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The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his
Piano Music Repertoire
by Anna Cannon
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A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Music Department
In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements of the
Post Graduate Diploma in Arts
The University of Otago
October 2015
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences
his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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CONTENTS
The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Music Repertoire ...................... 1
The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Music Repertoire ....................... 5
Structure Of Dissertation .............................................................................................................................. 5
Review Of Literature ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Analytical Method ........................................................................................................................................ 6
Styles ............................................................................................................................................................. 7
Chapter 2 .................................................................................................................................................... 12
Christopher Norton Biography ............................................................................................................... 12
Chapter 3 .................................................................................................................................................... 20
Creative Process And Influences ............................................................................................................ 20
Chapter 4 .................................................................................................................................................... 25
Contemporary Rock ............................................................................................................................... 25
Emotional Reaction..................................................................................................................................... 32
Overview ..................................................................................................................................................... 33
Analysis ....................................................................................................................................................... 33
Dreaming On ............................................................................................................................................... 42
Analysis ....................................................................................................................................................... 43
Chapter 5 .................................................................................................................................................... 52
Contemporary Jazz and Swing ............................................................................................................... 52
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences
his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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Omnibus By Christopher Norton ................................................................................................................ 54
Overview ..................................................................................................................................................... 54
Analysis ....................................................................................................................................................... 55
Given Half A Chance ................................................................................................................................... 59
Overview ..................................................................................................................................................... 59
Analysis ....................................................................................................................................................... 60
Chapter 6 .................................................................................................................................................... 67
Contemporary Latin ............................................................................................................................... 67
Analysis - Fantasy Bossa By Christopher Norton ........................................................................................ 78
Overview ..................................................................................................................................................... 78
Analysis ....................................................................................................................................................... 79
Chapter 7 .................................................................................................................................................... 89
Christopher Norton - Lyrical Style .......................................................................................................... 89
Deep In Thought ......................................................................................................................................... 89
Overview ..................................................................................................................................................... 90
Analysis ....................................................................................................................................................... 90
Little Lullaby By Christopher Norton .......................................................................................................... 98
Overview ..................................................................................................................................................... 99
Analysis ..................................................................................................................................................... 100
Chapter 8 .................................................................................................................................................. 107
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Contemporary Blues and Ragtime ....................................................................................................... 107
Up And Away ............................................................................................................................................ 108
Overview ................................................................................................................................................... 109
Analysis ..................................................................................................................................................... 110
Chapter 9 .................................................................................................................................................. 118
Pedagogy .............................................................................................................................................. 118
Omnibus ................................................................................................................................................... 119
Dreaming On ............................................................................................................................................. 119
Given Half a Chance .................................................................................................................................. 120
Fantasy Bossa ........................................................................................................................................... 120
Little Lullaby .............................................................................................................................................. 121
Deep in Thought ....................................................................................................................................... 123
Up and Away ............................................................................................................................................. 123
Emotional Reaction................................................................................................................................... 124
Teaching And Pedagogy ....................................................................................................................... 124
Chapter 10 ................................................................................................................................................ 133
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 133
REFERENCES.............................................................................................................................................. 137
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences
his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano
Music Repertoire
Christopher Norton's contribution to contemporary music is significant. Norton has
written volumes of educational compositions for a variety of instruments and genre as
well as larger works.
This dissertation will examine some of Norton's contemporary
piano compositions in varying genres, including contemporary styles of rock, jazz and
swing, Latin, lyrical, blues and ragtime.
I
will examine Norton's most frequent
compositional devices and choice of musical form, and explore which musical patterns
frequently occur in Christopher Norton's music?
This dissertation will include a list of
Norton's compositions, and analysis and characteristics of some Norton's popular works.
On completion of this dissertation and analysis, it is hoped that a clear Christopher
Norton style or ‘sound’ can be identified as a result of this intensive study of some of his
popular piano works.
Structure Of Dissertation
This dissertation will include a review of the literature and will provide sources that were
used for research about Christopher Norton. Following the review of the literature there
will be an explanation of the analysis of Norton's music; how the analysis was undertaken
and the samples and styles included in the analysis. This will include a brief explanation
about the categories that Norton gives to his music.
A series of chapters will follow that will include: biographical details, creative process and
influences, contemporary rock, jazz and swing, contemporary Latin, lyrical, contemporary
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences
his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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blues and ragtime, pedagogy and finally the conclusion. The conclusion will answer the
question: Is there a Christopher Norton Sound?
Review Of Literature
The main sources of information about Christopher Norton and his compositions have
come from personal interviews by myself and others, through social media, and in
particular, Norton's Facebook page. After extensive searching of academic journals, I
found little evidence of current research on Christopher Norton and his music. There was
an occasional review of Norton's compositions (not piano) in the British Journal of Music
Education but these were not relevant to this research. Boosey and Hawkes provided
information for this thesis, and I sourced information from the Centre for New Zealand
Music website. Norton has a number of websites where he promotes his work, and
information was sourced directly from these. Appendix one provides further information
about Christopher Norton's websites and other relevant biographical information. Norton
also provides information about his life and work on his social media Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/christophernortoncomposer
(Retrieved 8 June 2015)
(Norton, Christopher Norton Facebook, 2015)
Analytical Method
Author Nicholas Cook describes the development of musical analysis in chapter one of his
book A Guide to Musical Analysis. Cook explains that initially music analysis was primarily
an "intellectual" affair, and that the music was studied "from a theoretical rather than an
analytical point of view." According to Cook, the merit of any given piece of music was
not as important as the study of the musical qualities. (Cook, 1987)
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his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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Over the years, there have been many changes in opinions about music analysis. Cook
lists some traditional methods of analysis, including Schenkerian analysis, psychological
approaches to analysis, formal approaches as well as techniques of comparative analysis
in his contents page. (Cook, 1987) There are many different ways to approach music
analysis, but I have approached the analysis of Norton's music in a systematic, analytical
manner using contemporary language. My focus has been to categorize where possible,
the style or genre of music. My emphasis has been on form, harmonic analysis, melody
and motif development and variation and the particular musical devices that Norton
uses.
Each analysis follows the same layout. The analysis begins with a summary of key
signature, time signature, tempo, expression, bar length, style, dynamics, and form. A
brief overview follows highlighting the main elements of the composition. I have tried to
avoid a bar by bar analysis where possible, aiming rather to write precisely and
analytically looking at the bigger musical picture where ever possible.
Styles
Norton prefixed all his pieces with the word 'contemporary' at his Getting Comfortable
with Contemporary Music Workshop in Dunedin in April 2015. (Norton, Getting
Comfortable with Contemporary Music, 2015) The labels Norton provided included;
Contemporary Rock, Contemporary Latin, Contemporary Big Band, Contemporary
Ragtime, Contemporary Blues, Contemporary Impressionist, Contemporary Gospel,
Contemporary Waltz, Contemporary Ballad, Contemporary Asian and Contemporary
Musicals. Norton made it clear that he does choose not to compose pastiche
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compositions. An excellent example of this is his ragtime composition Up and Away.
(Norton, The Christopher Norton Jazz Preludes Collection, 2006) Norton has deliberately
composed in a ragtime style but without the traditional harmonic language that is usually
associated with ragtime. Instead of the traditional tonic, subdominant and dominant
chords, Norton expands the style in Up and Away to include chord one, two, three, four,
five and six in various inverted positions throughout Section A.
Christopher Norton gives other labels to his music. In his series Connections for Piano,
Norton includes a list of styles in the list of contents. These titles are Character, Swing,
Latin and Lyrical. Licorice Allsorts from Connections book three is a character piece.
Given Half a Chance is swing, Rainforest is lyrical and Wind Riders is Latin. (Norton,
Connections 3 for Piano, 2007) These labels provide the player and audience with an
immediate connection to the music. A sense of familiarity comes from playing or hearing
other pieces in that particular style.
A character piece has a title that describes the music involved, for example, Rocker from
Connections Six is composed in a rock style. (Norton, Connections 6 for Piano, 2007)
According to Norton and Hisey in their overview of the Connections Series, character
pieces come from "a broad range of music types including rock, reggae, country and
Celtic." The music always has a "specific character, mood or story... and is imaginative
and expressive." (Norton & Hisey, Connections Sampler, n.d) (P3) (Norton, Connections 6
for Piano, 2007) Drum Dance from Connections Two opens with two staccato crotchet
notes in the bass followed by a minim, mimicking a drum pattern. (Norton, Connections 2
for Piano, 2007) Stormy from Connections Seven, has a sense of instability created by
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constant changes in time and the use of minor seconds. (Norton, Connections 7 for Piano,
2007)
Compositions written in swing style have swung quaver (quavers that are played as
triplets rather than duplets). Swung melodies are often syncopated, and the harmonies
that accompany them include major sevenths, ninths, and other typical jazz chords.
Pentatonic melodies are a common occurrence in Norton's swing style. Smiley from
Connections Two, features a pentatonic melody with swung rhythm over a walking bass.
(Norton, Connections 2 for Piano, 2007) Given Half a Chance from Connections Three has
a syncopated melody with flattened third and seventh melody notes over a left-hand bass
pattern that plays the first, third, four and fifth notes of the scale.
Its melody is
influenced by the pentatonic scale. (Norton, Connections 3 for Piano, 2007)
Norton describes his lyrical pieces as " A type of piece that has song-like characteristics,
including the use of rubato, cantabile playing and an emphasis on beautiful sound and
legato. It can also be linked to the term ballad." (See Appendix 22) Norton labels Lullaby
from Connections Six as lyrical. (Norton, Connections 6 for Piano, 2007) Norton also
describes his lyrical style as "laid back, "romantic", melancholy or wistful" (Norton &
Hisey, Connections Sampler, n.d) (P3)The tempos are often slower, the mood is usually
quite, but the dynamics may vary substantially throughout the music. A Walk in the Park
from Connections One is a lyrical piece. (Norton, Christopher Norton Connections 1 for
Piano, 2007) It has a straightforward single note melody played over a left-hand waltz
bass pattern in three-four time. The left-hand occasionally echoes the melody while the
right-hand sustains notes. It has a strong melody line. Angel's Breath from Connections
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Three has a gentle melody supported by a lyrical bass pattern and is quiet throughout.
(Norton, Connections 3 for Piano, 2007)
Norton's Latin pieces have titles evocative of their style and bass patterns comparable
with Latin rhythms. Many Latin dances appear in Norton's music including the tango,
bossa nova, samba and mambo. Latin melodies are usually syncopated. Fantasy Bossa
from Connections Seven has a typical Latin rhythm in the left-hand (See Fantasy Bossa
Music on 3 Page 83-84) over a gently syncopated melody using many major seventh and
compound chords in its harmonies. Samba Band from Connections Three has typical Latin
rhythms in the left-hand over a strongly syncopated melody featuring many repeated
notes.
The Microjazz Series are a series of miniatures influenced, as the title suggests, by jazz.
Norton wrote this series with children in mind. The pieces are usually short and not
overly difficult. The Microjazz Series does not use separate labels such as character,
lyrical and swing, but rather adds advice on the technique required to learn the piece.
Norton exhorts in his third Microjazz book in the music A Sad Song "Let the right-hand
melody sing above the other parts with a warm, round tone. Each dynamic is only a step
above the last; don't exceed mf at the loudest point and return to p at bar 13. Take your
time at the end and follow the pedalling indicated." (Norton, Christopher Norton
Microjazz Collection 3, 2011)
It seems apparent by playing through Norton's second
Microjazz book (Norton, Christopher Norton Microjazz Collection 2, 2011) that these
compositions share the same characteristics as the Connections Series. The Microjazz
series include styles such as Latin, Lyrical and Character.
For example, Open Spaces in
the second Mircojazz sounds like a Norton character composition. Face in the Crowd
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his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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appears to be Lyrical and Samba is Latin. It appears obvious that Norton thinks in these
styles as he composes. The titles of his pieces are often suggestive of the type of music
that might follow, with examples such as Wombling from Microjazz Series 3 and Latin also
from book three. The descriptive titles Norton uses support the mood of the composition
and help the musician to translate the notes on the page into a contemporary sound
world.
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his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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Chapter 2
Christopher Norton Biography
Christopher Norton was born in Tauranga in New Zealand on June 22th, 1953. Norton
reveals in his interview with me (April 16th, 2015 at Dunedin) that " he did not come
from a musical family, but that his family were highly supportive of his endeavours."
(Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015) Norton elaborates: "I had no music in my
immediate family, literally no piano. My father was a weight-lifting champion and once
Mr New Zealand. So looking at me, most people think, What happened here?" (Norton,
Playing by Ear, 2015)
Norton's father was a minister, and religion played a significant part in Norton's life.
Norton recalls his early piano lessons at age eight with nuns from the church his parents
attended. He also remembers listening to his parents music on the Concert Programme.
Norton is animated as he recalls his favourite pieces in our interview; Tchaikovsky's Waltz
of the Flowers and the Beethoven Hallelujah Chorus. (Norton, Cannon Interview with
Norton, 2015)
Having listened to much of his parents’ "obscure" music, Norton
discovered that his peers were not listening to the classical music that he held sacred.
(Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015) Upon discovering that his friends were
listening to popular music, Norton discloses that he began to experiment with
contemporary forms of music. (Norton, Getting Comfortable with Contemporary Music,
2015)
Norton attended Waiouru Primary School, Papakura Normal, an intermediate school in
Devonport for one year, Dunedin North Intermediate and Otago Boys High in Dunedin.
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences
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(Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015) Norton wrote his first composition when
he was fourteen years old. (Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015) Don McKenzie
made it possible for Norton to attend a musicianship class run by the University, in
Dunedin. (Distance Learning at the University of Otago - A History, 2015) (Norton,
Questions Cannon to Norton 8.5.15, 2015) Norton spoke highly of Don McKenzie, who
was the Head of Extension at Otago University. The musicianship classes were designed
for students interested in composition, but who were still at secondary school. Norton
recalls the positive experience he had under Rosemary Miller-Stott, a Dunedin-born
pianist, who trained at Otago University and the Royal Academy in London, who taught
the class. (Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015)
Norton believes the support and encouragement that he received from Stott fostered his
musical creativity. (Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015) Norton was "incredibly
interested in composition," says Stott, and he (was) "prolific" in his work". (Stott, 2015)
Stott states that the classes involved sight-singing (often madrigals), composing, listening
to music and performing the pieces the students had written during the week.
Stott
describes Norton as an "incredibly creative young boy" and noted that he stood out from
the other children by the volume and length of works that he wrote. (Stott, 2015)
Norton at age sixteen "had an orchestral work performed and broadcast". During this
time, Norton became well known as a pianist (having achieved his LRSM) and had the
opportunity to play with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Norton had already
written several works before attending University, including works for the Schools
Chamber Music Competition and piano compositions.
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(http://sounz.org.nz/contributor/composer/1075 Retrieved 31 May 2015). (Norton,
Centre for New Zealand Music, 2015)
Christopher Norton attended Otago University, undertaking an honours degree in music
and graduating in 1974. Norton asserts in his email interview with Crystal Smith on 9th
May 2015 that university presented an opportunity for "rigorous... feedback and analysis"
and opportunities to "play in a variety of musical contexts. During this time, Norton
found Jack Speirs " a very practical and helpful composition teacher while at Otago
University."Norton also credits "the helpful and "sensible advice" given by Edwin Carr and
John Rimmer while at university as being significant to his development as a composer.
(Norton, Interview with Crystal Smith, 2015)
Norton began to "freelance as a composer and arranger" around 1974 and during this
time he also played keyboard in a local rock band. (Norton, Centre for New Zealand
Music, 2015) Boosey and Hawkes publishers add that during this time Norton also
became more interested in "jazz and pop." (Boosey & Hawkes/Christopher Norton, 2015)
Norton states that he went to Wellington in 1975 as Head of Music at Scots College.
During this time he won the Christchurch Piano Concerto Competition playing Prokofiev's
first piano concerto. He also worked at Taw College and was a Composer-in-Schools for
a year. (Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015)
Norton reached a turning point in 1977 when he moved to England on a university
scholarship and undertook a second composition degree under Wilfred Mellers and David
