[The Recorder Magazine: subscriptions]
• Progressive Tunes by Betsy Barker and Vanessa Hawthorn ... the type is big and bold. I liked the fact sheet at the beginning explaining time names, rests, etc. ... The tunes, sixty of them, start on the note B and take us progressively through A, G, E, D, C', D' and F#. ... There is a scattering of rounds and duets to make variety. J.O.(20/1)
• Mega Fun Recorder Book by Stephen Binnington and Ken Hobbs - A collection of six pieces, four of Grade 1 standard and two of Grade 3 ... using notes from low D to high A with occasional accidentals, in a variety of accessible and engaging modern styles. B.N. (23/3)
• Fun and Games with the Recorder, adapted by Peter Bowman - aimed at individual tuition and small groups of "ideally not more than five children". ... designed to start with children of about six years of age and much parental involvement is assumed and encouraged.
Tutor Book 1 begins at that very first stage, let us say from zero to 'Mary had a little lamb' which is in a way the most complicated part of recorder teaching ... when everything is absolutely new and of equal importance and has to happen simultaneously ... The emphasis initially is more on ... elements of musicianship than ... on fluency of playing. ...
Book 2 i... a more familiar format. New concepts ... introduced and ...incorporated in the tunes that follow. ... reinforces ensemble playing. The selection of repertoire is traditional,...
In Book 3 ... we learn F sharp .... This Tutor Book covers all the notes and chromatics up to high C. ... contemporary techniques ... glissandos, tremolos and flutter tonguings... two avant garde pieces by Hans Martin Linde ...
The Teachers' Commentary is ...beautifully written..... It will inspire teachers to improve their lessons, on technique especially. Marlene Hobsbawn (19/4)
• Turtle Tango, by Douglas Coombes is a collection of eight solos for descant with piano accompaniment. ... cheerfully appealing music of a simple directness that is up-to-the-minute without being way-out. ... Recorder player and accompanist each have an interesting part to play, the combination being always effective. The top fourth of the recorder's range is not used and the keyboard parts are easy and comfortable but not dull.
• Simply a Rag, by Douglas Coombes offers another eight accompanied solos for descant of equalattraction to the above. In one piece the accompanist abandons the piano to provide a backing of hand-claps, while "Impressions of an enchanted forest" gives the recorder a chance to play 'senza misura'. Paul Clark (18/2)
• Winners Galore, by Peter Lawrance is for unaccompanied descant and brings a collection of 38 well-known tunes, a complete fingering chart (though no tune rises above upper G) and two pages of "Memory Joggers" briefly explaining the notation. Land of Hope and Glory keeps company with Linden Lea and Last of the Summer Wine. Popular classics, famous folk tunes and TV themes rub shoulders with each other. Elementary players who have trouble with rhythmic notation will play these anyway, because they know how they go. Paul Clark (18/2)
• 12 Memos for descant recorder and piano by Paul Loeb van Zuilenburg are intended for pre-grade-1 and grade-1 players for whom they can serve as concert pieces, study material and/or sight-reading practice, for all of which they are admirably suited. Specially attractive are the Czardas, the Foxtrot, the 6/8 Perpetuum Mobile and the concluding Bourdon in 4+3+2/8-time. Paul Clark (20/1)
• A. Meyers: Blockflöte Boogie, Book 1 (Eight "Jazzy" Pieces for Descant Recorder(s) and Piano: ... here are eight nuggets of noble metal. .... Kids will love them and will undeniably have "Fun with five notes!" as the sub-subtitle quotes. I especially applaud the bits that encourage improvisation. The accompaniments won't overtax the teacher and the prints are models of clarity. A very pleasing publication. Paul Clark (19/4)
• Andy Meyers: Blockflöte Boogie Book 2 The fun to be had on five notes in Book 1 is here extended to seven (D to D with no F or F-sharp) and the same excellent standard is maintained, including cue notes to encourage improvisation. A welcome successor. A.M. (20/2)
• All jazzed up, by Jim Parker for descant and piano is a well-arranged collection of four of Jim Parker's own tunes plus Mack the Knife, Yesterday, I got Rhythm and Over the Rainbow. Also described as easy, these pieces will need precision from both participants, especially in The Dodger and in Saturday Night. There is good rhythmicvariety in this collection and once again the recorder's range is limited to the first octave and a half. Paul Clark (18/2)
• Mike Prescott: Rainbow Recorder Scheme -- Supplementary Books provide extra pieces for study as part of the Rainbow Recorder Scheme, a seven-stage graded course for descant recorder designed for use in schools and provide an interesting mixture of pieces from different places and periods. Book 2 (Yellow/Green stages) concentrates mainly on traditional melodies such as Ten in the Bed, plus pieces by Mr. Prescott, while at the higher levels there is greater concentration on pieces from the 'classical' repertoire: C.P.E. Bach, Brahms, Handel and Tchaikovsky are amongst those represented. A particularly useful aspect is permission to photocopy, a boon nowadays when budgets are tight!
