Sheku Kanneh-Mason, renowned cellist, first Black musician to win BBC Young Musician of the Year and standout performer at the Royal Wedding has brought out his own cello anthology. It happens to be one of the most fresh and engaging collections I have come across in recent years. Of the fourteen pieces in the collection, published by Faber Music, nearly half are unaccompanied, and all are suitable for pianists roughly Grade 6 and up.
It is the perfect first collection for intermediate and advanced students wanting to break away from grade repertoire and learn some popular encore pieces from the world of performance. Full of familiar and memorable showstoppers, all handpicked to highlight the sonority of the cello, students will find it hard not to be galvanized into practice by the careful curation of their favourite tunes. The collection covers a diverse mix of genres including works by Vincent Ford and Leonard Cohen, alongside classical standards such as Ave Maria and Aprês un rêve.
These seemingly disparate pieces are united by a common thread: with the exception of Haydn's cadenzas, they are all arrangements of songs. This theme, of the cello imitating the human voice, is clearly designed to tap into the cellist's innate musicality and free up their playing. This is not just a book of pretty, memorable tunes, however. Kenneh-Mason's arrangements with variations mean that there are plenty of technical challenges for the player to get their teeth stuck into. There are a range of rhythmical variations, opportunities for practising big intervals, bowing techniques, broken chords, and places where the cellist accompanies the piano. Phrase marks and suggested fingerings are especially good for intermediate students – simplifying phrases for clear and natural resonance.
Each piece is introduced with a personal footnote containing technical and musical advice from the cellist. He invites the student to delve deeper into the music, to find original song lyrics and to listen to famous recordings by singers and cellists such as Bob Marley and Pablo Casals. This holistic approach encourages a very active musical involvement, lifting the notes off the page. Highlights include Scarborough Fair (with haunting and modern harmonies), Theme and variations (for left hand control) Kenneh-Mason's composition Melody, (for experimenting with sound) and, of course, Hallelujah (a favourite with students and audiences).
Kanneh-Mason's live performances of the pieces in the book, including all three performed at the Royal Wedding in 2018, can be found online. These videos provide invaluable reference material for the student and shine a light on a highly inspiring role model at the top of his game.