Blake. Mellers and Blake were founding members of the University of York as Music
Professor and Lecturer and both composed music. Mellers was a "composer, critic and
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences
his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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academic whose love of music ranged from Bach to the Beatles." In Mellers obituary,
Mellers was described as "a most exciting and exuberant personality." Mellers had many
achievements beyond his compositions, including a number of books, in particular, his
books on Bach and Beethoven (his favourite composers) and his study on François
Couperin, which Mellers wrote for his doctorate. Mellers remained active creatively until
his nineties. He died on the 17th of May 2008, a well-known and respected composer,
musicologist, teacher, author and critic. (Ford, 2008)
David Blake, Professor of Music at York University was born in 1936 in London. Blake
completed National Service during 1955-57 and then began his study of music and
composition. Blake received a number of commissions to write music, which helped
establish his identity as a composer of some note. Novello and Co published Blake's
music. In 1963, he received the Granada Arts Fellowship from the University of York and
in 1964, he established the Music Department of the University of York along with
Wilfred Mellers and Peter Ashton. (David Blake, 2015)
Norton explained that he had a positive experience under Wilfrid Mellers as his
supervisor as Mellers appeared to be open to different musical backgrounds and genre.
Norton reveals that when Mellers retired, he found it more challenging to respond to the
expectations of David Blake who asked him to analyse Berg's Three Orchestral Pieces at a
time when Norton was writing Intercity Stomp. Norton says he rethought his position
and opted to complete a portfolio of composition for his Masters rather than to complete
his doctorate. (Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015)
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences
his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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At this point, Norton says he had a clear understanding of his strengths and his desire to
make a living from writing contemporary music. (Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton,
2015) (He was working on the Microjazz Series at the time.) Norton claims that at his
viva the comment was made "that I (Norton) would do as well as anyone who had come
through the department but what was I doing there in the first place (i.e., not just going
into commercial music)?" (Norton, Mellers and Blake Questions, 2015) According to
Norton, completing his Master of Philosophy helped him clarify the type of music he
wanted to write, which helped Norton create his personal style and sound. (Norton,
Interview with Crystal Smith, 2015) .
Christopher Norton received a publishing offer from Boosey & Hawkes for his Microjazz
series in 1983; it provided the opportunity to make his compositions accessible to music
students globally. Boosey & Hawkes is one of the world's largest publishers, particularly
of classical music, so Norton's success in securing a deal with them offered him a firm
foundation for becoming well known. Norton's compositions were directed at young
children and teenagers learning piano. A feature of Norton's Microjazz was the compact
disc recordings available with his music. Since 1983, his repertoire has expanded to
include many solo instruments. Boosey & Hawkes assert that whilst Microjazz was a
successful publication, Norton has gone on to write many other "award-winning"
publications for them and is their "biggest selling music series...with over a million sales
to date." (Boosey & Hawkes/Christopher Norton, 2015) Currently, Boosey & Hawkes have
203 publications by Christopher Norton. The newest publication is called The Eastern
Preludes Collection and next year Boosey & Hawkes will publish Pacific Preludes. (Hughes,
2015)Appendix twenty provides a list of all Christopher Norton publications) Norton
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his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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asserts a highlight of his career was "winning Best Publication (for Essential Guide to Pop
Styles) at the Music Publishers Association awards in the 1990's. (Norton, Interview with
Crystal Smith, 2015)
The success of the Microjazz series brought new opportunities for Christopher Norton.
Norton was approached by the Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada to write a series of
eight graded piano books for their syllabus. The series was called Connections. A number
of music exam boards use pieces from the Connections Series in their syllabus, and the
books are very popular with both students and teachers as a source of repertoire.
American Popular Piano were released in America in 2006. This was a new series of
method books with an emphasis on improvisation.
Norton and well-known music
teacher Scott McBride-Smith collaborated on the production of the American Popular
Piano series.
Scott McBride-Smith is Kansas University's Cordelia Brown Murphy
Professor of Piano Pedagogy. McBride-Smith has had much success with piano students
and is involvement with gifted young musicians from around the world. (University of
Kansas, 2015) This collaboration with Norton produced a high-quality series of books for
music teachers to support contemporary learning, in particular, improvisation.
Currently, Norton is presenting music education seminars around the world. Norton
asserts he started teaching workshops for children and teachers during 1987. Teaching
improvisation has been a key element in the music education that Norton provides, in
particular helping classically trained music teachers to teach contemporary music styles.
(Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015)
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his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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Norton also spends a great deal of time in England working in schools teaching teachers
and students how to put on short musicals he has written especially for the English school
syllabus. So-called ‘Micromusicals’ are performed in a school setting and are usually
about half an hour in length. Script-writing is a new line of work for Norton, but he says it
works effectively with his compositions that become songs that the children learn to sing.
The children learn about historical events and other school syllabus subjects through
learning the songs Norton writes. (Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015) Norton
was delighted that in (2014) this series was shortlisted for the Best Print Resource Award
at the 2015 Music Teachers Awards for Excellence. (Norton, A Day in the life of
Christopher Norton, 2014). (http://christophernorton.blogspot.co.nz/ ) (Retrieved 1 June
2015).
By following Norton in social media, it seems apparent that Norton is somewhat of an
entrepreneur.
In addition to composing, running workshops, and facilitating micro
musical at schools, Norton also takes commissions to write specific works for performers
like Mark Walton with his recently commissioned Clarinet Sonata, Chasing My Tail.
Norton is also a producer on several albums. In Norton's interview with Tony Cummings
about the 500 Series, Norton discloses his involvement with Phil Potter on the "Lead Me
On" album in 1979 and further collaborations with Word UK and involvement with the
'Praise Him" albums. (Cummings, 2015). Norton still spends some time in recording
studios around the world on his works and in collaboration with others.
Religion has played a significant part in Norton's life, and he has been involved in
producing religious albums where there is still clearly an active market. Norton finds
involvement in these religious albums "satisfying." (Cummings, 2015). The 500 Series was
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his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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a massive undertaking by Norton and others that were according to Norton "similar to
the Maranatha Praise Albums of the 70's". (Cummings, 2015)
Norton appears to be living a richly creative life. His success with the Microjazz Series and
the ongoing opportunities to write and teach have made him a prolific contemporary
composer. Norton is now in his early sixties and appears as active and engaged in his
craft as he was in the early days in Dunedin while honing his composition and piano skills.
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences
his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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Chapter 3
Creative Process And Influences
The source for most of the information about Christopher Norton's creative process and
influences came from my interview with him on April 16th, 2015, and the subsequent
emails that occurred after that time. As a contemporary composer, Norton has not yet
been studied in depth, so I was fortunate to be able to ask some significant questions.
(The appendix provides a copy of all interviews and questions.)
Christopher Norton states that he often starts with a drum track when beginning a
composition.
He prefers to work in the morning when he feels fresh and "most
motivated." Norton prefers to compose at the piano. "Any musical idea will work as a
starting point because anything can suggest something...one thing leads to another," says
Norton. Norton believes that composing music is a balancing act of repetition and
variation and that a composer is strongly influenced by the music he or she listens to.
Norton's influences are many and varied. These composers include ew.
Norton gives his works titles when the piece is completed. Norton explains " I don't tend
to set out with any particular mood in mind, but it soon becomes evident what kind of
mood a new piece has." Many of Norton's works are programmatic with evocative titles
such as Veiled in Mystery in Connection 8, and Leaves Falling, from Connections 5. "A
strong melody is essential" asserts Norton, who considers melody writing one of his
strengths. Another important factor is the ability to vary thematic ideas, although says
Norton sometimes "something just occurs to me." Form also plays a significant part in
Norton's compositions. In Deep in Thought from Connections 4 for piano, Norton uses
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his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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ternary form. Norton makes a point of restating A theme with variations, a common
enough compositional device, which is found in many of his compositions (See Analysis of
Deep in Thought P88) Deep in Thought also has clear eight bar phrasing and is written in
a lyrical style, which is maintained throughout the whole piece. (Norton, Cannon
Interview with Norton, 2015)
By contrast, Given Half a Chance from Connections 3 has only one musical idea in a
twelve bar phrase that is repeated with variations and an ending. (See Analysis P59)
While the form is different to Deep in Thought, the process appears the same, resulting in
a clear sense of musical shape, composed with a sense of purpose.
Norton's music appears to have a jazz influence, but on asking Norton if jazz influenced
his music, he replied, "Yes... but I'm not really a pure jazzer." Norton states that the big
band sound influence his compositions significantly and that he enjoys how jazz
musicians phrase their music. Norton adds that when he writes in jazz genres, his pieces
are still "strongly tuneful." (Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015).
Norton admits that he enjoys "piled up fifths" that have "overtones of Lilburn." Norton
also spoke warmly of Lilburn's kindness to him despite Norton's lack of interest in
Lilburn's electronic music.
Over the years, Norton comments that people have
mentioned that his sound is not dissimilar to Lilburn's instrumental pieces. "My sounds
speak of large landscapes, bright blue skies," says Norton, who finds his fingers
gravitating towards open fifths and large spaced out inverted chords, not unlike Lilburn's.
Norton went on to clarify this further by saying "there's just a subtle similarity in some of
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the sonorities we both like - use of fourths and fifths and "open" chords." (Norton,
Personal Communication, 2015).
Norton also commented several times on the importance of using inverted chords when
composing.
Norton states, "they sound just right." Norton does not discount root
position chords, but he mostly uses inverted chord voicing throughout his music and
believes that "he is really good at voicing" and that this is a factor in his success as a
composer. (Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015).
Norton has written a number of different music publications, including thirteen Microjazz
piano books and a selection of Microjazz for wind, brass and string instrument. Norton
has also written Rock Preludes, Latin Preludes, Country Preludes and Jazz Preludes for
Piano. (See Appendix P20 for a complete list of Norton's publications) The series called
Connections for Piano is a more recent undertaking by Norton and involved eight graded
piano books. On playing and analysing the Connection Series, they seemed to differ
somewhat from the Microjazz Series, which seemed more rhythmically challenging. I
asked Christopher Norton about the stylistic differences in these two different series.
(Appendix three provides a copy of my interview with Christopher Norton 16th April
2015) Norton asserts that "There was no difference in his thinking or process for either
the Connection Series or Microjazz", but admits that there are more diverse influences in
the Connection Series. Norton attributes some rhythmic influences and sounds in the
Microjazz series to the funk band he performed with in the early 1980's. (Norton, Cannon
Interview with Norton, 2015).
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The Connections Series was published by The Frederick Harris Music Company in Canada
and was a large undertaking. Norton went about composing in a diligent manner (one
composition finished each day). Norton did not work through the grades systematically;
instead, composing whatever he felt like writing on the day. Norton explains that he was
given creative licence to write the series which he appreciated. This freedom allowed
him to write eight books of piano music over about 200 days. Norton is extremely clear
on this point, "I wrote to how I felt. I wrote what I felt like writing each day." It is clear
Norton allows plenty of opportunity for intuition and creativity in his compositional
process, yet from his compositions we can see and hear clearly defined structure,
appealing melodies, and pleasing rhythms and harmonies. Norton asserts that at times it
is necessary to be logical and analytical and that these factors to contribute to the
execution of new musical compositions. (Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015)
As a result of my experience in playing Norton's music, attending his workshops and
studying his music for this thesis, I can assert that Norton has found his compositional
voice. Norton speaks passionately in his workshops to students and teachers of the
importance of knowing yourself musically and being unafraid to "express it and grow it."
(Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015). An affinity with creativity is clearly felt
when listening to Norton speak, as he discusses the importance of authentic selfexpression.
In summary, Norton says his works "sound like him," and are a blend of his classical
beginnings, his experiences playing in rock bands and the influence of the music he listens
to. (Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015). In Norton's view, whether we hear his
early works or his later works, his music will inherently sound like him. He believes his
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sound is consistent, and he does not set out to try and write something that is "not
authentically his music." (Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015)
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Chapter 4
Contemporary Rock
Author Stearn from the Online Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern World describes rock
music as a widely popular new genre of music that came about in the 1950's with the
advent of rock n roll dance music. It's musical style influenced by "African- American
Rhythm and Blues." Stearns asserts that Elvis Presley pushed rock n roll music into the
foreground of society by blending African-American sounds with more contemporary
popular music. Stearns explains this as a combining of "the rhythm and timbre" of early
African American music with the western concept of "melody" and popular harmonies.
(Stearns, 2015)
From its very beginnings, rock music established itself as anti-establishment and antiauthority. According to Stearns, rock music's appeal was mostly to those aged between
fifteen and twenty. A rock band usually comprised of four to five musicians. The
instruments were guitar, bass guitar, drums and keyboard. Stearn adds that rock music
moved away from an acoustic sound and towards "electronic amplification of the
instruments." (Stearns, 2015) This shift to amplification changed the sound the band
could produce and became an established part of the rock music scene. A singer would
lead the band in what Stearns describes as a "simplified use of the voice that is close to
the wailing expressiveness of black gospel blues, and soul." (Stearns, 2015) Even today,
rock music is easily identified through the style of singing and the way rock singers
perform on stage. Kelly explains that rock songs have a distinct character that emerged
from the influence of many other musical genres that include "folk, blues and country." A
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performance that communicates feeling and emotions states Kelly is what rock music is
all about. Kelly asserts that rock music is "judged by" its "authenticity of voice, rhythm
and loudness." (Kelly, 2015)
Kelly asserts that rhythm is a key element of rock music. The beat can ebb and flow, and
emphasis can be put in front of or behind the beat, the purpose being to encourage selfexpression in dance or movement. The music is often loud though dynamics may be
tapered and time signatures usually include regular metres and rhythms. Rock music can
be dissonant and "aggressive" at times. (Kelly, 2015) Latham says that a backbeat
characterises rock music, which is the accenting of the second and fourth beat. (Latham,
2011)
Christopher Norton's piano rock compositions take some of the elements or rock music
and fuse them with an individual sense of style and rhythm. An example of Norton's
unique sense of style in what he terms "contemporary rock" is found by listening to
Blurred Horizon from The Christopher Norton Rock Preludes Collection. (Norton, The
Christopher Norton Rock Preludes Collection, 2005) If we take the main characteristics of
rock music being a back-beat, displacement of beat, a loud dynamic, emotional content
and amplified instruments, the only strong identifying characteristics would be the
emphasis on emotion and the displacement of beat. Norton's rock pieces often have
syncopation and rhythms that are identified with rock music, but the overall sense of rock
is not overtly strong. (See Musical Examples Blurred Horizons P27)
A recording of Blurred Horizons can be heard at:
(https://soundcloud.com/nortonchristopher/sets) (Norton, 2005)
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By comparison, Blue Sneakers from The Christopher Norton Rock Preludes Collection has
driving rhythms that are characteristic of rock and some early rock and roll music.
(Norton, The Christopher Norton Rock Preludes Collection, 2005) The left-hand line
mimicks a bass guitar line. Blue Sneakers has tremolos, syncopated rhythms, chord and a
strong left-hand voice, and there is a clear melodic line. This piece uses twelve-bar blues
form. (See Blue Sneakers Musical Examples P29)
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Sunshine Piece from The Christopher Norton Rock Preludes Collection is a quiet, reflective
piece with elements of strong rhythm and a clear bass line, comparable to a bass guitar
part. There are many syncopated chords that have a distinctly jazz flavour. (See Musical
Examples P31)
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In the context of rock, some of Norton's compositions appear to be radical until you listen
to something like Backstreets Bruce Springsteen and give attention to the lyrical piano
part (Springsteen, 1984). The piano section in Layla written by Eric Clapton and Jim
Gordon is immensely lyrical and gentle in character when compared with the hard rock
section version with guitars, bass and drums.
(Eric Clapton). Norton captures the
emotion of rock music but does so in an original Norton way, authentically his. (See
Appendix four provides video links to Clapton and Springsteen.)
An analysis of Emotional Reaction and Dreaming On follows, and will provide an in-depth
look at the characteristics of Norton's rock compositions. Musical examples have been
added to enable a fuller understanding of Norton's compositional process and form in his
contemporary rock style.
Emotional Reaction
Key Signature:
C Major
Time Signature:
4/4
Tempo:
With power ♩ = 132
Length:
43 Bars
Dynamics:
mf - ff with crescendo and diminuendo
Style:
Rock
Form:
Ternary - A, B, Av
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A (Bars 1- 16)
B (17 - 24)
Av (25 - 43)
Overview
Emotional Reaction from Norton's Micro Rock series, establishes a rock feel at the
beginning of the music with rhythmic chords. (Norton, Christopher Norton Microrock 20
New Pieces Based on Rock Rhythms for the Beginner Pianist, 2009), The music starts forte
with a syncopated melody line and strong harmonies and rhythms in the lower voice of
the right-hand. Norton uses ternary form, and the music has a clear sense of unity
throughout with a drone G in the top voice of many bars. The same harmony is used
through both sections and chords are mostly in root position. The music is in C major and
uses chords one, six, four and five as repeating progressions throughout the music. The
melody maintains the same group of notes throughout with the bass providing contrast
by descending through the chord progression one, six, four and five. The music ends with
strongly accented C11 quaver chords and melody and completes on a tonic C chord.
Analysis
An important feature of Emotional Reaction is that the top voice in the right-hand plays a
G drone note in six of the first eight bars of the music. (See Musical Example 1 P38) It is
the lower voice of the right-hand that provides the rhythmical interest and the bass
which sustains the changes in harmony. The main melody is found in the first two bars
(See Example 1 B P38) and this short melodic idea repeats in bars three and four and
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again in bars five and six. A contrasting quaver melody appears in bars seven and eight.
The left-hand descends strongly through longer notes and moves downwards through
pairs of quavers which aid its descent to the next chord. The chord progression of the
first eight bars is C9, Am11, F13 and G. The opening section is played at forte and moves
briefly to mezzo forte. The next eight bars are the same as bars one to eight except small
harmonic changes in the lower voice of the right-hand.
Bars nine to sixteen are nearly identical to bars one to eight, except slight harmonic
changes in the lower voice of the right-hand and octave changes in the left-hand.
Section B starts at bar seventeen and contrasts both rhythmically and melodically to
Section A. The harmonic progressions remain the same but move more quickly through
the bass line. (See Example2B P38) The melody is articulated with three-note slurred
quavers mostly using the notes G, A and C and A, B D (a sequence of G, A and C). As the
melody progresses, the notes are influenced by the bass line. For example in bar
nineteen, the C bass has melody notes of E and G, the B bass note has melody of D and G.
(The melody notes belong to the triad accompanying the bass note) The melody moves
from three-note slurs to four-note slurs in bars nineteen to twenty.
The final four bars of Section B find their beginnings in Section A bar one except the
semibreve note is played in the lower voice, and the lower voice rhythms of bar one are
now melody at bar 21. (See Example 4 P39) The harmony is F major7, not C9, as it is in
bar one. A new rhythm is seen in the bar that follows which speaks of what is to come in
bars 33 - 38 (syncopated chords). The final two bars complete Section B with quaver
rhythms in three-note slurs under the dominant note G as minims.
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Section A with variations occurs in bars 25 - 32. The first two bars contain the main
melodic idea and are repeated twice after their initial presentation.
The main
differences in this variation are the octave changes in the upper and bass voices that are
an octave higher and lower respectively.
The lower voice has been drawn out
considerably with quaver rhythms. (See Example 3 P39) The left-hand maintains the
same pattern as bars one to six, but a subtle shift occurs in bars 31 and 32 with only an
octave note occurring on the dominant but with similar rhythm to bar seven and eight.
Another contrast occurs in bars 33 - 38 with Norton using syncopated chords to add
variety. Contrast is essential when there is a repetitive melody or motif. The chord
progression is maintained throughout this section with an emphasis on rhythm. (See
Example 5 P40) This section is played forte and moves to fortissimo. At bar 39 and 40 we
hear a return of bar 31 and 32. The ending is based on a C11 chord with quavers rocking
in groups of three slurred notes with accents. A strong tonic chord completes the music.
Summary Of Features