• Old MacDonald's Barn Dance Book and Old MacDonald's Christmas Book by Peter Wastall and Derek Hyde are attractive books with glossy covers and amusing coloured illustrations. Old MacDonald's Barn Dance Book has ten catchy tunes arranged in two parts with keyboard accompaniment.The recorder parts are printed on the left hand pages and the keyboard parts on the right hand pages in much smaller print. Some of the tunes, like the 'Tooter Tutor' are original and others are arrangements, such as 'La Cucaracha'. Some of the tunes also have words. The range of the notes includes F#, F natural and Bb but is generally within the compass of lower intermediate players. At the end of the book is a page of helpful suggestions for electronic keyboard settings.
Old MacDonald's Christmas Book follows a similar format to that of the Barn Dance Book with fourteen Christmas tunes from the old favourites such as 'Away in a Manger' and 'Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer', to an arrangement of a Catalan Christmas song given new words by Peter Wastall called 'Fun, fun, fun'. All the tunes come with words and some tunes have a second part.There are one or two harder notes like G#, C# and second octave F natural which make the tunes a bit more challenging. Janice Ormerod (19/4)
Old MacDonald's Fun Pieces - a set of 16 pieces for beginner recorder players with easy-to-play keyboard accompaniments. This does not mean piano parts, but parts for electronic keyboard with auto accompaniment. ... Given access to an electronic keyboard of some description, the teacher (or parent) can easily play the accompaniment and still be able to concentrate on the recorder players, which should be helpful to teachers who want to accompany their pupils but have limited piano skills. The sixteen pieces are divided into three groups. The first group uses only 3 or 4 notes (C, B, A, G). The second group uses left hand notes only (D, C, B, A, G) and the third group uses an octave (D to D) but does include B flat and C #. The styles of music are wide ranging from March and Beguine to Blues and Ballad. Janice Ormerod (22/3)
• Up Front for descant and piano has contributions from four composers: Stephen Dodgson, Adam Gorb, Gordon Lewin and Edward Gregson, "in a variety of classical twentieth century and jazzy styles". Upper A, B-flat and B are added to the range employed in the other BW publications, otherwise these pieces also are graded easy. Eight little tone-pictures, some dreamy, others lively, all enjoyable and effective. Paul Clark (18/2)
• Three Little Pieces (on five notes) Andrew Challinger: ... a superb addition ... The five notes used are G to D ... employed to great effect. The first piece, March, comprises mainly crotchets and minims in a common time March tempo. .. Song is a beautiful, flowing tune in triple meter, which makes full use of the five note range. ... the work concludes with Dance; its pulsating, rhythmic accompaniment, crisp staccato and accentuated cadences make this a real foot-tapper. Each of the bars have clearly marked phrasing, bar numbers and rehearsal letters. An undemanding set of pieces, but with plenty of interest for pupil and teacher alike. This should prove invaluable as a concert item for elementary players. Adam J Dopadlik. (22/2)
Pam Wedgwood's Recorderworld : First Adventures in Recorder Playing: ... this is certainly one of the best that I have seen. ... suited to group or individual lessons, with opportunities for rounds, duets and classroom percussion. .. the notes are introduced gradually, in a sensible order ... a vaulable interactive resource. Patrick Richmond (23/4)
Recorder World Book 1: David Purfleet, Gavin Hope and Anne Montgomery: ... teaching beginners with the help of two characters - a 'great wizard' and a 'wise owl'. The book starts with the notes G and A, progresses rapidly through a range of a ninth from bottom C (including F and F sharp) ... fingering diagrams are shown correctly (including the little finger on bottom F ...) ... Students would require extra material to help consolidate new fingerings and no explanation is given regarding the length of notes of time signatures. Helen Hooker (25/2)
Red Hot Recorder Tutor: Sarah Watts: ... proceeds at a rapid pace - 10 notes are learnt within a fairly slim volume of 31 pages. ... cross-referenced to the same author's Razzamajazz Recorder Book 1 ... absence of any phrasing or breath marks ... basic instruction on playing the instrument, including articulation - with 'd'! Sarah Cole (25/2)
