My Seaside Notebook is the fourth in Angeline Bell’s piano ‘notebook’ series published by Editions Musica Ferrum. Hot on the heels of My Lyrical Notebook, My Quirky Notebook, and My Garden Notebook, My Seaside Notebook offers 20 intermediate piano solos in pop, jazz, and modern classical styles.
Inspired by her trips to the seaside, Angeline Bell’s latest offering edges more towards pop and jazz styles. Swing and rock rhythms regularly feature, as do Latin dance styles, as well as the contemporary classical feel we’ve come to expect from the composer’s pen.
My Seaside Notebook features a wealth of styles and characterful pieces which will suit piano students around Grades 4-6 level. You might be wondering whether by the fourth book in the series, the composer might be running short on ideas. Seemingly not! In fact, My Seaside Notebook shows a very different composer voice to that of the previous three volumes, not least as it is weighted more towards pop and jazz styles.
The music has an 80s/90s vibe to it – that music which for years, we unfairly referred to as ‘elevator music’ – and I say that in the best possible way. Perhaps the most successful pieces in the book are those designed to reflect the Latin dance styles with a tropical feel, such as ‘Mango Merengue’, ‘Lounging by the Pool’, ‘Beach Barbecue’, and ‘Al Fresco’. These are the pieces which, to me, are so evocative of those package holidays abroad of the 1980s/90s…once again, in the best way possible.
Amidst the sunny tropics, there are also slower, reflective pieces with more of a contemporary classical feel, such as ‘The Sailboat’, ‘Moonlight Walk’ and ‘Driftwood’. At the other end of the musical spectrum, we find retro funk in pieces such as ‘The Surfer’ and ‘Funky Crab’. These pieces will definitely bring a smile to your face, and rightly so. After a drab and grey month, I think we’re all in need of a bit of sunshine and warmth, and even if we can’t find it on our own shores, we can find it through music in My Seaside Notebook.
In a single-composer collection with 20 pieces, it seems inevitable that some pieces stand out more than others. It’s a lot of pieces, and it might be fair to say there are a few ‘fillers’, but nevertheless, the varying styles and character of the music always maintains the player’s interest. As ever, the book is beautifully illustrated by Rebecca Harrie, with useful, short programme notes for each piece. The music is clearly presented and printed in the high quality way we’ve come to expect from the publisher’s attention to detail.
Overall, a varied selection of styles to delight and amuse, each piece laden with character and panache. Recommended as a worthy addition to the series.
You can find out more about Angeline and her music on her website here.
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Published 25.2.25.
My Seaside Notebook by Angeline Bell, is published by Editions Musica Ferrum, ISMN 9790708147954, RRP £14.99
I was sent a review copy of this book free of charge; however, this review is my honest opinion as a teacher. You can find my Reviews Policy here.
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