Repeated harmonic pattern (C, Am, F, and G)

Syncopation

Variation

Rhythmic Chords

Drone note in upper voice
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Sourced from:
Norton, C. (2009). Christopher Norton Microrock: 20 New Pieces Based on Rock Rhythms
for the Beginner Pianist. Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd.
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Dreaming On
Key:
F major
Time Signature:
4/4
Dynamics:
pp - f with decrescendo and diminuendo
Tempo
Dreamily ♩ =112
Length:
43 Bars
Form:
Intro A/B/A/C Ending
Overview
The mood of Dreaming On is dreamlike, contemplative and mostly quiet. Norton sets the
mood for Dreaming On with the first major seventh chord in the introduction, which is
the first of many major seventh and major ninth chords throughout the piece. The piece
relies on these harmonies for its dreamy mood and the melody carried over the top of
the chord progressions is played smoothly. The harmonic structure is composed of mostly
tonic, dominant and sub-dominant chords. There are brief movements to chord II and VI
and the use of secondary dominants to create tension.
The mood is quiet but steadily builds, rising and falling, reaching peaks at bars 17 and 35
at forte. The end of each section finishes with a secondary dominant chord moving to the
dominant before moving on to the next section. Norton follows Section A and B with A
section played with variations and then a Section C that is based rhymically on Section B.
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Norton completes Dreaming On with a sighing arpeggiated F13 chord (without 7th or
11th) creating a wistful coda.
Analysis
The introduction begins with a syncopated tonic melody outlining an A Minor triad,
underpinned with a gently syncopated bass F moving to C.
This rhythmic pattern
underpins a significant amount of melody during the piece. (Example 5A P50). Bar two
continues with the F pedal note but the harmony changes to a Bb9 chord which releases
quickly into a descending syncopated F Major triad melody starting from C. The
syncopated melody in bar three, is the same as bar one. Bar four completes the
introduction on a semibreve C11 chord/no third.
Section A starts on count three of bar
four and begins the melody in single notes, F rising to C then falling to G. The melody
holds on a G tied semibreve at bar five whilst the bass surges forward using notes from
the F Major 9 chord (without the seventh). (See Musical Example 5B P50). The
continuation of the G note over the change of chord in bar five from F major to Bb in bar
six creates a suspension. The melody descends in sixths in bar six over the Bb Major
Seventh chord. Bar seven begins on an embellished E note played in sixths with the tonic
major ninth chord with no seventh in the chord supporting the melody. The melody
primarily uses notes from the C triad. At bar seven the bass changes its syncopated
rhythm to a dotted crotchet, dotted crotchet, and crotchet; a rhythm that occurs only
once in this piece. Bar eight moves to the sub-dominant chord, (Bb maj7/A), the melody
holding then falling in step movements to D in bar nine over a G in the bass. The
harmony moves to Gmin9 in bar nine then plunges firmly into the dominant seventh (C9)
at bar ten. The right-hand inner voice decorates the D semibreve in bar nine, and the
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melody works towards its end in bar ten with fourths on D and G crotchets resolving as
quavers to F, E then G at bar ten. The left-hand inner voice echoes the melody in
contrary motion at bar ten. This section completes with rhythmic chords played staccato
in Fmaj9 then moving to the secondary dominant ambiguous sounding Emin13 then to
the dominant of A7 to begin the new section in the relative minor, D minor. These
rhythmic chords provide a bridge between melodic section A and the new section B.
These chords also occur in bar 28 and 29 as a bridge to the third section C.
Section B begins on count three of bar thirteen. A flowing quaver bass provides a
dialogue to the right-hand melody at bar 14 and provides a link to the beginning of the
music (See Example 5B P50). This pattern seen previously in bar five on the tonic chord
Fmaj9 is repeated numerous times during this composition. Section B melody continues
at bar fourteen (See Example 6 P50) where the crotchet note D is played with harmonies
in thirds in a slightly stronger rhythm and melody. The first note D is harmonised with a B
natural played against A and G bass notes. (A7). The dynamic has moved to mezzo forte
during the transitional bars of eleven and twelve. Tonic to dominant chord progressions
is strong in bars thirteen to seventeen as the music gathers momentum through harmony
and dynamic. The melody continues moving in thirds in mostly stepwise ascending
movements till it reaches the note A in bar 17. Bar seventeen uses the same rhythmic
chords as bar eleven but as F major seventh chords rather than the F major ninth chords
found in bar eleven. A quaver rest starts bar eighteen where the melody note begins on
the seventh degree of Bb. The melody falls in stepwise motion through to the dominant
seventh chord in bar twenty, which is a continuation of the musical ideas in bar 17. The
melody notes are harmonised with Bb Maj7, B half diminished and finally A9 no 7th. The
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expectation would be that that the A9 (no 7th) chord, which is acting as a dominant
seventh would resolve to D minor, but instead it moves to C13 in F Major with no third.
The second theme completes half way through bar 21, and the first theme returns with
some variations.
A repeat of Section A with variations begins in bar 21, third count, an octave lower than
bar four with the addition of a harmony note D and underpinned by a C11 chord. It is
interesting to note that there are two F's in this bar; F is looking like a suspended note in
the chord, but it does not resolve to E. The second F note carries the melody. The
melody continues in bar 22, similar to bar five but with the addition of a second inversion
C chord at the end of bar 22. The bass maintains it's running pattern of quavers, found in
bar five. (See Example 5B P50). The harmony in bars 23-25 is similar to bars six to eight,
but three note chords support the melody, and there are subtle changes to the melody
line. The E note in bar 24 is not embellished as it is in bar seven. The quavers at the end
of bar 25 are played a fourth higher than in bar eight. At bar 26 the semibreve note is G
rather than the D, as found in bar nine, but the chord is harmonised with Gmin7, which is
the same harmony as in bar 9. The quaver harmony notes in the right hand are similar to
bar nine, but with bar 26 only moving as far as the F note rather than the A note found in
bar nine. In bar 27 and bar ten, both chords move to the dominant seventh of C, but in
bar ten it is a C9 and in bar 27 a C7sus4 that is played. The melody at bar 27 is
embellished by a grace note leaping a minor seventh to C then falling to the sixth and
fifth and then sixth notes of C major. Rhythmic chords appear in bar 28, and 29 in the
same rhythms as bar eleven but instead of F maj9 and Emin13, Norton chooses an A min7
and Daug7th instead. The D chord is acting as a dominant seventh chord.
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Section C begins at the third count on bar 29, and echoes thoughts from Section B theme
in the second half of bar twelve to bar fourteen, but with different harmony, particularly
in bar 31 where we see a Bb minor 7th chord played over a C bass note descending to Bb
acting as an appoggiatura This is the only time the Bb minor seventh chord appears.
Section C moves in its own direction at bar 32 with descending scale quavers harmonised
with a C falling to D13b9 chord on the last half beat of bar 32 and returning to the safety
of G Minor in bar 34 where Norton seems to be avoiding a return to the tonic F major as
he continues to create harmonic tension on chords that remain unresolved. The music is
moving towards its conclusion at bars 35 to 37 with descending quavers in sixths starting
on F and descending till the final lower F note at the last half beat of bar 35. This rhythm
is similar to bar 32 but continues quaver movement till the end of the bar. Bar 36 plays
bar one from count two. Bar 35 and 36 act as the end of C and the bridge to the coda.
The coda is an echo of what has gone before and relates to bars one to four. The
downward moving octave melody in bar 37 on C, A, and F over F and D in the bass
(Bb9/F) are a repeat of bar two. Bar 36 and 37 repeats in bars 38 and 39. Bar 40 repeats
bar 36 and finally rests briefly on bar 41 on a C11 chord before completing the final echo
of F, C, G in bar 41 over a bass run on F maj9. An F13 with no seventh ends the piece.
Summary of Features

Lyrical syncopated melody supported by gentled syncopated bass patterns.

A triadic chord structure often shapes melodies and moves with gently undulating
scale patterns.

Rhythmic chords are used as a bridge between melodic sections to help break up
the lyrical melodies.
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
Section A has a more stable harmonic structure. Sections B and C modulate more
and have greater harmonic contrast and less movement to the tonic.