• Douglas Coombes: Cool Aeolian Blue: Solos for Treble Recorder with piano accompaniment. Five novel and very attractive pieces that use scales other than major and minor to cast their particular spells. Dorian Grey is in the Dorian Mode, while Garden of Enchantment uses the pentatonic scale on G. Cool Aeolian Blue uses the Aeolian mode, Nebulae is based on the whole-tone scale and Where the Wild Thyme Blows is cast in the Mixolydian Mode. Each piece bears a prefatory note succinctly describing the scale on which it is based. Recorder part and piano part alike are full of variety, with just enough of the unexpected to keep players on their mettle, the interplay between solo and accompaniment always nicely balanced. The melodies flow beautifully, abounding in syncopations and subtle changes of metre and using the whole range of the treble recorder to good effect. The book ends with a welcome half-page of Mr Coombes' c.v. topped by a familiar picture of the composer in full cry on his conductor's rostrum. Both bespeak the effervescent joy in music that these five solos also breathe. Paul Clark (18/1)
Fun and Games with the Alto Recorder: Gudrun Heyens & Gerhard Engel: At last ...! ...this will certainly rapidly become the tutor book of choice. Volume 2 continues the excellent grounding in Volume 1, extending the range to include the full two octave chromatic compass of the alto recorder ... pupils ... fill in the fingerings for each note learned; ... includes short technical exercises, especially written pieces, and ... works from ... The Dancing Master, the folk-song repertory, and the early repertory (much in duo and trio form ... copious snippets of technical information ... to help promote a high standard of proficiency and understanding. The final section introduces the bass clef. ... I can't wait to use it on my own pupils. Highly recommended! Adam Dopadlik (26/1)
• Dennis Bamforth: Five Waltzes for two descant recorders and piano, Op. 19. In the keys of G, D and C, ... Tenor recorders may double at the lower octave, which together with possible solo spans will enable some 'orchestration' to be made. Sixteen of our basic twenty-six notes are needed for playing both recorder parts. Five simple, shapely pieces very suitable for elementary players. Paul Clark (20/2)
• Brian Bonsor: Busy Fingers! Little Clock, Mangoes, Papayas! Music with a small range of notes and a modest variety of rhythms can be both enjoyable and instructive, and music for the high-fliers need not be severely serious. The neat formal organisation of Bonsor's pieces is a gift to the harried teacher while at the same time giving the pupils maximum variety. Busy Fingers! uses one octave of the scale of D-major, plus upper E, using only crotchets, quavers, minims, rests and carefully notated articulations. The Little Clock is a study in staccato and rests, in G-major, using low C to upper E plus C# and F-natural. Mangoes, Papayas! uses the same range without the F-natural, with Latin-American rhythms, including super-triplets and more rhythmic variety altogether. All three are provided with chord symbols for (optional) accompaniment, and all three combine important points of musical instruction with a lively sense of fun. Paul Clark (18/3)
• Brian Bonsor's On the lone Prair-ee is one of those rare finds: a descant-recorder duet with an ad lib piano accompaniment. Recorder parts range from bottom C to upper E with F-natural in addition to A#, F# and upper C#. The duettists receive equal shares of melody and accompaniment and have parts that are full of interest. The guitar/keyboard chords are not compatible with the piano accompaniment, which is fairly easy and keeps low down out of the recorders' way. Paul Clark (17/2)
• Piae Cantiones 1582 arr. Brian Bonsort (SS) "Unto Us" - The first and second part play the tune in turns. The same melody appears three times, every time with a different counterpart. .. some tied notes and rests ... fairly easy and pretty piece, appropriate for Grade 2. "O little town" - slightly easier, approx. Grade 1. ... indications for guitar chords and are on one A3 sheet. HM (21/3)
• Paul Brown's Jazzy Duets for two descant recorders, "Play it Cool", "Getting Cooler", "Super Cool": an excellent three-volume collection of graded pieces which despite the jazzy reference in the titles has hints of blues and ragtime too. The opening duets in Volume 1 use only easy notes and rhythms, but from Number 4 onwards, jazzy "inequality" is increasingly required. From this point also the range of notes grows and the rhythms become more challenging - Vol. 3 has much to keep a pair of more proficient players busy. Repertoire which provides both a challenge and enjoyment is most important for encouraging young players, but there is much in these thirty-three pieces (eleven in each volume) which will appeal to players of all ages. Byrd (19/1)
