A collection of 13 pieces (with the last one in 13/8) might make one suspect that this book is full of oddities; however, I am very pleased to report that this is certainly not the case. The composer's obvious love of the clarinet shines through in this fabulous collection of pieces that are complemented by interesting yet not overcomplicated piano parts. All of the pieces are worth studying and I believe that there is not a single weak link in the book.
From arrangements of traditional folk songs to original compositions, all the pieces are carefully and helpfully marked up with dynamics and, most importantly, articulation. As the styles are so varied, the articulation marks provide the means to instantly change styles appropriately. I love the fact that within the same book there are pieces that require ‘cantabile’ playing, and if you turn the page there's a ‘swing’ number. The composer is utilising the clarinet's versatility with pieces aimed at the Grade 3–5 market. All the pieces go ‘above the break’ and students may find some of the rhythms take a little working out. That said, none of them are off the wall, even the 13/8 one!
To pick a couple of examples, ‘I'll have my cake and eat it’ enjoys some syncopation reminiscent of a Joplin rag such as Cakewalk, but this figure repeats throughout the piece so once learned, a bit of ‘copy and paste’ thinking should do the trick! I do like the way the piano part occasionally uses chords that one might not expect, as it really helps keep the teacher (and hopefully student) engaged. This is especially true in the first piece in the book, ‘New day’, which is a beautifully simple number that relies on making phrases as long and as musical as possible. In summary, this is an excellent book for students looking to increase their repertoire.