Gentle syncopation and back-beat occur in a quiet dynamic creating a reflective
rock-style piano composition.
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Sourced from:
Norton, C. (2005). The Christopher Norton Rock Preludes Collection. Boosey & Hawkes
Music Publishers Ltd.
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Chapter 5
Contemporary Jazz and Swing
While Norton's music incorporates many elements of jazz; it does not always appear as
overtly "jazz". Norton's Microjazz Series are full of miniatures influenced by jazz and blues
genre, but as short compositions that appeal to younger students. It is well known that
jazz music originated from black African slaves who were shipped to America and
blended their music with that of their new country. The rhythms of the Caribbean and
Africa were mixed with the gospel and hymn music of America. Work songs came from
this blending of cultures and were often spontaneous and improvisational in nature.
The Oxford Online Encylopedia provides an academic overview of jazz and defines jazz as
"a style characterized by syncopation, melodic and harmonic elements derived from the
blues, cyclical formal structures and a supple rhythmic approach to phrasing known as
swing." (Mark Tucker, 2007) Jazz like many other musical genres has developed many
different sub-genres like Big Band, Swing, New Orleans Jazz, Cool Jazz, etc.
Norton's Microjazz series are the most well-known of Norton's jazz pieces, however the
Connections series by Norton has numerous pieces that are swung and
include
syncopated rhythms and jazz voicing or use a twelve-bar blues form or improvisational
style. (See Appendix 15) Norton has also written The Christopher Norton Jazz Preludes
Collection for piano that include fourteen solo piano pieces that include blues influenced
melodies and bass patterns, modal influences, ragtime and swing.
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In Henderson's interview with Norton, Henderson asked Norton for one difficult aspect
of composing that the general public might not realise. (Norton, Interview with
Christopher Norton by Matt Henderson, 2013) Norton replied,
"A difficult aspect of composition is, for me, writing pieces in well-known
styles (boogie boogie, bossa nova, ragtime, etc) and making them something
more than pastiche, i.e., giving them a composer voice while being
recognisable in a specific style."
This quotation explains Norton's penchant for composing using obvious elements of jazz,
but in ways that are uniquely his own. A good example of this is the ragtime piano piece
Up and Away (See Analysis of Up and Away P 106) which has been designated a ragtime
piano piece, but which uses harmonies that are not used in ragtime. It is also common
for Norton to use the kind of chords one expects to hear in jazz music but in lyrical or
character styles. An example of this is Little Lullaby in Connections Six. Little Lullaby
presents many different types of F chords including F maj7, F9, and F13 as well as Eb9/6,
C11 and C13 chords which are all typical of jazz music, and are voiced in a jazz manner.
The voicing of these chords is significant because the chords need to be arranged in
certain ways to sound "jazzy." There is also an F Mixolydian scale in bars 29 -30, yet the
character of the music remains lyrical and typical of a lullaby. (See Analysis Little Lullaby
P96)
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In Connections Eight, three pieces out of the 22 pieces available use swung rhythm. (Hot
Day, At Peace and Cause for Rejoicing). Hot Day includes a typical stride bass with a
swung syncopated rhythm in a style typical of jazz. At Peace sounds like "Cocktail Jazz"
with swung rhythm, typical jazz chords and a gently syncopated melody. A Cause for
Rejoicing is a lovely ballad-like song with swung rhythms, simple harmonies and
progressions and a gently syncopated beat.
The analysis of Norton's pieces Omnibus and Given Half a Chance will provide more indepth information to the nature of Norton's swing and jazz music. Musical examples are
included to clarify further the points raised in the music analysis.
Omnibus By Christopher Norton
Key:
D minor
Time Signature:
12/8
Dynamics:
pp - mf with decrescendo and diminuendo
Style:
Swing
Length:
16 Bars.
Overview
This short relaxed swing composition is held together by a gentle D pedal effect through
most of the composition. On page 17 of The Microstyles Collection Norton advises "the
rhythm should feel relaxed and lilting. Keep your touch light." (Norton, The Microstyles
Collection Piano or Keyboard, 1990) There is only one musical idea throughout based on
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the pentatonic scale D-F-G-A-C. Within this idea, there are two sections. The first idea is
found in bars one to four, then repeated in bars five to eight. The second idea presents in
bars nine to twelve, with a return of the first idea at bars thirteen to sixteen. A short
dominant section provides a brief stop to the tonic pedal in the first section. The tonic
pedal recommences in bar thirteen. The bass plays chords throughout except the final
bar that is played as a broken chord Dm6/9 ascending run. The harmonies move through
Dm7, Dm6, Bb/D, Dm and so on. There are brief occasions where the harmony moves to
the subdominant of G Minor, over a pedal D. At bar nine the harmony briefly moves to
Am7 with melody notes indicating a suspended fourth. A brief flattening of the fourth
occurs at the end of bar eleven which suggests a type of dominant seventh chord and the
music resumes its trip back to Dm7 in bar 13.
Analysis
The melody moves in short syncopated bursts, not unlike a bus moving through several
stops in short succession. A short two-note slur begins the melody descending on a minor
third. The melody asserts itself in a stronger, longer line, moving in an upward and
downward fourth then third. A final echo finishes this statement part way through bar
two before completing on the tonic at bar three. The bass harmony has been descending
gracefully in the upper voice from C to B natural, to Bb. This chromatic progression
becomes a feature of the piece. The left-hand is based on a repeated syncopated
rhythmic pattern, with the harmonies tracing tonic and dominant areas. There is a jazzy
quality to the harmonies, as shown in the final bar that ends clearly with rhythmic Dm6
chords.
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The melody resumes course in bar nine with an embellished upward moving minor third
in the same rhythm as bar one. The melody moves with another short burst in an upward
fourth, all in syncopated rhythm created by crotchet and quaver rests. This dominant
melody moves in the same way as the first melody but is embellished with grace notes
and has an injection of blues notes throughout its appearance. An interesting suspended
chord appears in bar nine followed by a dramatic minor ninth chord at the end of bar
eleven moving to bar twelve. Its function is to serve as a dominant seventh chord,
notated with a Db instead of the usual C# expected in an A major chord.
The music ends with a return to the motif seen at the end of bar two but with Dm6 then
Dm b6 chords in the bass. An ending run from bass to treble in Dm6/9 played pianissimo
concludes the music.
Summary of Features

Pentatonic

Swing

Rhythmic chords

Pedal effect
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Sourced from:
Norton, C. (1990). The Microstyles Collection: Piano or Keyboard. Boosey & Hawkes Music
Publishers Ltd.
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Given Half A Chance
Key Signature:
C Major
Time Signature:
4/4
Tempo:
132 beats per minute
Expression:
With a swagger
Length:
27 Bars
Dynamics:
mf - f with crescendo and decrescendo
Type:
Swing
Form:
A (1-12) AV (13-27)
One musical idea broken up by secondary dominant
chords then repeated with variations and an ending.
Overview
Given Half a Chance with its pentatonic melody, varying articulation, embellishments, and
sturdy bass pattern show a strong jazz influence. Norton's simple but engaging
composition shows his roots in classical music are also very much embedded in jazz as
well. There is one melody throughout this piece which is introduced by a short motif of
quavers moving to a fourth rising then falling a fifth after a crotchet rest. C-G, G-C. (See
Example 1 P64). The melody repeats and is broken up with one bar of secondary
dominant chords and followed by a line of melody in the right-hand functioning as a turn-
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around to the tonic key. A walking bass in the left-hand provides an end-piece to the first
section and a transition to the next section. There is simple harmony throughout though
much harmony is implied because there are no chords. The piece is constructed mostly
around chords I, IV, and V of C Major. Norton repeats the melody with variations; playing
up an octave and using subtle melodic changes. The piece ends using the opening motif
but is played solo in the left-hand.
Analysis
Given Half a Chance's title suggests the need to prove something; the direction to play
with a swagger at a moderately loud dynamic throughout reinforces this. The first three
bars see the melody rising and falling in mostly quaver movement to end on middle C at
the end of bar three.
The melody line features abrupt quavers at intervals of fourths
accented, which are syncopated ascending, then slurred in leaps of a fifth descending.
(See Example 1 P64). A pentatonic quaver melody ascends and descends, highlighted by
the addition of Eb at the top of the melody. This Eb note features throughout the melody
and is one of only a few melody notes that are not from the C Major pentatonic scale.
(See Musical Example 1D P64) The Eb note highlights the melody, creating interest
through the use of a flattened or blue note.
Norton uses a bass pattern that progresses from tonic to third, fourth then the fifth
degree of the scale throughout Given Half a Chance. (See Example 2 P64). It is a pattern
that occurs in other works by Norton, for example in Whistling Tune and Ready for Action
from Connections for Piano 1 and Picnic Hop from Connections for Piano 2. The bass
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continues its minim pattern until bar five where it descends in quavers from G to C in bar
five.
Bars four to eight are a repetition of bars one to four, except that the melody is varied at
the end. At bar eight, the bass moves alone from F minim to G crochet then Eb to create
harmonic interest while clearly returning to the melody.
At bar nine a distinct shift occurs in the harmony through a secondary dominant chord
with a surly diminished fifth in the right hand playing against cheeky quavers on the offbeat in the bass. This is a D7 chord, without the D. The harmony is carried in the right
hand, and the bass punctuates it with quaver notes A and C interspersed with rests. The
right-hand resumes its motif melody with the addition of triplets before moving towards
the tonic C at bar eleven. The bass not to be outdone descends on the flattened seventh,
sixth, flattened sixth of C and races back to the tonic at the end of bar twelve.
At bars thirteen to 24 the melody is a repetition of bars one to twelve transposed up an
octave and following the general shape of the opening melody but with variations. (See
Musical Example 1B P64). The bass plays bar twenty solo, and then promptly moves to
the same cheeky quaver pattern as found in bar nine with secondary dominant chord
harmonies, setting up a dialogue between both parts. The music rounds itself off with a
descending bass with the occasional chromatic note in bars 23 and 24. The coda features
a short-lived shift to D Major in bar 25, very similar to bars nine and 21, except the
melody steals notes from the bass part in bar 21, and the bass plays the underlying D
harmony notes. The music finishes as clearly as it started in C major, with as much
attention given to the motif of the opening bar, now played solo in the left hand.
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Summary Of Features

Syncopated, swung pentatonic melody.

Use of blue note (Eb)

1,3,4,5 Bass.

Melody moves between octaves.

