Underground for Piano (Rob Hall) | Piano Sheet Music Review
This post is part of my Quick Takes series - short, focused reviews that highlight key publications for teachers and players.
Introduction
As you can imagine, I receive a huge amount of music to review - it would be a full-time job to get through it all. Just occasionally, you receive something which sparks curiosity. Rob Hall’s new collection of piano works, Underground, is just such a book.
Published by Clifton Edition, the book contains 10 pieces reflecting, as the name suggests, aspects of the London Underground, including the lines themselves and a selection of stations. It’s a quirky - surely unique - idea, and with its distinctive, eye-catching cover, deserves to grab your attention.
Key Impressions
The pieces, aimed at Grades 4-7 level, are mainly 2-3 pages in length, the exceptions being ’Stamford Brook’ whose lilting 12/8 time signature means the piece runs to five pages and ‘Seven Sisters’ at four pages. Composer, Christopher Norton, author of the famous Microjazz series who has contributed the notes for this publication, writes of the pieces
‘They are unfailingly well-written, interesting harmonically and full of lovely melodies.’
I couldn’t agree more.
I particularly enjoyed ‘Angel’ whose intriguing, almost restless harmony, is particularly attractive. ‘Metropolitan’, with its jazzy groove, was great fun to play and distinctly catchy. By contrast ‘Perivale’ brings a delicate feel to this waltz, whilst ‘Seven Sisters’ has an appropriately driven and challenging 7/8 rhythm. ‘Parsons Green’ has a gentle, chorale-like feel - a measured singing line with shifting suspended chords below.
Just occasionally, I found the typesetting to be slightly unwieldy. There were a few places where notes felt slightly squashed and out of kilter with the note values. This is, of course, a minor personal gripe, but perhaps something to be aware of as you approach the music here.
Verdict
The pieces in Rob Hall’s Underground could so easily have been ridden with cliché’s - chuntering rails, train whistles and the like - but perhaps mercifully, Hall has uncovered something much more unique in the character of the London Underground lines and stations with which many of us are so familiar.
Despite a little reticence over some of the typesetting and layout, overall these were characterful and attractive pieces. Children and adults alike will enjoy the quirky rhythms and intriguing harmonies. If you’re looking for something a little out of the ordinary - in the best possible way - then Rob Hall’s Underground is well worth a look.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Underground by Rob Hall, was published in 2026 by Clifton Edition ISBN 9790570810307, RRP £7.95.
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.
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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.
Quirky and intriguing, Rob Hall’s Underground for solo piano, is well worth a look.