Some British (and Commonwealth) Piano Pieces: An Interesting List

I recently bought a second-hand copy of Arthur Banyon’s Two Preludes for piano. These were published by Oxford University Press as a part of their Oxford Piano Series in 1929. More about these later. However, on the back cover the publishers have listed a selection of numbers in this series. It makes an interesting list.

Three things can be said. Firstly, none of these pieces appears to have entered the repertoire –either as a recital piece or as teaching material.  The exception is York Bowen’s Nocturne Op.78 which has found its way onto the ‘Complete Piano Works’ edition on Chandos.

Secondly, a large number of these composers have truly sunk below the radar – even of enthusiasts of British Music.  The [half] remembered composers include Martin Shaw, Edgar Bainton, Harry Farjeon, Martin Shaw and Benjamin Burrows. However, what happened to Ethel Boyce, Eric Mareo (New Zealand)and Michael Mullinar?  Jane Joseph was a pupil of Gustav Holst, yet no one really knows any of her music.

Thirdly, some of these composers were prolific. Certainly, an investigation of Norman Demuth and Harry Farjeon would repay the effort. Although I noticed that Mareo and Boyce have dozens of entries in the music catalogues.

I present the list without further comment.

Edgar L. Bainton: White Hyacinth

Arthur Banyon: Wayside Pictures Set I & Set II

York Bowen: Nocturne

Ethel Boyce: Cinderella Book 1 & 2

Benjamin Burrows: Chimes

Harold Clark: Five Lyrics

Norman Demuth: Rigaudon; Reverie

Percival Driver: Three Pieces

Harry Farjeon Invention & Pavan

Ralph Greaves: Miniature Suite

Jane Joseph: Suite of Five Pieces

E. Markham Lee: Ten Little Pieces

Eric Mareo:  Storyettes

Michael Mullinar: Grimm’s Fairy Tales

Martin Shaw: In the Garden; The Path through the Wood; Follow my Leader; The Winter Evening; Puppets; Round Dance.

Gordon Slater:  Three Little Pieces; Bouree in A; Rhapsody in B flat

Felix Swinstead: Two-Part Invention

Colin Taylor: Capriccieto; Powder & Patches

Percy Turnbull:  Piano Suite

Ernest Walker: Prelude in e flat

Gerrard Williams: Four Traditional Tunes; Scottish Traditional Tunes