Secondary dominant chords appear between repeats of melody.
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Sourced from:
Norton, C. (2007). Christopher Norton Connections 3 for Piano. The Frederick Harris Music
Co Ltd.
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Chapter 6
Contemporary Latin
Latin American music is a broad genre with many differing definitions Some academics
such as Clark quoting Latin American composer Paulo Chaga insist Latin American music is
music composed by a Latin American. (Clark, 2009) By comparison, Vökel, AbeɃer,
Dittmar and GroɃman assert that Latin American music can be identified by specific
rhythms that are central to the genre. (Thomas Volkel, 2010) Vökel et al. (2010) states
that Latin American music has "prominent rhythmic patterns" that recur throughout the
genre. Thomas in her writing about Latin American music notes several times about the
association between Latin American music and "dance genres". Thomas elaborates
further and states that rhythm patterns are associated with dance. (Thomas, 2011)
Norton uses simplified forms of Latin rhythm that are suitable for young music students
to understand and play. Norton has focused mostly on the rhythmical aspects of Latin
American Music, especially syncopation, as it is the underlying rhythmic groove or style
that becomes a feature in Norton’s own ‘Contemporary Latin’ music. More specifically,
Norton states he uses rhythms from styles such as bossa nova, beguine, tango and samba
in his compositions. (Norton, Further Questions, 2015)
Each dance style has particular musical characteristics. A tango is usually defined by a
strongly accented dotted crotchet followed by quaver, and then two crotchets or other
rhythms that create a similar rhythmical beat. Norton instructs on his composition
Giveaway (Tango) from The Microstyles Collection " The tango is the most popular dance
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in Argentina and Uruguay. It's distinctive rhythm should be played very precisely"
(Norton, The Microstyles Collection Piano or Keyboard, 1990, p. 23) The tango style has a
strong rhythm and an assertive character. In the examples given on page P68 we can see
the characteristic dotted crotchet-quaver-crotchet-crotchet bass pattern, as well as the
snappy quaver-quaver-crotchet cadences that are a feature of tango music. Chris Mooney
from the website Composer Focus states that tangos often start in a minor key. (Mooney,
n.d.) This is certainly the case in many of Norton's tangos. Bar one of Toronto Tango and
bar one of Giveaway Tango, Example 1 and 2 on page 68 both start in E minor.)
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The Encyclopaedia of Britannica explains that "Bossa Nova" means "new trend". It was a
new style of Latin American music that evolved from a fusion of the samba (a Brazilian
dance) and cool jazz.
It's style features syncopation, and features of a samba, in
particular, the "two-step movement" of dance. (Britannica E. , n.d.) The bossa nova
features a gentle rhythm and sharply contrasts with the assertiveness of the tango. In the
musical examples on page 70 one can see the clear syncopated rhythm patterns that
feature in Norton's bossa nova composition.
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The next Latin American style to consider is the rumba. The Worchester Polytechnic
website describes the rumba as " a type of medium-to-fast polyrhythmic Afro-Cuban song
and dance, with a three-part form of introduction, improvised verses, and repetitive calland-response." (Worchester Polytech Music, n.d.)The Oxford Music Online adds that the
rumba is a two-step dance in duple time. (Hagedorn, 2014) The Encyclopaedia of
Britannica expands this with a fuller explanation of the rumba dance. (Britannica T. E.,
n.d.)
" Best known for the dancers’ subtle side to side hip movements with the
torso erect, the rumba is danced with a basic pattern of two quick side
steps and a slow forward step. Three steps are executed to each bar.
The music, in 4/4 time, has an insistent syncopation. "
There are similarities in rhythm with the tango and bossa examples, but the right-hand
melody of the rumba tends to be busier than the tango or bossa nova and the left-hand
rhythms are more gentle than the tango. Rests often punctuate syncopated rhythms
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According to Oxford Music Online, the Samba incorporates a highly syncopated rhythm
that often features "semiquaver, quaver, semiquaver" rhythm and is often in common
time. (Gerard, n.d.) Béhague comments that the Samba was originally a circle dance
often with a descending melody harmonised in thirds that were highly syncopated.
(Béhague, n.d.) Norton favours quaver rhythms with accents and also uses syncopated
rests featuring quaver rests to suggest a samba "feel". There is also a stronger regular
pulse suggested by the regular feel of quavers in the bass line. (See Musical Example on
Page P74)
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The Oxford Music Online explains that the mambo was "derived from the Cuban rumba...
the steps begin on the fourth beat." (Over time, it has been influenced by jazz and swing
and) "polyrhythm's are common in the accompaniment." (Oxford, n.d.) Short phrases
characterise the Mambo, often two bars with syncopated rhythms. In the musical
examples below, Norton favours the rhythm; dotted crotchet dotted crotchet and quaver
in his mambo compositions. (See page 76)
A musical analysis of Fantasy Bossa will follow the examples of Norton's mambo
compositions. It will discuss in detail the musical devices and rhythms used by Norton in
his contemporary Latin compositions.
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Analysis - Fantasy Bossa By Christopher Norton
Key:
F major
Time Signature:
4/4
Dynamics:
pp - f with decrescendo and diminuendo
Mood/Style:
Warmly (126)
Length:
53 Bars
Form:
A
One
(Bar 1 - 22) , AV¹ (Bar 23-39),(40-53).
musical
idea
broken
up
by
rhythmical
chords between each section. The melody is
varied with harmonic and melodic changes and
the addition of new material. Section A is played
in the tonic, Section AV¹ is played in the
relative minor (D Minor) and Section AV²
returns to the tonic.
Overview
Christopher Norton's Fantasy Bossa is a gentle Latin melody unpinned with a bossa nova
bass, often with a pedal note. Section A is found in bars one to nine, but it is primarily
the first four-bar phrase that develops throughout the music. The melody is often
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formed from notes within the accompanying chord. The peak of the melody often falls
on the top note of the chord, for example, the E in bar one of the F major seventh chord.
The melody features syncopation and is accompanied by varying Latin rhythm patterns,
but it can be sub-divided into smaller groups.
Periodic echoes of short melodic parts
repeat in various octaves, throughout the piece and are often followed by a change of
time signature and bridging chords, which are often dominant chords. The piece has a
strong tonic to subdominant, tonic element, but brief passages move to D minor on
occasions. The opening melody appears in the coda to end the music, a characteristic of
some Norton pieces including Dreaming On from The Christopher Norton Rock Preludes
Collection. (See Example 1 and 2 on page 49 - 50)
Analysis
Fantasy Bossa begins with a gentle quaver melody from the A minor triad played at
mezzo piano, against a bossa nova bass line with an F pedal note that is held throughout
the first four bars. (See P85 for Example 1 for melody and Example 3 for bossa nova).
This syncopated undulating melody dances gently through the first four bars. The
harmony through this section is tonic and subdominant. Bar five changes direction with a
brief move to D minor in bar six via a secondary dominant chord A to A7 at the second
half of the bar. The move to D minor in bar six is a pre-cursor for the shift to D minor that
appears further on. There is also an increase of dynamic, moving to mezzo forte,
appropriate for the tension that is building. Norton chooses to shorten bar seven and
eighth's length with two bars of three-four time in what appears to be a melodic answer
to bars five and six. These two bars move in two groups of quavers followed by a
crotchet using notes from the C13 chord. This harmony is extended, sustaining harmonic
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tension and prolonging the return to the tonic. This whole section rises and falls
dynamically adding interest. Bar nine returns to 4/4 time to complete the first phrase
with dominant seventh block chords.
Bars 10 - 13 repeats bars one to four with variations. The melody is played one octave
higher. Norton creates harmonic contrast in bars ten with a block chord of C13, against
the melody that uses an F major seven triad. Subtle harmonic changes follow. The bass
line has an upper voice added to it with contrasting rhythm, although the rhythm is still
strongly Latin in flavour. The F pedal in the bass continues through bars eleven to
fourteen. At bar thirteen there is a return to the bass line of bar four, but the right-hand
adds an echo through the Bb triad notes descending in a syncopated rhythm.
An echoing, syncopated melody appears under the bossa nova bass in bar fourteen in
Fmaj7 to create a contrast to the main melody. (See Page 85 for Example 2). The chantlike melody notes (C to A) are harmonised and echoed twice before moving to D, then
returning to C. There is quite a lot of space between the right-hand melody and the left
hand that adds textural variety to the music. This space is reduced as the echoes continue
one octave lower in the next bar. The left-hand moves from its bossa nova bass pattern
to a longer chord in the lower bass voice, creating a stronger more stable harmony over a
syncopated upper voice.
Bars eighteen to 22 develop and extend the idea found in bars seven to nine. The first
four bars would usually follow this melodic idea, but this time the melody is extended by
continuing the falling crotchet melody through two more pairs of slurred crotchets. The
purpose being to delay resolution and create harmonic tension. The crotchets are played
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as a Bb triad in second inversion descending to A minor second inversion triad, followed
by crotchets a sixth apart on F descending to E, held together by a minim on the Bb note.
The choice of notes in the left hand is interesting with Bb and C repeated as minim
harmonies but with the chords in the right-hand acting as an appoggiatura on the first
two and second two slurs. In bar 22 these paired crotchets appear again, this time with a
D minor chord falling to a G and E followed by sixths on D falling to C, with the Bb and C
bass notes moved up an octave into the treble clef for the left hand. The harmony of C13
has been retained throughout. The directive to slow slightly and get quieter appears at
the end of this section in bar 22 as the music makes it way back to the main melody in bar
23.
Bars 23 to 26 have the same melody as the first four bars but with significant melodic and
rhythmical changes. The melody is played two octaves above the first appearance at bar
one, brightening the melody. Another nice touch in this section is the leap to Fantasy
Bossa's highest note in bar 24 (F3) which then falls a dramatic sixth, then moving more
cautiously through Bb and back to F. Stability returns when the music returns to the same
vein as the beginning. Bar 26 does not have the sense of completion that bar four has. It
moves from Fmaj7 in bar 25 to F13 in bar 26, and then F9, Eb9 in bar 28 and finally D
minor in bar 29. The changing harmonies are returning the music to the relative minor
again. This also occurs in bars 30 - 33 where the music stays in D minor for four bars. The
melody continues its normal course to the echoing sections at bar 33. This section has a
sense of restlessness, changing harmonically, rhythmically and melodically, unwilling to
settle and return to the melody too quickly. A series of bridging chords follow in bars 29 32 (Dm13, Cm7, Bbmaj7 and Eb9)
which return promptly to the echoing section
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previously seen in bars 14 in F major, but now appearing in bar 33 in D minor. (See
Example 2B P85).
Bars 33 - 36 have the same elements as bars 14 - 17 but without the octave change. The
texture of bars 33-36 is thicker and harmonically more interesting than at bars 14-15
where we hear only a single bass note. Bar 34 has an attractive third inversion on count
three and four (Bbmaj7/A).
Bars 35-36 are a repeat of bars 33 to 34 except the third
melody note in bar 36 moves to a G instead of the F found in bar 34.
The bridging section found at bars 7-9 appears in bars 37 to 39 but with some harmonic
changes. The motif from bar one and two appear at bar 40-41 with a more stable
perfect fifth bass and continues with a quaver bass without syncopation. This shift from
syncopated to straight rhythms tones down the Bossa Nova effect and continues through
till the end of the music. Bar 42 has the same melodic shape as bar one except the righthand uses the C Major triad instead of the A minor triad in bar one, creating a brighter
melody. Instead of continuing this section with the usual shift in time signature and block
chords, Norton moves to the syncopated echoing chords of bar 14 to 17 and replays it in
bar 44 to 47 with variations. The bass harmony is F but shifts again to Eb on the last half
count of bar 44, but this time it does not resolve to D minor. The bass continues its
descent and returns to the tonic in bar 48 at the coda. There is a lot of repetition in this
piece, but it is hardly noticeable because of the use of different octaves, harmonies,
rhythmic and dynamic changes.
The coda starts at bar 48. An F pedal plays in the left-hand until the end of the music. The
right-hand uses the motif of bars one and two in a slightly simplified form. (See Example 1
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and 1B P85). Subtle changes occur in the melody at the coda. A held note plays over the
quaver motif in bar 48 and 50, yet familiarity returns in bars 49 and 51 which are almost
identical to bars two and four but with slower moving rhythms in the left-hand. The
music completes in gently syncopated F Major 9th chords in bar 52 and 53; the rhythm is
similar to that of the echoing motif found in bars 13 - 17. The final notes are a four-octave
spread F played staccatos, pianissimo and dry. Norton has ended a number of pieces in
this manner, and this is an interesting choice for Fantasy Bossa as there are no links to
this final chord anywhere at all in the piece.
Summary of Features

Bossa nova left hand rhythm patterns

Block chords

Bridging dominant chords

One melodic idea with variations in melody, harmony and dynamics.

Echo melody features like a bridge between melodic idea.

Major ninth and thirteen chords are common.
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Sourced from:
Norton, C. (2007). Christopher Norton Connections 7 for Piano. The Frederick Harris Music
Co Ltd.
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In summary, Norton's Latin American pieces feature strongly syncopated rhythm patterns
in the left-hand with harmonies that are often "jazz-like". Norton uses variations of the
main melody and prefers a strong melodic line. Ternary form is common (Toronto Tango,
Samba Band, Ocean Breeze) but Norton can also use one musical idea throughout, which
we see in Fantasy Bossa and Wind Riders. Harmony and rhythm appear to be the central
factors in Norton's Latin American pieces, and like his other compositions, he composes
in his unique style creating sounds that are authentically his.
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Chapter 7
Christopher Norton - Lyrical Style
Christopher Norton labels some of his compositions as lyrical. Norton's definition of the
quality of a lyrical piece is " a type of piece that has song-like characteristics, including the
use of rubato, cantabile playing and an emphasis on beautiful sound and legato. Can also
be linked to the term ballad." (Lyrical, 2015). I have noted that Norton's lyrical pieces are
often gentle and quieter than other types of compositions with an emphasis on sustained
melodic lines. Lyrical style is a generic name, and Norton often writes his compositions
with other influences such as Latin, jazz or character. Little Lullaby, for example, is
deemed a lyrical piece by Norton, but it also could be called a character piece as well.
There are 38 lyrical pieces in Norton's Connections Series. Most of Norton's lyrical pieces
are slower in tempo, are often in 3/4 or 4/4-time signature and have a wide range of
dynamics but often are primarily soft in character. (See Appendix 18) An analysis of Deep
in Thought and Little Lullaby follows that will explore Norton's lyrical style in depth.
Deep In Thought
Key Signature:
F Major
Time Signature:
3/4
Tempo:
88 beats per minute
Length:
36 Bars
Dynamics:
pp - mf with crescendo and diminuendo
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Type:
Lyrical
Form:
ABA Ternary
A (1-8) Av (9-16), B (17-24), Av(25- 35).
Overview
On hearing major seventh chords presented in subdominant to tonic repetitions with
interruptions of Db major seventh chords and Ab major scale passages, one gets the clear
sensation of being Deep in Thought. The quaver bass playing a gentle pattern based on
the first, fifth and sixth degrees of the chord, whilst the right-hand play a gentle sighing
melody with a longer note followed by a falling shorter note to another longer note.
These characteristics contribute to the lyrical flavour of this piece.
Section B found in bars 17 - 24 is contrasting harmonically and rhythmically. It is almost
restless; but remains smooth in lines and gestures, the Ab major movement to the C
creating harmonic tension, the larger leaps in the bass pattern creating more interest.
Section B returns to Section A at bar 21 with some variations and a very gentle chord
based ending in bars 34 to 36. The form being ternary but with variations of Section A
throughout the music.
Analysis
Section A begins with a slow-moving motif that descends as if sighing, followed by two
bars that are subtly rhythmically different. These four bars are the call; the answer
follows in bars five to eight. The first two bars form a sequence that is then followed by a
tonal sequence in the next two bars that elaborate the melody a tone lower. The last
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two bars present an ascending Ab scale in quavers that start on middle C and move the
music to the next section. This variation avoids a fourth repetition of bars one and two
which have been less interesting musically.
The bass maintains a pattern of two quavers followed by two crotchets on the first, fifth,
sixth then fifth notes from each bass note. (Example 2 P95). This bass pattern creates a
flowing effect suitable for the title Deep in Thought. The bass is varied on occasions to a
flattened sixth (bar 6, 14 and 30) which creates a subtle shift in mood. The time signature
of three-quarter notes in a bar and the quiet dynamics also support this mood.
The
harmony in the first four bars subdominant to the tonic, followed by a shift to Ab Major
seven in bar five. Bar six follows a step down to G minor then back to Db7in bars seven
and eight. These eight bars form Section A, which has two further repetitions with
variations in bars nine to sixteen and bars 21 - 33. (See Example 1, 1B and 1C on P95).
Section A, variation one follows in the next eight bars with a shift up an octave for the
melody and a stronger dynamic, but with no harmonic or rhythmic changes for the lefthand (Example 1B). The main melodic difference is that bars fifteen and sixteen have a
descending Ab scale starting from C one octave above middle C instead of the ascending
scale that is seen in bars seven and eight in Section A. (This is the same scale that is seen
in bars seven to eight - Db Lydian.) The result of the placement of this scale is an eerie
melody that is made up of an interesting grouping of tones and semitones. This sound
has a sense of space and direction that is beyond that of a simple diatonic scale, perhaps
of thoughts moving in changing directions?
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The section that follows is contrasting; a little restless yet maintaining the mood of Deep
in Thought through quiet dynamic, similar rhythmic shapes but with changes in harmony.
Section B's eight bars follow a different harmonic path to Section A. Section B begins with
the dominant chord, rather than the subdominant which began Section A in bar one. The
dominant chord moves to Ab in bar 20, and the pedal is held down. The bars that follow
are built on stacks of thirds. This section is prolonged for four bars with an echoing
section in the right-hand. This echoing melody only uses the chant-like notes of A and C.
The left-hand plays in similar motion in harmonies of a fifth below.
Norton uses a similar device in Fantasy Bossa where there is also an echoing chant-like
melody, but in Fantasy Bossa there is more direct harmony and rhythm. The delaying
tactic is also seen in many of Norton's pieces, but this time we are not returning to the
tonic, but to the subdominant that shows the return of A Section with variations.
The left-hand of Section B is similar to Section A in bars 17, and 19, but bars 18, 20 and 21
have only crotchets moving in an ascending broken-chord formation. (Example 2B). The
echoing sections leads back to Section A variation 2 at bar 25. These subtle shifts help
bring variation but also help maintain the overall mood of the music.
In the final variation of Section A, the lyrical melody is played an octave higher than the
opening eight bars. It is also embellished by a grace note an octave lower at the
beginning. It is very similar to bars one to eight, but the ascending scale is seen in bars
seven to eight only appears in bar 31 for one bar before descending with further variation
back towards C in bar 32. The piece ends slowly and peacefully, easing its way back down
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to finish on a G (tone motif becoming a harmony) descending to an F, broken up slightly
with a short echo prior to the final chord.
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Summary Of Features

