I composed these five pieces at the request of Enid Rowe, a Sydney piano teacher who now practices as a music therapist. Her students gave the first performances at a concert in Sydney in 1976.

The five pieces are based on pentatonic scales from various countries, e.g., the Japanese hirajoshi and the Indonesian pelog. Although designed for use by students they’re full of quirky rhythms and cross rhythms, irregular and overlapping phrases and precise pedalling indications, all of which require sound musical judgement and intuition. I was particularly concerned that they should also be melodically appealing, suitable for concert performance and worth the effort of dedicated practise. My wife Helen, who’s a piano teacher (and who was once a student of Enid Rowe’s) has taught them for many years and they’re also on the A.M.E.B. syllabus.

 

Five Little Piano Pieces – Allegretto

 

Five Little Piano Pieces – Lento