The pieces contained in Magical World are around grades 4 to 6 standard.


Spring Morning

This piece needs a bright, confident approach with a very steady left hand. Bars 9-10 and 19-20 need agility in the left hand.

 

Water-Lilies

This is a very delicate atmospheric piece.  Start the mordents on the beat and don't play them too fast and keep them very even.

 

Vespers

This piece moves rhythmically in bars of 2 and 3 crotchets. If you can feel each bar as 'one in a bar' it will give the music momentum. Keep a very flexible wrist when playing the sixths and change the fingers together very accurately when playing the thirds.

 

Daffodowndilly

This is the most ambitious piece of the set.  The opening bars may look very complicated, but they are much easier to play than they appear.

 

The Mirror

This piece is a mirror as all the treble clef notes are reflected in the bass clef. From bar 13 onwards keep the semiquavers very light except for the melody notes.

 

Brownie

This piece is about a little imaginary creature that lives behind the curtains. The opening 12 bars need to be played very evenly and lightly so that they sound like 6/8 rather than 3/4.  This is a very showy piece and is easy to memorise.

 

Waiting at the Window

This is notated in 2/2 and should have a two in a bar feel, but it will be easier to think 4/4 while you are learning it. Lots of right hand practice needed in bars 31-33 with very clean finger co-ordination.  John (A) and James (C) are the two rain drops that trickle down the window pane.

 

Wind on the Hill

This piece needs a very 'windswept' feel. Bring out the left hand in bars 4, 8, 11, 16 and 19.

 

Solitude

This quiet reflective piece is a study for the left hand which will need much more practice than the right.

 

Pinkle Purr

You will want to capture the erratic energy of the kitten and then contrast it with the placid detachment of the mother cat Tatoo.  Try to make the purring in bars 17-20 and 37-40 as realistic as possible.

 

Cradle Song

Give a gently rocking feel to this piece throughout. Lots of left hand practice needed.

 

Journey's End

This piece needs a suitably purposeful and optimistic approach.  Again some extra left hand practice required.