• Chopsticks, arr. Brian Bonsor: will both entertain and challenge ... scored for two descants with optional piano ... highly suited to large recorder groups. The recorder's range is diatonic from low C to high E a tenth above and ... fluency with F natural is a must. ... opens with just the melody on the recorders... having each part play alternate bars .. then separate to play in duet a second theme in 3rds and 6ths, the harmony being based upon just two chords: tonic and dominant of C major. ... some of the busier phrases are supplied with easier ossias. AJD (21/1)
• James Hook, Easy Duets for descant and treble rec. ... 18 little pieces by the instantly likeable James Hook. Generally the writing is scalic, although, as you would expect, the treble part is predominantly harmonic in content and, therefore, jumps around a little. ... there is plenty of repetition which ... provide plenty of scope for echo effects, changes of articulation, etc. The rhythms are mostly straightforward, and those which are more demanding, for example the Polka-like Allegretto on page 12, will be picked up aurally very quickly. ... The music is laid out progressively and towards the end of the book accidentals become a familiar sight. Duettino III (pp 29 & 30) contains many G#s and makes a feature of the quaver-crotchet-quaver rhythm upon which the finale of Telemann's first Canonic Sonata in Bb major is based. All in all, a tremendous addition to the duet repertoire which will, I am certain, keep pupils and teachers both interested and entertained for many years to come. Adam J Dopadlik (21/1)
• Soft Shoe Shuffle, by Brian Bonsor, for descant, treble and tenor recorders and sandpaper percussion ad lib makes considerably greater demands than his duet pieces and will give amateur groups of all ages plenty to get to grips with and plenty of enjoyment in the process. Attention to the meticulous notation will ensure a telling performance of this delightful piece that shows all along the composer's sure and certain feel for the recorder.
Written for the Golden Jubilee of the Recorder Section of the City of Coventry Performing Arts Service, Brian Bonsor:s Celebration Time! had the task of engaging all the Section's players from age 7 to 18, beginner to advanced student, in a piece of festive fun, in which it succeeds brilliantly. Paul Clark (18/3)
• Arthur Benjamin: Jamaican Rumba, arranged by Brian Bonsor This is a skilful and effective arrangement of a fine concert solo. The fulsome piano part demands a good player and though the two main melodies (cunningly combined towards the end) are plain C-major, treble and tenor have a nice chromatic scale by way of contrast. The arranger extracts the maximum of tonal colour from his forces and has marked the music so carefully that quite apart from the huge enjoyment provided by the music itself, there is a fine field for articulation study. Rhythmic precision is an absolute must for all participantPaul Clark (17/2)
• Brian Bonsor's Calliope for descant, treble and tenor recorders will find especially ready acceptance among those school groups where pupils progress straight from descant to tenor, so evading the need to learn a new notation for treble, for this treble part is of great simplicity, while still making an effective contribution to the whole ensemble. Descant and tenor both range from low D to upper G with some added sharps (shown for tenor in tablature at their first appearance). Paul Clark (17/2)
• Brian Bonsor, Tricksy (SSA-T) This breezy miniature packs a lot of fun into a minute and a quarter. First descant lies between g and its octave, second between low d and its octave and treble in its first octave-and-a-note. The playing score is so laid out that descants can swap parts so that all can enjoy the lead tune, technique permitting. Likewise the treble part can go onto tenor, if tenors are up to the higher register. A few accidentals help to enhance the colourful harmony and the lively rhythms give the music a nice bite. - Paul Clark
• Trios Galore by Alison Cameron: ... selection of twelve original and traditional tunes, arranged for descant treble and tenor recorders, ... aimed at quite young players who are just gaining confidence in part playing. ... the tunes are arranged for a variety of combinations of recorders, 3 descants, 2 descants and treble, 2 descants and tenor etc. Some tunes like "Yellow Bird" and "John Brown's Body", are arranged for 3 descants, and 2 descants and treble, both arrangements being being printed separately, one on the left hand page and one on the right. ... In the arrangements which use tenor recorders, the tenor part does not use low notes.This is very useful with small tenor players who have difficulty in stretching to the lower holes. Also in the arrangements with 2 descant parts, both parts tend to move together, which is helpful as the descant players are probably the least experienced and need to lean on each other. I like the idea of playing three nursery rhymes simultaneously, "Hot Cross Buns", "Frère Jacques" and "Three Blind Mice". Although two parts in 44 and one in 128 seems rather challenging, think how impressive it would be to play it with beginners in the next concert! J.O. (20/2)
