Sheet music reviews: A Musical Year

Ruth Sellar is a composer, teacher and pianist known to Classic FM audiences for her award-winning Christmas carols ‘Patapan’ and ‘The Snow Lies Thick’. This is her first collection for solo piano and was written during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. She says: ‘In the midst of such global uncertainty and distress, the Earth's beauty remained constant, and an appreciation of the seasons and their colours through music seemed appropriate.’

The result is a charming volume of 12 character pieces – one for each month of the year – with evocative titles such as April Showers, June Sunbeams and November Fireworks. Brief descriptive texts provide further inspiration and guidance for players: ‘A whirlwind of gales, storms and snow’ (February Frenzy), ‘Rejoicing under a clear blue sky’ (May Morning) and ‘A misty reverie as nights draw in’ (October Dreams).

The volume opens with January Waltz – as per the Viennese custom. This joyful dance in G major features a flowing melody over the traditional oom-cha-cha rhythm in the left hand, making it a fun exercise in phrasing as well as a good introduction to keyboard waltzes.

February Frenzy, marked ‘Frenetically’, contrasts fleet semiquaver writing in G minor with a striking rhythmic motif that carries echoes of Bartók. The unusual combination of E-flat minor and a time signature of 5/4 helps March Mystery live up to its name: this is a lovely lilting number that comes to life through its combination of legato and staccato articulation.

April Showers brings us back to G major with the pitter-patter of rain, nicely contrasted with a more languid middle section in G minor. The upbeat energy of May Morning beautifully captures Sellar's image of ‘a clear blue sky’, while the bluesy harmonies and swinging triplets of June Sunbeams transport us to a hot summer afternoon.

In July Tango Sellar directs performers to execute its accented rhythms ‘with an Argentinian flair’. This playful pastiche offers plenty of scope for dramatic dynamic contrasts. Next up is August Lullaby, in a gently rocking 6/8 that keeps the left-hand busy with arpeggiated figures throughout. Fast-moving semiquavers over a tripping bassline in A minor make September Dance live up to its description of ‘lively autumnal colour’.

Jazzy harmonies imbue the opening of October Dreams with its atmosphere of ‘misty reverie’ before a singing melody enters to pick up the momentum. Its final pianissimo chord is abruptly interrupted by November Fireworks, which kicks off with a fortissimo downbeat. This explosive piece includes several passages that employ the whole-tone scale – a sly reference to Debussy's virtuosic Prelude ‘Feux d'artifice’.

Sellar's finale is a brilliantly-crafted medley of three French Christmas carols, demonstrating her mastery of this genre. From the trilling drumrolls that introduce December Bells to its closing fortissimo chord, players of every age will revel in this seasonal showpiece as its well-known melodies emerge.

The technical challenges of these miniatures make them ideal fare for pianists of Grade 4–6 standard. Sellar's piano writing falls nicely under the hand, and her exploration of so many different styles ensures there is something here for everyone.

Goodmusic has been publishing for nearly 30 years, and they clearly take a lot of care over their products. A Musical Year is printed on high-quality paper and has been spaciously laid out with sensible page turns. The front cover carries thumbnail images that illustrate the theme of each piece, and Sellar's preface is brief and to the point. All in all, this is a valuable addition to the repertoire for intermediate pianists.

Two further volumes of miniatures for piano solo by Sellar have also recently been published by Goodmusic: A Musical Journey for intermediate pianists, inspired by various modes of transport from sailing boat to camel train, and A Woodland Journey for early to mid-intermediate pianists, portraying a scenic wood and its diverse wildlife.