Advanced Flute Repertoire Grades 7–8 Level | Flute Sheet Music Review
This post is part of my Quick Takes series - short, focused reviews that highlight key publications for teachers and players.
Introduction
It has long been the case that not all exam boards have produced books for the higher grade woodwind exams. Trinity is the notable exception to this. Advanced Flute Repertoire, a new publication from Edition Peters, aims to fill that gap by offering 18 advanced-level works for both flute and piano, and solo flute, all of which appear, or have appeared on the Grade 7 and 8 syllabuses of the major music exam boards.
The book seeks to offer a ‘broad selection’ of repertoire, all of which could also be used as own-choice options, for example, for ABRSM’s Performance Grades. There are performance notes for each piece written by the well-known and much-esteemed musician, teacher and music educator, Paul Harris. The book contains 72 pages, with an additional 44 for the separate flute part.
Key Impressions
Amongst the accompanied works included in Advanced Flute Repertoire, there are familiar works - ‘flute standards’ if you like - by Handel, Mozart, Bach, Fauré and Doppler. These are joined by possibly less well-known pieces (although they were known to me), such as Mel Bonis’ ‘Scherzo’ from her Sonata for Flute, Op. 64 and William Lloyd Webber’s ‘Allegretto piacevole’ from his Sonatina in D.
Unaccompanied flute solos include the familiar Syrinx by Debussy, the ‘Allemande’ from Bach’s Partita in A minor, BWV 1013, Telemann’s Fantasia No. 1 in A TVW 40:2, and Kôhler’s Study in D minor.
In both the flute and piano parts, the music is clearly presented, although some of these works are offprints from existing editions - that’s not necessarily a problem, but it does mean the typesetting style and quality varies a little between individual pieces. The book itself has a lovely matt finish to the cover, and in Edition Peters’ house style, makes it feel like a quality publication. Paul Harris’ performance notes are especially useful and add a good amount of additional value to this publication. Special mention too that much thought has gone into the page turns in the piano part.
Verdict
Given the dearth of volumes of advanced-level flute music, this is a welcome publication. At an RRP of £18.95, Advanced Flute Repertoire Grade 7 & 8 Level offers excellent value for money, with many of these pieces available individually for that price alone.
My only criticism is that I think the book could have sought to offer a wider and more diverse selection of pieces. The most modern work, ‘Sea Echo’ by Sally Adams, appears in 76 Graded Studies for Flute Book 2 - my copy of that book was published in 1994. Adams and Bonis are the only women composers represented here.
Many of the works included are respected ‘flute standards’ - and justifiably so - but there is a huge modern flute repertoire out there, including many pieces at Grade 7 and 8 level, which could have been tapped into, if only for two or three of the pieces selected.
That said, the fact that this volume has brought together so many pieces which are often available only as single copies, makes it hugely valuable. It represents excellent value for money, and will be a welcome tool for those playing advanced-level flute repertoire - whether for an exam or not.
It would have been five stars, but the lack of any pieces post-1990s lets it down.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Advanced Flute Repertoire Grades 7 & Level was published in 2025 by Edition Peters, ISBN 9790577025773, RRP £18.95.
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.
If this entry in The Notebook has encouraged or supported you, you are warmly invited to buy me a virtual coffee on Ko-Fi. Support starts from just £3 - whether as a simple one-off gift or a monthly subscription - helping this freely offered work to continue and quietly grow.
Star ratings reflect my personal opinion based on usefulness, creativity, presentation, and appeal for teachers and players. I only review publications I can genuinely recommend (3 stars and above):
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Worth exploring - A solid and dependable publication with moments of interest.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recommended - Thoughtful and well-presented; many teachers and players will enjoy using it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Highly recommended - Beautifully written, inspiring, and one I’ll return to often.