• Alan Davis: Twenty Five Traditional Melodies, SAT: Clearly and boldly printed, ... songs from a wide variety of ethnic sources in euphonious settings of comparative ease. ... plenty of variety of rhythm while the harmonies are for the most part as traditional as the tunes, but the way of achieving them is original and easy-lying on the recorders. The introduction and coda of the "Eriskay Love Lilt" are particularly intriguing. The foreword has useful programme-building suggestions and the last word is the Jewish tune, "Zum Gali Gali", with deliciously sinuous harmonies. On the sharp side we reach A-major for "Merrily we Roll Along", while the flat side ventures only to F-major. This is a very useful and enjoyable collection for elementary players. - Paul Clark
• Oddbods, Oddbods at Sea, Miss-fits by Alyson Lewin. ... someone who understands the problems of mixed ability. The three collections of nursery/folk songs in the series are all cleverly arranged for three descants and percussion such that the second descant part has a restricted range of notes and is suitable for the less experienced player. In "Oddbods", where the tunes range from "Bobby Bingo" to "The jolly Miller of Dee", the second descant part is basically B.A.G. except for "The Jolly Miller", when they have to master B flat. The other two parts cover a range of bottom C to upper E and need F natural as well as F sharp. "Oddbods at Seal' tackles tunes with a nautical flavour such as "Bobby Shaftoe" and "What shall we do with the Drunken Sailor" and is similarly arranged such that the descant 2 players only need a few notes although they will need to play F sharp. "Miss-fits" includes songs such as "Mary-Mary" and "Polly put the Kettle on". Again the second descant part does need an F sharp but is still very easy. All the sets come with separate parts for the three descants ... The percussion parts are separate and although they are playing scores, many of the parts are repetitive and the children could be taught the rhythms without having to read the part.The percussion instruments suggested for use are all those commonly found in school percussion sets. Janice Ormerod (17/4)
• James Carey: Home on the Range (SAT) is a very attractive arrangement of a very laid-back melody! James Carey keeps the part-writing simple (more so than in some of his other arrangements) but tucks some neat touches in here and there. There are cadences where the accompanying parts indulge in outbursts of decoration, and chromatic moves which impart a touch of barbershop flavour, well suited to the tune. The melody is given two airings, firstly by descant, then passed around the three parts. There is plenty for a competent Junior group to get their teeth into here, but adult groups will find it a pleasing 'lollipop'. As with other pieces in Fentone's Mimram series, it comes as a score and three sets of parts -- good value as well as good fun. Alyson Lewin (17/1)
• Cowboy Songs (SSS) While three descant recorders may not always be the most euphonious of combinations, it is generally better than three descants in supposed unison, and short of getting some of your elementary descants onto treble as soon as possible, the next best thing is descant trios, for which George A. Speckert has expertly arranged these songs. If you guessed what were the seven best-known cowboy songs, you would probably find your guesses here, arranged so as to give each player a stab at the tune and at other times to make a significant contribution to the ensemble. Chord letters are provided for instruments that could use them. These trios are easier than either of the duet collections noted above, while still giving early learners plenty on which to chew. Paul Clark (20/1)
• Folk-Hits arr. Rainer Butz, Vol. 2 of Easy Recorder Trios (SSS) ... twenty folktunes arranged for descant recorders ... designed so that the third part is the easiest and therefore more suitable for the beginner except that these parts tend to use the lowest notes on the descant, G down to C, including F natural, which beginners do have problems with. The tunes are always in the top part and are mainly in a range that could be sung so that the arrangements could be used to accompany voices. The second part is designed for slightly more advanced players. The folk tunes are ... grouped according to country of origin, Ireland, Scotland, England, and U.S.A. Some of the arrangements, such as "Scarborough Fair" and "On the banks of the Ohio" are more suitable for less advanced players and other arrangements like "Turkey in the Straw" will be challenging to more advanced groups. Janice Ormerod (21/4)