Lydian scale

Subdominant to tonic harmony

Variation

Pedal effect

Bass patterns
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Sourced from:
Norton, C. (2007). Christopher Norton Connections 4 for Piano. The Frederick Harris Music
Co Ltd.
Little Lullaby By Christopher Norton
Key:
F major
Time Signature:
3/4
Dynamics:
pp - f with decrescendo and diminuendo
Expression:
Gently rocking 100 crotchet beats per minute
Style:
Lyrical
Length:
44 Bars
Form:
A - Av¹ - Av² - B - Av³
A - Bars 1 - 8
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A v¹ - Bars 9 - 16
A v² - Bars 17 - 24
B - 25 - 32
A v³ - Bars 33 - 44
Overview
Christopher Norton's Little Lullaby's gentle rocking quaver bass supports its title, as does
the elegant melody line. The quaver bass has an F pedal throughout the A section and all
the variations that follow, creating tonal stability. Section A and the variations that follow
use only tonic and subdominant harmony, which creates a sense of safety and stability.
The quaver bass is formed by the first, fifth and sixth notes from F and as the melody
extends and varies moves to include the ninth, eleventh and twelveth notes from F
further on in the music.The 3/4-time signature supports the rocking motion required for a
Section B has an eight bar melody that contrasts with Section A in contour and rhythm.
There is greater harmonic diversity in Section B with Bb, F, Eb and C being used instead of
the tonic and subdominant chords that are found in Section A. In Section B the righthand melody is echoed by the left-hand. In the second four bars, the melody ascends in a
Bb major scale over an Eb9 chord in the second inversion creating a modal sound before
finally reaching the dominant chord. The music then returns to a final variation of
Section A in the last twelve bars.
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Analysis
The first eight bars of Little Lullaby form the main musical idea found in this piece. The
pianist will require a great deal of control to bring out the melody of Little Lullaby quietly
and clearly over the gentle rocking quavers in the left hand. (See Example 2 P103). The
two. The wide intervals of the melody contrast with the smoother inner parts and
harmony. The melody begins again moving slowly through the same three notes then
falling to F in bar four. This short motif seen in Example 1 is developed and varied
throughout the piece. (See Examples 1B, 1C, 1D, and 1E P103). The constant return to
this motif creates stability and enhances the sense of lullaby; a gentle song to send a child
to sleep.
The first variation of Section A occurs at bars nine to sixteen. The bass moves from its
constant quaver pattern built on the first, fifth and sixth degrees of the tonic scale and
expands to include the seventh, ninth and tenth degrees of the tonic scale. (See Examples
2B, 2C and 2D P103). This surging forwards and backwards occurs in quavers throughout
bars nine to sixteen. The constant change in dynamic supports the rising and falling of
the Section A melody. Section A melody develops its initial motif into a broader melody
of crotchets moving mostly in stepwise movement in an undulating lyrical melody that
could be sung. A short imitative passage appears in bars nine to eleven where the motif
of bars one to four is heard in the lower voice of the right-hand. (Example 1C P103). The
upper voice maintains a melody that is similar rhythmically and melodically to the motif
in bars one to four but varying the melody further.
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The second variation of Section A occurs in bars 17 to 24. The (round-like) melody seen in
the first variation continue through this section but is harmonised with sixths in the upper
voice in the right-hand and chords in the lower voice. This variation rises in pitch and
adds a repeated harmony quaver note as it becomes more expansive and interesting,
rising and falling dynamically, restless yet peaceful. There is no surge into Section B.
Instead a gentle decrescendo appears in bars 23, and 24 and Section B starts in bars 25
on a mild mezzo piano. The mood stays quiet and gentle throughout true to its genre, a
lullaby.
Section B is more diverse harmonically; instead of the tonic to subdominant harmony
found in Section A and variations of A, we hear Bb, F, Eb9/G and C11. Norton lengthens
the stay on Eb9/G for two bars to build tension and delay the resolution back to
dominant chord followed by the tonic in bars 31 - 33. He also repeats the dominant
seventh chord in bars 32-32 further delaying the return to the tonic in bar 33. This section
uses a Mixolydian scale in bars 29 - 30, the Eb note appearing as the flattened seventh of
the tonic F major. This suggests a shift to Bb major, but this is not established. This shift in
tonality creates a clear difference between Section A and Section B, even though the
rhythm in Section B is similar to Section A. The left-hand plays an Eb9/G chord over the
melody, which is then repeated up an octave in both parts. The melody sings in a scalic
pattern over the bass that is moving through different registers. This contrasts with the
Section A melody that had larger leaps throughout. Another significant contrast is
created by the loss of the quaver bass in this section: the lullaby rhythm ceasing for a few
bars. The only quavers played in the left-hand are an echo of the melody previously
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played in the right-hand. This section ends with dominant chords supporting a
descending crotchet melody returning to the tonic.
The final variation A occurs in bars 33 - 40 (Example 1D) followed by the coda at bars 41
- 43 (Example 1E P103). The motif from bars one to four returns and repeats throughout
this last section. This section is quieter and more controlled. Instead of the imitative style
of the other variations, the upper melody simply holds a harmony of a sixth on A and F
while the motif continues its quiet descent to the end. The left-hand quavers only move
as far as the note E, a seventh away from the tonic. The music slows, quietens and falls
asleep, held by a fermata on the tonic chord in the final bar.
Summary Of Features

Rocking quaver bass

Pedal F

Tonic and subdominant harmony

Lyrical melody
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Sourced from:
Norton, C. (2007). Christopher Norton Connections 6 for Piano. The Frederick Harris Music
Co Ltd.
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Chapter 8
Contemporary Blues and Ragtime
Paul Oliver from the Oxford Online Music Encylopedia credits the Blues styles as being
"the most important single influence on the development of Western popular music."
The term "blues" according to Oliver was a widely accepted word for feeling low or
depressed. The blues music style came from the African-American slaves, a group of
people well acquainted with "feeling blue." as a result of centuries of oppression and
exploitation. It is a commonly held belief that a connection with emotion is imperative in
the blues genre. It is a style known for its simplicity, particularly in the twelve bar blues
which usually features only three chords and is usually played in 4/4 time. Seventh chords
are also common in harmonic progressions. Call and response and repetition are also
important factors. (Oliver, 2007)
Oliver asserts that blues piano style may have come from ragtime states. (Oliver, 2007)
"Bass figures were important in the development of piano blues; the
walking bass of broken or spread octaves repeated through the blues
progression provided the ground to countless improvisations."
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The piano can embellish notes, use glissandi and pump out syncopated rhythmic chords
over melodies.
These are the sort of features we see in Norton's piano blues
compositions.
Berlin asserts that piano music was the main focus of Ragtime style. (Berlin, 2007)
Ragtime was popular during the mid-1890's and continued through to about 1918.
Ragtime's main characteristics were a syncopated rhythm, simple harmonies and an
almost virtuosic display of playing by the pianist. Oliver asserts that ragtime form was
often AABBACCC′, AABBCCDD, or AABBCCA. (Oliver, 2007) Ragtime was often written in
a major key. The piece usually started with an introduction and completed with an
ending, usually of four bars. Stride bass was common in the left-hand and 2/4 was a very
common time signature. Most ragtime music features melody lines over stride bass, and
while this sounds simple, in practice it could be technically challenging. The harmonic
structure was relatively simple and focused around chords one, four and five with some
minor chords, seventh chords and diminished chords being used.
In the analysis of Up and Away, that follows, we will see stride bass, 4/4-time signature
and a syncopated melody. However Norton does not follow the normal harmonic
structure of a ragtime piece, and this is how he differentiates Up and Away from popular
ragtime genre.
Up And Away
Key Signature:
D Major
Time Signature:
4/4
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Tempo:
♩ = 168
Expression:
Lively
Length:
42 bars
Dynamics:
p to f with crescendo and decrescendo
Type:
Ragtime
Form:
Ternary ABA
Section A Bars 1 - 16
Section B Bars 17 - 24
Section A Bars 25 - 42 (Ending Bars 40 - 42)
Overview
Up and Away from Christopher Norton's Jazz Preludes Collection
(Norton, The
Christopher Norton Jazz Preludes Collection, 2006) presents as a lively ragtime piano
composition in ternary form with clear contrasting sections. The melody is syncopated
which is typical of ragtime compositions. The left-hand keeps time on crotchet notes that
alternate and move between single notes and the occasional chord. Section A has the
typical sixteen bars of ragtime, and the left-hand harmonies rise at the end of that
section with Norton using secondary dominants for this effect. Up and Away also has
characteristics that are not especially ragtime.
Norton has not chosen the simple
harmonies normally found in ragtime that are typically chord one four and five, and
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especially tonic to dominant. In traditional ragtime, the left-hand never plays syncopated
rhythm, yet Norton does this on many occasions including bars7,8,15,23,24,28,31,32, and
39.
Section B is contrasting to Section A and is only eight bars in length, but Norton packs a
number of new rhythms and harmonies into this section. This section's melody is more
flowing than that of Section A, which was syncopated and punctuated with rests
throughout. A stride bass accompanies in the left-hand, often alternating between tonic
and dominant notes.
Section A reappears in bars 25 till the end of the music, but Norton adds the first three
bars of Section B into the ending section. The first four bars of the repeat of Section A are
also played with chords this time for variation. The stride bass appears again bar 29 which
is very similar to bar 25 - 28 and the music continues until its ending of harmonised
quavers in thirds.
Analysis
Section A is made up of two distinct melodies but has four, four-bar phrases. Bars one to
eight form the first musical idea. (See Example 1 P113) The music that follows in bars nine
to twelve is based on the melody of bars one to eight but is more lyrical, primarily quaver
notes and fewer rests between the melody notes. The melody in bars one to eight is
articulated by rests, staccato and accents, contrasted with bars nine to twelve which have
longer lines of slurs and few rests between the melody, yet they clearly belong in one
section. (See Example 2 P113) The harmony of this first section is more involved than the
typical ragtime piece that uses simple harmony, typically mostly tonic and dominant and
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often in inverted chord positions. Up and Away features chord one, two, three, four, five
and six in various inverted positions throughout Section A. Towards the end of the first
section a brief movement to C major moving to F major occurs. The end of Section A
moves the music to the key of G minor in bar seventeen at Section B.
The left-hand plays an alternate bass pattern throughout bars one to twelve.
Chords
appear in bars seven, and eight emphasising the entry of secondary dominant chords.
These chords highlight the shift in harmony and bring tension and resolution before
beginning the second section of A in bar nine. See (Example 3 P113)
At the end of bar eight dominant notes introduce the lyrical quaver melody played in
sixths loudly at bar nine. This mostly-harmonised melody continues in quavers through to
bar thirteen where a contrasting semiquaver melody with a minor ninth chord shifts the
rhythmical pace for a bar. Syncopated chords descending through F# minor7, to F
diminished, then E minor 7 and D complete Section A at bar 16.
Section B enters confidently with a stride bass in the left-hand at bar seventeen. (See
Example 6 P114) This rising quaver F major melody is not as syncopated as the melody in
Section A and comprises of mostly quavers and the occasional crotchets. There is a
sequential melodic pattern that continues through several bars at bar 18 and 19 and also
in bar 22. (See Example 4 P114) The music begins in G minor and moves mostly between
G minor tonality and C major, F major, D major and E minor until returning to the tonic of
D major at bar 25. Parallel major and minor E chords are heard in bars 22 and 23. An
ascending scale of quavers starting on A moves Section B back to Section A in bar 24.
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The return of A section at bar 25 is contrasted with the use of chords in the left-hand,
rather than alternate-bass or stride-bass. The melody of bars 25 - 28 is the same as the
first three bars, excepting a small difference in the last chord of bar 28. This melody
repeats in bar 29 to 32 with the stride bass. This section is the same as bars five to seven.
At bar 33 the quaver melody from bars nine to twelve appears again.
The music is moving towards its conclusion at bar 37 where we see the music from bars
thirteen to fifteen. The music draws to an end at bars 40 to 42 with quaver melody in
bar40 followed by harmonies in thirds held over a pedal note D in bars 41 and 42. (See
Example 7 P114)
Summary Of Features

