven’t forgotten their evergreen Piano Time Carols book, the long-standing studio essential also now benefiting from a contemporary redesign and downloadable audio, which I will consider below.

Best of all, they have published a brand new Christmas for Ten Fingers, which proves to be a superbly engaging easy collection for younger players, with duet parts, and rich with creative teaching potential.

In the review which follows, I will initially focus on the latter (which is written by Michael Higgins) and then check out the new-look Piano Time Carols.

Pianoworks Christmas

The Christmas Shortlist

Selected and reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

I am often asked to recommend a fairly basic Christmas piano book, suitable for Elementary players at around Grade 1 to Grade 2 level, with a selection of traditional carols along with a few more contemporary favourites, and in straightforward, well-crafted piano-friendly arrangements.

Within my teaching practice, Pianoworks Christmas has proven to be that perennial chestnut, and in a crowded market remains my all-time top recommendation for a basic, no-frills Christmas piano songbook.

Although part of the superb Pianoworks series of books for older beginners, the collection has no links to the actual method itself other than branding, and of course the fact that it appeals to adult players as much as it does to youngsters.

Pianoworks Christmas has proven to be hugely and consistently popular with players of all ages, year after year. It’s simply a great book, which essentially reviews itself. But here are my thoughts on it, sample pages, and a full list of its contents…

Tunes for Ten Fingers

Educational Resources

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Last summer I brought news and an in-depth review of OUP Music’s updated Third Editions of Pauline Hall’s classic Piano Time series. Having long used the series, I was impressed by the refreshed editions, with superb new illustrations by Rosie Brooks, online audio demo tracks, and welcome tweaks to the progression.

I also welcomed the fantastic new pieces by Kristina Arakelyan, Reena Esmail, and William Chapman Nyaho, joining established favourites by Hall, Alan Bullard and David Blackwell from previous editions.

OUP Music have now launched matching new versions of their primer series for young children: Tunes For Ten Fingers, More Tunes For Ten Fingers, and Fun For Ten Fingers.

I am pleased to see that the changes here broadly follow those of Piano Time, giving the books a more diverse, contemporary relevance and appeal. Once again, new Rosie Brooks illustrations are a delight, and the audio tracks can be streamed or downloaded. Pedagogy and progression are streamlined, with Janet Bullard and Jeanette Gallant on board as consultants.

In this review, written for the benefit of others using this series, I will outline the changes in more detail.

Rediscovering Piano Time

Educational Resources

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

There are several reasons why I rarely review children’s method books. An important one is that I have found my views about a new method resource can change considerably after spending a year or two using it.

Time and again, though, I have found myself returning to Pauline Hall’s Piano Time, a series which has remained popular with my students and delivered positive results for nearly three decades. Children using this series with me have enjoyed learning and practising, developed confident reading skills, healthy playing technique, nascent creativity, and imaginative engagement.

There are shortcomings with any method book, of course, and it’s important for all teachers to recognise the weaknesses in their chosen series. Only then can we deliver effective teaching and identify necessary supplementary materials. For more advice, read my article The Problem with Method Books, which explores the issue in depth.

In the meantime, Oxford University Press have just published fully updated Third Editions of the three core books in the Piano Time series, along with an unexpectedly useful book of accompaniments. With brand new illustrations throughout, a host of fresh new pieces, freely downloadable audio, and gentle tweaks to further facilitate smooth progression, this is a very significant update, so there’s never been a better time to rediscover Piano Time.

Having used the series for so long, I feel appropriately qualified to unpack the revision for existing users, and encourage potential newcomers to have a look at this landmark best-seller afresh.

Howard Skempton: 24 Preludes and Fugues

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
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Since the late 1960’s, when he become the doyen of the experimental music scene, Howard Skempton has carved a unique place for himself in British musical life.

Skempton’s influences include Eric Satie, Morton Feldman, John Cage and La Monte Young. His own music resists lazy categorisation, but is characterised by pared-back textures, focused economy of expression, clarity of melodic line, and the avoidance of dissonance even when most determinedly resisting the pull of tonality.

These qualities remain an integral hallmark of the latest entry in his significant solo piano catalogue, the 24 Preludes and Fugues recently published by OUP.

Bob Chilcott: A Little Jazz Piano

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
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Bob Chilcott will be known to many readers for his lifelong association with choral music, first as a chorister and choral scholar in the choir of King’s College, Cambridge, and for 12 years as a member of the King’s Singers.

Chilcott became a full-time composer in 1997, and has produced a large catalogue of music for all types of choirs which is published by Oxford University Press. His most often performed pieces include A Little Jazz Mass, Requiem, and Can you hear me?

In common with John Rutter, whose Piano Collection and Christmas Piano Album I have recently reviewed, Chilcott has lately turned his hand to creating a collection of piano pieces.

Nattily titled A Little Jazz Piano in reference to his popular Mass, this newly published collection from OUP contains three short pieces suitable for intermediate players. Let’s take a little look…

Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

One of the many positive developments within the piano teaching and performing community in 2020 has been a re-evaluation of the contribution of musicians of African descent to the repertoire.

A primary sourcebook for this music, Oxford University Press published Piano Music of Africa and the Afrian Diaspora in five volumes, compiled and edited by William H. Chapman Nyaho, between 2007-8. Between them, the books offer 60 pieces by 36 separate composers of African descent, organised by difficulty level as follows:

Volume 1: Early Intermediate
Volume 2: Intermediate
Volume 3: Early Advanced
Volume 4: Advanced
Volume 5: Advanced

More than a decade has passed since the publication of these books, and it is odd that so little of this music has made its way onto concert platforms or found regular use in teaching studios, exams, and homes.

Quite why more haven’t picked up this music is a mystery, because anyone with a fair mind and musical imagination will discover as soon as they explore these OUP volumes that the music of these neglected composers is consistently superb.

So let’s explore the series…