• More Classics (SSS) arr. Rainer Butz, Vol. 3 of Easy Recorder Trios ... a collection of 15 classical pieces by composers ranging from Corelli and Vivaldi, through Chopin and Berlioz to Orff and Elgar. Again, the arrangements are devised so that the third part is the easiest and the melody is the top part. The second part is slightly harder than the third. However all these arrangements need more experienced young players as many of the pieces have semiquavers and the range of notes extends from bottom C to A'. ... the tuning with three descants will be challenging. ... young players would be introduced to a wealth of composers and musical styles by studying this volume. Janice Ormerod (21/4)
• Winners Galore 4 (SSA/T) arr. Peter Lawrence - nine well-known tunes ... simply arranged for recorder trio with an added very easy descant part which only uses ... G and A ... a boon to any teacher with a mixed ability recorder group. The tune is always in the first descant part, but none of the parts are too demanding ... the third part is scored for alto or tenor which means that the tenor player uses quitea lot of pinched notes; ... quite comfortable for a beginning treble player. J.O. (23/1)
• John Kember: Ensemble Collection 4, 7 pieces, SSA and piano: Each of the seven pieces ... is composed in a different style, each one relating to its country of origin through its title. The Tyrolean Mountain Song, in 3/8, has the flavour of a Ländler... Downtown Rio has a Bossa Nova rhythm running throughout with the three recorder parts playing homophonically. ... Spanish Nights features an elegant, flowing melody in 6/8 ... Eastern Promise ... makes use of the harmonic minor scale and, in particular, the interval of an augmented 2nd. Mississippi Blues meanders lazily along with the recorders moving in triads; an ideal opportunity to work on intonation! Highland Fling is very lively ... Much use is made of the Scotch snap. The final piece is English Folk-song, fittingly written in the Dorian mode, although some raised 7ths do make an appearance. The central section features a wonderfully close and densely-packed canon. This is all music of a most enjoyable character and fun will be had by all performers. The preface suggests that a "minimum of teacher assistance should be required", and that may well be true for more advanced or GCSE levels pupils as the piano accompaniments are all fairly straightforward. Adam J Dopadlik (22/3)
My Lady Marion's Pavan & Galliard - Brian Bonsor, 3 SS/AA/T: Two short and ... well-conceived original compositions ... in the style of Dowland or Holborne... provided with ... instructions for the steps to the dances .. a delightful pair of dances. Adam J Dopadlik (21a/1)
• Heidi Brunner's arrangements are always well done, approachable, enjoyable and effective, and not at all demanding technically. In The Little Drummer Boy, tenor and bass provide a drone-fifth accompaniment to descant and treble in parallel thirds for the (repeated) first verse. In the second, descant and bass have the drone, tenor has the tune and treble descants a sixth above. One spell of unison/octave playing creates a climax and in the wind-down the bass has a chance to say "me and my drum". Paul Clark (18/3)
• Raymond Harvey: In Sherwood Forest (SATB) The suite opens with a vigorous Fanfare for Robin Hood, and follows with a lilting Serenade for Maid Marion, a rumbustious Rustic Dance, a mysterious whole-toney Nocturne. In the forst at night, the Wedding Mach of Robin and Marion and a slow finale, The Death of Robin Hood. Like previous recorder, sorry, blockflute suites by Raymond Harvey, these six movements lie well for the instruments and sound well. Paul Clark (16/4)
• Alyson Lewin: Joe's Jitters: ... a toe-tapping, light-hearted feel ...scored for two descants, treble, tenor and bass and although the rhythm is syncopated, none of the parts are difficult and could easily be tackled by intermediate players. The lower parts, whilst mainly accompanying the tune, do occasionally get a go at the syncopations, just to keep their hand in. J.O. (20/2)
• Early Dance Music for Recorders Vol. 1: Renaissance Dances arranged for SSAT recorders by Andrew Mayes: a superb introduction to renaissance consort music, with quite easy parts and no need for any bass recorders. In my experience, recorder players of grade one standard are able to play most of the dances fairly easily, gaining a great deal of enjoyment. ... contains a variety of dances, primarily from Tielman Susato's Danserye, including a delightful Pavenne and a more challenging Branle. ... helpful notes on the origin and style of each dance. I would highly recommend this publication, particularly for ensembles of primary-school children with little or no experience of renaissance consort music. Tom Bellson (18/1)