Ragtime style

Syncopated melody

Alternate-bass patterns

Stride- bass

Harmonies in sixths
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Sourced from:
Norton, C. (2006). The Christopher Norton Jazz Preludes Collection. Boosey & Hawkes
Music Publishers Ltd.
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Chapter 9
Pedagogy
The purpose of this chapter is to further the analysis provided so far, by considering the
pedagogical requirements of the pieces analysed. Norton writes music that appeals to
children, and this pedagogical aspect is apparent in his writing. By linking the musical
analysis with the pedagogical requirements, we can understand more fully the style and
purpose of Norton's compositions. Norton has written much of his music with the player
in mind. Coupled with Norton's passion for both teacher and student education, it seems
important to take into account both the analytical and practical (pedagogical) aspects of
playing a Norton composition. Norton has graded many of his compositions so that
students can readily access pieces that are suitable and appealing.
Norton has strong views on pedagogy and insists that students should play music that
they identify with." (Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015) Norton believes his
repertoire keeps students stimulated to continue learning. Norton candidly explains that
he deliberately writes short playable pieces that have an appeal to the younger
performer. (Norton, Interview with Christopher Norton by Matt Henderson, 2013).
Norton also presents advice to learners on how to play his music. This is most clearly
seen in the specific directions in American Popular Piano Series and also in the Microjazz
Series where Norton presents advice on how to play each piece at the top of the page.
Norton advises in Reggae in Microjazz book one, "Drop with the wrist on the right-hand
chords to create a warm, tenuto sound. The melody is played by the left-hand so drop the
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level of the right hand when the left hand comes in at bar 5." (Norton, Christopher
Norton Microjazz Collection 2, 2011)
The following analysis is written from a pedagogical point of view and draws on Norton's
pedagogical advice along with my observations from teaching Christopher Norton's piano
music for many years and attending workshops with Christopher Norton.
Omnibus
This composition allows the student to explore the effect of the D pedal note throughout
most of the composition. Norton's directive to keep the "touch light" helps students
become aware of tone production and the importance of sensitivity to the style of the
music. The syncopated rhythm of the left-hand chords may present a physical challenge
to the student, the flattened then naturalised B notes in the chords (bar 2 and 3) a
harmonic one. The music is played very quietly in a lilting style which presents an
opportunity to develop security at pianissimo.
(See Music P57)
Dreaming On
The lyrical bass of Dreaming On presents an opportunity for piano students to learn to
play the left-hand more melodically. The lyrical melody of Dreaming On is played quietly
with gradual increases in dynamic which require pianistic control. The piano pedal is used
throughout and requires an understanding of harmonic changes to ensure appropriate
pedal changes are made. The flow of melody and phrase needs to be managed with the
longer lines of melody singing clearly with, the lower right-hand voice echoing and
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harmonising. There are technical difficulties with octave passages at bar37 and 39 and
harmonies in sixths at bar 35. The most important lesson learned by playing Dreaming On
is the ability to voice each piano part correctly to capture the dreamy mood.
(See music on page 47 to 48.)
Given Half a Chance
Given Half a Chance is an exercise in coordination for the young pianist around grade
three level. The piece covers four octaves in C major and present large leaps such as the
octave leaps in bars fifteen and sixteen which see the right-hand move from C two
octaves above middle C back to middle C in bar sixteen. The melody is swung over a
predominantly minim beat-keeping bass. The student also has to learn to embellish
appropriately the melody (grace notes) as well as continue with correctly swung rhythm
in the right-hand. Accents present themselves on the upbeat of beat two which presents
an articulation challenge. The motifs are very short in this piece and require careful
attention ensuring that both the accent and the slurs are played correctly and in time.
Repetition of melodic ideas allows the student to master the melodic and rhythmical
ideas presented in this composition.
(See music onpage 62 to 63.)
Fantasy Bossa
The principal challenge for students learning Fantasy Bossa is to maintain the Latin
rhythm throughout the piece while ensuring the melody sings.
important in the left-hand where we hear the bossa nova rhythm.
This is particularly
There are some
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echoing melodies that need correct voicing and dynamics and some large chords that
require care. The pianist will need to pedal accurately and to take care that melodic lines
are correctly phrased. (See music on page 83-84)
Little Lullaby
This gentle lullaby by Norton creates an opportunity for students to learn how to voice
their melodies correctly. It offers the same kind of voicing challenge a Mendelssohn Song
Without Words would provide with it's clear melody over the accompaniment. The
quaver left-hand bass providing a challenge to maintain quietly under the mostly onenote melody that is voiced closely to the left-hand accompaniment. This voicing issue
becomes more difficult in bars 12 - 16 where the melody is played in thirds. At bar 17 18 an echo appears in the lower voice of the right-hand creating further voicing
complexities. At bar 21 - 25 the right-hand melody has a crotchet melody with a quaver
supporting note following each melody note, which creates the most challenge for
voicing throughout the whole piece. The pianist must hold the crotchet melody line
clearly above the falling quaver notes. (See Little Lullaby music page 101 to 102.)
This type of writing provides clear evidence of Norton's thinking about issues of
technique and piano voicing in particular. My students encountered the same kind of
difficulties they would have had whether they played Little Lullaby or Mendelssohn's
Opus 53 No 1 (On the Seashore). (Hinson, 1993) While the Mendelssohn is rated more
difficult, the same voicing issues are present. Norton's Little Lullaby presents a student
with the opportunity to examine voicing issues with simple melody and rhythms before
embarking on a more difficult work such as the Song Without Words by Mendelssohn.
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(See the Mendelssohn Seashore score bars three onward for melody over arpeggio
patterns) (Hinson, 1993)
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Deep in Thought
The main challenge of Deep in Thought is to capture the wistfulness of the gentle widespread seventh chords. These chords provide an opportunity to learn to play with a sense
of control at a piano dynamic. The left-hand has more robust rhythms than the right
hand, and the weight and volume must be controlled at all times. The use of arm weight
in the left-hand may be appropriate, as is the need for a light, relaxed tone. (This piece
has similar technical issues to Fantasy Bossa.)There is an echoing chant-like melody and a
strong lyrical melody over the accompaniment. The prolonged pedal section through bars
20 - 24 is significant, and students need to understand both the harmonic texture created
by the piano pedal holding and the need for the sensitive voicing of the melody.
(See Music on pages 93 - 94.)
Up and Away
The challenge of playing a stride bass with harmonic complexities is what tests the piano
student in Up and Away. While Norton has written in ragtime style, he has not kept to
the harmonic rules of ragtime and has explored many types of harmonic possibilities.
These inverted compound chords offer a significant challenge to the piano student,
coupled with strongly articulated melody and bass and no shortage of staccatos. The
lively tempo of 168 may unnerve many performers, yet the fast tempo is part of its
character. The challenges include wide leaps in both hands, fast tempo, syncopated
melody with chords and embellished melody line. The simple ragtime piece has become
a challenging jazz prelude.
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(See music on pages 111 to 112.)
Emotional Reaction
This piece provides an excellent resource for sight-reading with its simple melody and
variations. This piece comes from Norton's Microrock - 20 New Pieces Based on Rock
Rhythms for the Beginner Pianist. (Norton, Microrock 20 New Pieces Based On Rock
Rhythms for the Beginner Pianist, 2009) Emotional Reaction requires careful fingering in
the left-hand to maintain the descending bass line. The right-hand fingering is also
complex with the inner voice requiring control through the correct fingers. The weakest
finger in the right-hand is often playing the pedal G note through much of the melody and
strengthen and projection is required. A careful balance between both hands is required
as is careful articulation and rhythm.
(See Music P36-37)
Teaching And Pedagogy
Norton robustly asserts that music teachers "should use their classical skills (in particular
technique) and apply them to teaching his music and other contemporary pieces."
(Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015). "Teachers must work with students
where they are and educate the student about how to use their bodies in a way that it
brings life to the music. "Articulation, phrasing, and dynamics are critical to sensitive
playing," states Norton at his workshop in Dunedin on 16th April 2015. (Norton, Getting
Comfortable with Contemporary Music, 2015).
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One of the strengths of contemporary compositions is that composers usually give very
clear guidelines about articulation, phrasing, dynamics and tempo. Norton believes that
this marrying together of classical technique and foundations with contemporary styles
gives the player the advantage of knowing exactly what the composer intended. Norton
notes that there are subtle differences between contemporary and classical styles, "the
main difference being in...contemporary he puts an accent on the top of the phrase, and
classical
is
very
strict
timing."
(teachpianotoday.com/2014/06/04/chatting-
contemporary-music-with-the-one-and-only-christopher-norton/, 2015) (Retrieved 1
June 2015). Norton reminds us that technique is always relevant and is not dependent on
what we play; "legato is still legato." (teachpianotoday.com/2014/06/04/chattingcontemporary-music-with-the-one-and-only-christopher-norton/, 2015)
During Norton's workshop Getting Comfortable with Contemporary Music, Norton gives
an example of the physical aspects of playing. He showed a student how to play the
grace notes in his music. Norton demonstrates that the grace note and melody note are
played together, and the second note is "flicked" away...This "flicking away" is achieved
by playing two notes simultaneously but releasing the finger that is playing the grace note
as quickly as possible. (Norton, Getting Comfortable with Contemporary Music, 2015)
Norton challenges music teachers to make music relevant to our students. Norton
refuses to dismiss the need for playing historical repertoire, in fact, he calls it "essential"
to musical understanding and technique but believes there is room for both. Historical
repertoire and contemporary repertoire can work together and support a student's
musical development. (Norton, Getting Comfortable with Contemporary Music, 2015).
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The Connections Series provide many examples of Norton's care in composing pieces that
are pedagogically sound as well as interesting for the learner. Norton used the example
of Driving Range from Connections 1 at his Dunedin workshop. Norton advises a student
he is working with, "playing staccato in rock style, drop your wrist down, then up."
Norton demonstrates the sounds he is looking for in Driving Range and shows the
student how to use his wrist to create that sound. Driving Range is a very simple
composition that is played mostly in the lower range of the piano. It plays staccato
almost completely throughout the left-hand while the right-hand melody plays with short
slurred passages. There are only three main harmonies (Em, D and C) throughout and a
small range of notes. Many students find the left-hand staccato difficult against the
smoother passage of the right-hand. Norton has presented this difficulty in a very 'cool'
sounding melody that younger children are drawn to and wish to persevere with.
It is
also very interesting to note that Norton has written only one piece like Driving Range in
his Connections 1 for piano. Perhaps the reason for this is not to overwhelm the young
learner?
An overview of Connections 1 for Piano provides a series of pieces for younger learners
that are all suitable for smaller hands with few octaves or sevenths. Many pieces only use
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a fifth or sixth intervals, for example, Driving Range and A Walk in the Park while other
pieces introduce higher and lower registers like Smooth as Silk. Book one introduces
syncopation and a span of up to four octaves. Time signatures include simple quadruple,
triple and duple and compound six-eight time. Key signatures include up to two flats and
one sharp. While this appears fairly straightforward for grade one level piano, when
compared with classical grade one levels there are some significant differences. When
comparing the difficulty in rhythm and articulation to other grade one classical pieces it
appears obvious that the rhythm and articulation of Norton's pieces are more complex
than the classical pieces at the same level. (See Musical Example - A Comparison of
Classical Grade One with Connections 1 for Piano by Christopher Norton P126-127)
Norton's piece repeats the first musical idea, giving the student a chance to master the
melody. The Gavotte and the Allegro have repeat marks that allow for the same
repetition, but repeats are not usually played during examinations. The Gavotte presents
a trill and two-note slurs that are comparable to Norton's Ready for Action, but Norton's
piece has more articulation markings throughout and significant use of grace notes.
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Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences
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Norton presented music teachers with a list of ten tips for teaching improvisation at the
workshop in Dunedin in April 2015. (See Appendix 5) Norton stresses the importance of
building a student's confidence as they attempt improvisation. Norton suggested that
students work through The American Popular Piano Series modules and begin to
embellish the melody from these.
In 2006, American Popular Piano was released in Canada and was a collaboration with
Norton and editor Scott McBride-Smith. The informative Boosey and Hawkes website
provides clear information on the pieces in the series and how students might use them.
According to Boosey and Hawkes, each Repertoire Album contains pieces in Lyrical,
Rhythmic and Ensemble styles. These different styles support the pianist's learning,
developing "beautiful tone", the ability to maintain a steady beat and to learn to listen to
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others
and
become
aware
of
"rich
musical
textures".
(Hawkes,
boosey.com/shop/ucat/Christopher-Norton-s-American-Popular-Piano-series/667, 2015)
These are strong claims, but after attending Norton's workshop it is clear that these
compositions have been composed for pedagogical reasons, and that those reasons are
carefully considered when writing for the younger musician. For example in Norton's
American Popular Piano Repertoire 1, we see the traditional form of waltz composed in a
contemporary style in Alabama Waltz. (Boosey & Hawkes Christopher Norton American
Popular Piano Series, 2015) The music is composed in four-bar phrases, and the phrases
are clearly marked. The left-hand takes the melody in the second four bars and is
phrased accordingly. Norton gives clear direction about dynamics and articulations which
is kept very simple at this beginning stage of piano education. At the beginning of the
music, there is a space to write which finger begins the music (5 on........?). The same
occurs for the two accompanying notes in the left hand. Students are asked "Detection
Questions" which involve finding the harmonic intervals of second, third and fifth which
they are asked to circle. The music is labeled a Country Swing, which makes the learner
aware of the style and a metronome mark is given and the direction to play calmly.
Norton uses clear English language in all his musical terms and relates these directives to
the style of the piece he has composed, making his music more relevant to those learning
his music. Finally, a teacher duet part is written at the bottom of the page so the teacher
can play with the student as this particular piece does not have a backing track available.
Norton explains how the American piano system moves more slowly than other systems
and how the books can be used to suit individual students needs. Students can progress
as quickly or as slowly as their needs require, but working through the books
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systematically will provide a sound musical education for them. (Norton, Getting
Comfortable with Contemporary Music, 2015)
The etude alums from American Popular Piano Series mimic the experience of playing
with an ensemble. They are supported by backing compact discs and provide both
practice and performance tempos. They provide an enjoyable learning experience for the
budding musician according to the accolades printed by Boosey & Hawkes. (Hawkes,
boosey.com/shop/ucat/Christopher-Norton-s-American-Popular-Piano-series/667, 2015).
Boosey and Hawkes assert the skills books provide traditional aural skills, sight-reading
and promote technique development in a "structured" manner. The technic books set
out traditional exercises in the form of scales, chords and drills with a focus on "dexterity
and articulation." (Hawkes, boosey.com/shop/ucat/Christopher-Norton-s-AmericanPopular-Piano-series/667, 2015).
The books are supported with superb backing tracks, and the students are given clear
guidance on how to progress with simple to follow instructions by Norton. This series has
now been adopted by Australia New Zealand Cultural Arts Limited (ANZCA) in their piano
syllabus.
Many other examination boards include Christopher Norton's compositions in their
repertoire. (See Appendix 6) Examination boards such as the Royal Conservatory of
Music in Canada, St Cecilia School of Music, Trinity College and Associated Board Royal
School of Music include Christopher Norton's music in their syllabus. Matthews Tyson,
the Director of St Cecilia School of Music, states that "St Cecilia School of Music had used
Christopher Norton's music in its syllabus for fifteen years." Tyson believes that Norton's
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132
music is relevant to students today and provide a "refreshing" and "imaginative
approach" to composition and that examiners enjoyed examining Norton's music.
(Tyson, 2015) Norton's pieces are available at all levels of graded examinations in many
different countries in the world. It is a testament to the quality of the compositions and
the pedagogy behind them that his pieces have had acceptance by many mainstream
music boards.
Norton began teaching workshops for children and teachers in 1987.
"Teaching
improvisation has been a key element throughout this process" explains Norton. Norton
sees himself having a role in the education of teachers; a role that includes educating
music teachers on how to teach contemporary music and improvisation. Norton admits
to Smith that seeing his music being performed around the world, has "been a highlight
of his career." (Norton, Interview with Crystal Smith, 2015)
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Chapter 10
Conclusion
The purpose of this dissertation was to study and analyse Christopher Norton's piano
works to establish whether there is a distinct Christopher Norton "sound." This
dissertation is limited to the intensive analysis of eight piano solos from Christopher
Norton's books; The Christopher Norton Jazz Preludes Collection, The Microstyles
Collection: Piano or Keyboard, Christopher Norton Connections 3,4, 6 and 7 for Piano,
Christopher Norton Microrock 20 New Pieces Based on Rock Rhythms for the Beginner
Pianist, and The Christopher Norton Rock Preludes Collection. An overview of the
Connections Series and Norton's lyrical pieces are included in the appendix. The pieces
chosen are representative of Norton's composition style for solo piano. A variety of styles
includes jazz, Latin, blues, rock, lyrical, character, and swing.
In addition to the analyses, I have interviewed Christopher Norton, attended his
workshop in Dunedin and listened to, played and studied his music. Christopher Norton
has aided my research by providing copies of other interviews that he has undertaken as
well as continuing to provide answers to my ongoing questions
I have noted that through the process of research and analysis that Norton's style is
consistent regardless of the level that he writes for. During my brief analysis of the
Connections Series, I have noticed that Norton uses rhythmic patterns that are frequently
syncopated and often influenced by Latin, boogie and rock patterns. Ostinato and riff
patterns in the left-hand were frequently seen.
Norton's melodies were often
embellished with grace notes. Single note melodies were common in the earlier grades,
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134
and harmonised melodies in books six, seven and eight. Melodies were often repeated up
an octave, and on occasions down an octave and quite regularly in the left-hand.
Norton seems to prefer major keys and faster tempos, although there is plenty of
evidence to show that slow pieces are common as are minor keys. C Major appeared 38
times in the Connections Series. G major was also very common with 18 pieces written in
that key. A minor was the prevalent minor key with 14 pieces. Norton also wrote in the
Lydian mode, Dorian mode, Aeolian mode, and Mixolydian modes. The Aeolian, Lydian
and Dorian modes were the most common in the Connection Series.
Norton often uses simple harmonic progressions in his work but with seventh, ninth,
eleventh and thirteen chords. He has a fondness for the open fifth which frequently
appear in the left-hand parts. Pieces often ended with chords, which were usually ninth
or thirteen chords, but sometimes pieces ended with single notes or open fifth endings.
Norton always finishes his music with a very clear ending and the ending is usually very
quiet or loud. Sometimes Norton uses the introduction or Section A melody to complete
the music. Octaves were common throughout Norton's music, but they were not
overused.
Harmonies of minor and major seconds were also common, as well as
harmonies of thirds, fourths, fifth and sixth. Harmonies of sevenths in the left hand were
common. Compound chords frequently appeared in jazz influenced pieces.
Norton's music features a high-level of articulations, in particular, slurs. Grace notes are
common, but ornamentation was present in only a small number of pieces.
Strict form is a significant factor in Norton's compositions.
An overview of The
Connections Series showed that Norton favoured ternary form (ABA) nearly always with
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences
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135
significant melodic variations. Norton has also written a large number of works with one
main musical idea that is varied throughout the composition. Binary form appeared in a
smaller number of pieces in the Connections Series. (See Appendix 15)
At the conclusion of this research I believe there is a "Christopher Norton Sound." As a
result of my research, I have begun to recognise Norton's musical sound. Norton's sound
can be defined in a number ways; firstly by the clear form that is easily recognisable in all
the pieces I have studied and listened to. The formal analysis of Norton's music has
shown that Norton prefers clear musical structures such as A-B-A, usually with variations.
Norton's music sounds cohesive because he creates unity by the careful connecting of
important musical ideas. Important melodic ideas nearly always return, often with
variations. The harmonic language often uses chords that are easily recognisable as
"jazzy," with a strong liking of major sevenths, ninths, elevenths and even thirteenth
chords, often in inversions. It is rare to hear root position chords moving in traditional
classical chord one, four and five positions. Norton also favours open fifths stacked upon
each other and modal sounds. Norton uses the major and minor pentatonic scales to
create interesting melodies. The rhythms that support the melody flow effortlessly and
are often uncomplicated yet effective.
Norton frequently uses syncopation, cross
rhythms and shifted rhythms.
Norton appears to create distinct styles in his mind and ensures that all the musical
elements tie into the piece that he is constructing at that moment. There is more to it
than this! As I complete this dissertation, I am listening to Norton's rendition of Waltzing
Matilda and Pokarekare Ana from his newest book Pacific Preludes for piano. There is a
distinct "Norton" quality about these pieces. They are delicate, yet strong; the harmonic
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136
language is typical of Christopher Norton as is the care taken to maintain integrity with
the original melody, yet avoiding creating a pastiche composition. Everything has been
