Percy Turnbull: Piano Music Volume 10: Piano: Instrumental Album

Fantasy Suite-Percy Turnbull born near Newcastle Upon Tyne in 1902 had his earliest musical training as a cathedral chorister. At the RCM in the 1920s Turnbull studied with Vaughan Williams Holst and John Ireland. Turnbull was a highly accomplished pianist and spent much of his life earning his living as an accompanist performer and teacher. His understandng of the instrument and his extremely wide knowledge of the piano repertoire led him to produce highly varied and colourful output. His interests were almost entirely for miniature forms: suites preludes studies variations and character pieces. All of these pieces be they athletically virtuoso or deftly simple show a flair forthe idiom and perhaps more importantly they lend an historically significant and stylistically interesting perspective to the literature of twentieth-century British piano music.

The work of British composer Percy Turnbull is less well known than some of his counterparts but interest in his works is steadily on the increase. Drawing from wide influences such as Roussel Fauré Delius and Bartok his individual and original compositional style often incorporates French and English music. Dating from the mid-1930s his Romance for Violin and Piano is typical of his work; unostentatious and uncomplicated while maintaining a sense of harmonic and technical mastery. Wonderfully written for Violin and Piano this is a vivid and eloquent piece that will be enjoyed by both listeners and performers.

A collection of more than twenty pieces for Children for Piano Solo by Pery Turnbull. one of the greatest English pianists of the twentieth century Turnbull spent much of his career as an accompanist performer and teacher. During his lifetime only a handful of works were published so this collection is sure to please lovers of British compositions and Turnbull fans. These pieces are taken from Eight Short Piano Pieces Country Days Six Pastorale Minatures Intermezzo and the Endymion Suite. Technically gifted his affinity for French and British styles and the Russian romantic gave him an interesting harmonic language to couplewith his lyricism and textual balance. These volumes demonstrate Turnbull’s colourful output and are a magnificent addition to any pianist’s repertoire. All these pieces are suitable for smaller hands and have uncomplicated arrangements with pretty melodies but little virtuosity so children will enjoy learning listening to and playing these pieces.

A second volume of glorious Turnbull songs for Medium Voice and Piano accompaniment. These eight songs are typical of Turnbull's unostentatious uncluttered style yet one with a great lyricism feature lyrics by esteemed and reverred writers such as Shakespeare Longfellow Thomas Moore and Stevenson and form a beautiful and effective pastiche.

Volume 1-Three Part-songs for SATB muixed choir by Percy Turnball. A Piano accompaniment is included for rehearsal.