• Andrew Mayes: Early Dance Music for Recorders - Vol. 2 ... layout ... clear and easy to read ... helpful ... information about the background of each piece and ... suggestions about tempi and ways of performance. The dances are varied and are collected together in such a way that they can be performed successfully both individually or in small groups as a short suite. Technically, the notes are not too challenging, although tenor players need to be able to cope easily and quickly with bottom C's in all but the last Tourdion and descant players need a range of an octave and a half with some accidentals ... Rhythmically, the music is fairly straightforward and the parts are well balanced with every part having something of interest to play. The music is arranged for groups without bass recorders and in such a way as to work successfully with one person or many players to each part, making the collection extremely versatile and useful for players of varying ages and abilities. I would highly recommend both volumes for introducing younger players to the joys of Renaissance consort music. P.D. (20/2)
• Turkey in the Straw (SSAT & opt pno) arr. Alyson Lewin - interesting and catchy music for the school recorder ensemble. ... The Descant 2 line is designed for the less advanced player .. the treble line can be played by a more advanced tenor player. J.O. (21/1)
• Discontinuo 1 for treble instruments, Music & CD, compiled Phebe Craig: You too may remember with affection the Music Minus One series of recordings from many yeas ago. Well, now there is Disc Continuo with all the benefits of CD technology. This is a two volume set: the first volume is mainly music for descant or treble recorders and continuo by, amongst others, Frescobaldi, Uccellini, Handel and Telemann. ... I was impressed by the diversity of repertoire and the quality and presentation of information. The recorded musicians present secure, if uninspired, accounts of their parts which will allow users of Disc Continuo to feel part of a satisfactory ensemble. Adam J Dopadlik (17/4)
• First Swing and Pop: Fons van Gorp The book contains ten tunes by Dutch jazz and big band specialist Fons van Gorp, all light and popular in style together with an introductory section giving advice on playing styles and a brief note about the composer. The CD features (after a tuning track) each tune, first with melody and accompaniment and then with accompaniment only. The tunes are all new and unfamiliar and in a variety of styles, but the collection will appeal to younger recorder players who will enjoy the opportunity of exploring them with the additional interest and challenge of the instrumental accompaniments provided. (20/2)
• Cantus Avium et Volatus : a graded set of unaccompanied study pieces, all in descant and treble versions, by Alan Davis, which are intended as an optional fourth piece to be played instead of scales and arpeggios when the candidate chooses the second of the twin track programmes in the Trinity College syllabus. Cantus Avium et Volatus (Song and flight of birds) consists of nine delightful character pieces depicting the wren, the blackbird, the little owl, etc. Increasing technical demands are made and various extended techniques are introduced at grades 6, 7 and 8. Priced at a mere £4.50, this book is unreservedly recommended. Christopher Burgess (18/3)
• The Pocket Practice Book, for players aged 6 to 16 and their parents by Diana Tickell. The first half of this book of nearly sixty pages is devoted to the younger player, the second half covering more or less the same ground for those aged 11 to 16. Thirty years' experience teaching children of all ages piano and recorder has afforded the author many insights into panaceas for problems of practice, producing a booklet that is up-beat and positive, not at all patronising, but putting the onus on the pupil, who is encouraged above all to enjoy playing and to seek solutions. Think of a scale, not as a boring up-and-down string of notes, but as a rainbow, for example. There is good advice about sight-reading, the vitality of singing (whether your instrument be the human voice or no), playing by ear, improvising, and making up your own exercises. Not a book to be read at one sitting, but to have by you as a constant companion, a most encouraging one. Curiously, for the younger players the chapter on choosing an instrument comes last, but is valuable nevertheless. Paul Clark (17/2)
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