‘One of the ironies for musicians during lockdown has been having more time to compose and arrange music which, for the time being, no-one has the possibility of playing. I guess a few of them may have thought ‘Why bother?’. Annabel Knight has taken this opportunity to launch a completely new set of arrangements for recorder ensembles of all sizes and levels.
The first two arrangements in the Launch-Pad series, The Peanut Vendor, and Blue Suede Shoes are fun and accessible but certainly not facile, as can sometimes be the case with jazzy pieces arranged for elementary ensembles.
At the other end of the spectrum are 13 titles (so far) in the Small Ensemble series. Mostly quintets, as many of them were originally done for Fontanella (https://fontanella.co.uk) but there is also a trio, some quartets and a sextet of Sir Duke! Perfect concert pieces and tricky enough that ensembles who cannot currently meet can spend lockdown getting to grips with individual parts to put together at the earliest opportunity. Superb arrangement of the beautiful song Autumn Leaves, enriched by the great-bass on the bottom, as are many of the pieces in this series.
The Music-Makers series comprises arrangements for larger recorder ensembles and there is already a huge choice, from Mediaeval to Mancini, Anon to Abba. So much thought has gone into providing music which is totally inclusive – should you happen to have a contrabass player who can only play from treble clef using C fingering (!), you are provided for! This also includes more common requirements such as: descant parts playable on treble; bass parts playable on tenor (and vice versa); bass parts in treble clef; and easier (optional) parts for a mixed-ability ensemble. As one would expect, the arrangements themselves are perfectly suited to the recorder idiom and therefore eminently playable and effective. The respect for both player and conductor/teacher is also manifested in the comprehensive introduction and performance notes for each arrangement. Attention to detail in terms of layout and presentation ensure that one can just get straight to the music. All arrangements are available as instant PDF downloads although many are also available in traditional, and very attractive, printed format’. AK Music Reviewed by Pam Smith, January 2021