constructed down to the last detail.
The features of Christopher Norton's 'sound' have been developed through a prolific
number of compositions, and always the practicalities of performance in mind. Finally,
Norton has succeeded in creating his own contemporary sound world; a sound that has
come from many years of writing and an intention to stay true to his musical voice; a
voice that Norton admits is influenced by many different composers. I believe it is a New
Zealand voice, unique in its own sound. (Norton, Cannon Interview with Norton, 2015)
Norton's style of writing emerges from his classical roots and his explorations into
contemporary music. A "Christopher Norton" sound!
Anna Cannon
(Word count 20,485)
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teachpianotoday.com/2014/06/04/chatting-contemporary-music-with-the-oneand-only-christopher-norton/.
Thomas Volkel, J. A. (2010). Automatic genre classification of Latin American music using
characteristic rhythmic patterns. Proceedings of the 5th Audio Mostly Conference:
A Conference on Interaction with Sound (pp. 1-7). New York: ACM.
Thomas,
S.
(2011).
Latin
American
Music.
Retrieved
June
2,
2015
from:
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.otago.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove
/music/A2093315?q=Latin+American+Music&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#first
hit
Topham, T. (2015). timtopham.com/anzca-endorses-chris-nortons-app/. Retrieved 1-June,
2015 from: timtopham.com: http://timtopham.com/anzca-endorses-chrisnortons-app/
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University of Kansas. (2015). Retrieved 31-May, 2015 from : http://music.ku.edu/scottmcbride-smith
Worchester Polytech Music. (n.d.). Retrieved 2 June, 2015 from:
Ihttp://users.wpi.edu/~arivera/music.html
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The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his
Piano Repertoire
Appendix
Anna Cannon
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CONTENTS
The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire ............................ 145
Appendix .................................................................................................................................................. 145
Anna Cannon............................................................................................................................................ 145
Contents................................................................................................................................................... 146
Appendix 1 ............................................................................................................................................... 153
Christopher Norton Websites ................................................................................................................... 153
Appendix 2 ............................................................................................................................................... 157
A List of Website Links to Biographical Information About Christopher Norton ...................................... 157
Appendix 3 ............................................................................................................................................... 158
Christopher Norton's Interview with Anna Cannon 16th April 2015. ....................................................... 158
Appendix 4 ............................................................................................................................................... 166
Website links to Clapton and Springsteen videos. A comparison of rock style with Norton's style. ........ 166
Appendix 5 ............................................................................................................................................... 167
Notes from the workshop Getting Comfortable with Contemporary Music in Dunedin April 16th, 2015.
.................................................................................................................................................................. 167
Contemporary Rock ............................................................................................................................. 167
Contemporary Latin ............................................................................................................................. 168
Contemporary Big Band ....................................................................................................................... 168
Contemporary Ragtime ........................................................................................................................ 169
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Contemporary Blues ............................................................................................................................ 169
Contemporary Impressionist ............................................................................................................... 170
Contemporary Gospel .......................................................................................................................... 170
Contemporary Waltz ............................................................................................................................ 171
Contemporary Ballad ........................................................................................................................... 171
Contemporary Asian ............................................................................................................................ 171
Contemporary Musicals ....................................................................................................................... 171
Appendix 6 ............................................................................................................................................... 172
List of Music Examination Boards that are using Christopher Norton's Music. ....................................... 172
Appendix 7 ............................................................................................................................................... 174
Christopher Norton's 10 Terrific Tips on Teaching Improvisation ............................................................ 174
Appendix 8 ............................................................................................................................................... 175
Interview with Rosemary Miller Stott Miller Stott by Anna Cannon June 25th, 2015. ............................. 175
Rosemary Miller Stott's Background.................................................................................................... 175
Musicianship Class at Otago University with Christopher Norton ....................................................... 176
Recollections of Christopher Norton ................................................................................................... 176
Christopher Norton - Comments for the Present ................................................................................ 177
Appendix 9 ............................................................................................................................................... 179
Facebook interview - Christopher Norton with interviewer Matt Henderson. ........................................ 179
Matt Henderson: .................................................................................................................................. 179
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Christopher Norton's reply .................................................................................................................. 180
Appendix 10 ............................................................................................................................................. 183
Christopher Norton email Interview with Crystal Smith 9th May 2015 ................................................... 183
Crystal Gwendoline Smith Interviews Christopher Norton on May 9th 2015 by email. ...................... 183
Appendix 11 ............................................................................................................................................. 186
Further questions for Christopher Norton from Anna Cannon on April 26th 2015. ................................ 186
Appendix 12 ............................................................................................................................................. 188
Email Questions Anna Cannon to Christopher Norton 8th May 2015 ...................................................... 188
Appendix 13 ............................................................................................................................................. 190
Email Interview Matthews Tyson (St Cecilia School of Music Director) to Anna Cannon ........................ 190
Anna Cannon questions Matthews Tyson ........................................................................................... 190
Response from Matthews Tyson ......................................................................................................... 190
Appendix 14 ............................................................................................................................................. 191
Website links to articles about Christopher Norton. ................................................................................ 191
A Selection of Video Links Of Norton Performances ................................................................................ 192
Appendix 14 ............................................................................................................................................. 197
Tony Cummings Interview with Christopher Norton about the 500 Series.............................................. 197
Appendix 15 ............................................................................................................................................. 202
Characteristics of Christopher Norton's Connection Series ..................................................................... 202
The use of English words for descriptions for mood and expression: Descriptive Titles. ........................ 202
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Single note melodies: ............................................................................................................................... 202
Melody based on scale steps: ................................................................................................................... 203
Favours faster tempos: ............................................................................................................................. 203
The music does not start in the tonic: ...................................................................................................... 203
Prolonging resolution to the tonic chord: ................................................................................................ 204
12 Bar Blues form or influence: ................................................................................................................ 204
Pentatonic scale:....................................................................................................................................... 204
Blues scale influence:................................................................................................................................ 204
Use of blue notes: ..................................................................................................................................... 205
Pentatonic influence: ................................................................................................................................ 205
Similar motion: ......................................................................................................................................... 205
Swing rhythm: ........................................................................................................................................... 206
Minor keys with a raised 6th: ................................................................................................................... 206
Use of rhythmic patterns in bass: ............................................................................................................. 207
Ostinato: ................................................................................................................................................... 208
Syncopation: ............................................................................................................................................. 208
Riffs: .......................................................................................................................................................... 209
Held bass notes throughout: ................................................................................................................... 210
Repeated notes in the bass: ..................................................................................................................... 210
Octave bass throughout: .......................................................................................................................... 210
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Stride Bass: ............................................................................................................................................... 210
Blues Bass: ................................................................................................................................................ 210
Modal influence: ....................................................................................................................................... 211
Chord based accompaniment: .................................................................................................................. 211
Chords used at the end of the music: ....................................................................................................... 211
Crunch chords or clusters at the end of music often played staccato: .................................................... 212
Open fifth or interval of a fifth used as an ending: ................................................................................... 212
Octave notes played together at the end of the melody: ........................................................................ 213
Single note ending: ................................................................................................................................... 213
Seventh chord Ending: .............................................................................................................................. 213
Ninth chord ending: .................................................................................................................................. 213
Eleventh chord ending: ............................................................................................................................. 214
Thirteenth chord ending: .......................................................................................................................... 214
The beginning of the music is used to end the music: ............................................................................. 214
1,5,8 ending in bass: ................................................................................................................................. 214
Slowing at the end: ................................................................................................................................... 215
Use of suspended chords significant: ....................................................................................................... 215
Quiet endings:........................................................................................................................................... 216
Loud Endings:............................................................................................................................................ 217
Tremolo ending: ....................................................................................................................................... 217
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Octave melody played through both hands one after the other at the end of the music: ...................... 218
Melody played in octave parts: ................................................................................................................ 218
Use of arpeggio in melody: ....................................................................................................................... 218
Significant use of slurs: ............................................................................................................................. 219
Embellishing melody notes: ...................................................................................................................... 219
Ornaments: ............................................................................................................................................... 220
The use of minor second harmonies: ....................................................................................................... 220
The use of major second harmonies: ....................................................................................................... 221
Bass pattern 1,3,4,5 .................................................................................................................................. 221
Bass pattern 1,3,5,6: ................................................................................................................................. 221
Bass pattern 1,5,6,5: ................................................................................................................................. 221
Bass pattern 1,3,5: .................................................................................................................................... 221
Bass pattern 1,5,8,5: ................................................................................................................................. 222
Bass using notes in the triad: .................................................................................................................... 222
Bass pattern: 1,5,8,9. ................................................................................................................................ 222
Descending bass pattern: ......................................................................................................................... 222
Octaves in the melody: ............................................................................................................................. 223
Melody echoed in the bass: ...................................................................................................................... 223
A sharpened fourth added to a harmonic minor scale: ............................................................................ 223
Chords with flattened fifths: ..................................................................................................................... 224
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Use of sequences: ..................................................................................................................................... 224
Melody repeated up an octave: ............................................................................................................... 224
Melody repeated down an octave: ........................................................................................................... 225
Parallel major or minor: ............................................................................................................................ 225
Form ABA (Ternary form): ........................................................................................................................ 225
Form AB. (Binary):..................................................................................................................................... 226
Form ABAB (Binary) .................................................................................................................................. 226
One musical idea. (Often with variations): ............................................................................................... 226
Use of a fifth drone in the bass:................................................................................................................ 227
Call and response:..................................................................................................................................... 227
Round: ...................................................................................................................................................... 227
Harmony using tonic and the lowered seventh chord as the basis for the song: .................................... 228
Dorian Mode: ............................................................................................................................................ 228
Mixolydian mode: ..................................................................................................................................... 228
Aeolian mode:........................................................................................................................................... 228
Lydian mode: ............................................................................................................................................ 228
Changing time signatures: ........................................................................................................................ 229
Tierce de Picardie: .................................................................................................................................... 229
Frequent shifts in tonality:........................................................................................................................ 229
Emphasis on one key centre: .................................................................................................................... 229
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Appendix 16 ............................................................................................................................................. 230
Website Links To Information About Scott McBride Smith ...................................................................... 230
Appendix 17 ............................................................................................................................................. 231
Article From Indian Express - Christopher Norton .................................................................................... 231
Appendix 18 ............................................................................................................................................. 232
Table of Characteristics of Lyrical Style Pieces in the Connection Series by Christopher Norton. ............ 232
Appendix 19 ............................................................................................................................................. 235
An Overview of Christopher Norton's Connections Series Books 1 - 8 .................................................... 235
Appendix 20 ............................................................................................................................................. 380
- A List of Christopher Norton Publications .............................................................................................. 380
Appendix 21 ............................................................................................................................................. 388
Questions to Norton about Mellers and Blake 31 May 2015 ................................................................... 388
Christopher Norton's reply ....................................................................................................................... 388
Appendix 1
Christopher Norton Websites
It is possible to follow the composer’s activities and keep informed of his projects and
new music through newspaper articles, photographs and status updates. Christopher
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Norton's website has an on-line store: http://christophernorton.epartnershub.com/
Norton also has a dedicated YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/user/christophermicrojazz
Norton posts videos of "how to play" some of his popular pieces on his YouTube channel.
Norton also uses other video sharing sites such as Daily Motion and Sound Cloud to share
his teaching videos.
(http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2w366c)
Norton's music is also available on: https://soundcloud.com/nortonchristopher
Boosey and Hawkes are Norton's major music publisher. They provide a webpage that is
dedicated
to
information
about
Christopher
Norton
and
his
music:
http://www.boosey.com/pages/cr/composer/composer_main.asp?composerid=4968&tt
ype=BIOGRAPHY&ttitle=Biography
This website provides biographical information on Norton, a list of his works to date, and
links to a website created specifically for Christopher Norton's works at
www.christophernorton.com
Norton has a separate website for his Connections Series.
The website
http://www.christophernortonconnections.com/ provides backing tracks for the songs in
all eight piano books. Norton supplies podcasts with information about the music he has
written. There is an "ask the composer" link where students can converse with Norton
directly and receive answers to their questions.
https://www.facebook.com/christophernortoncomposer
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(Christopher Norton's Facebook Page)
https://www.youtube.com/user/christophermicrojazz
(Christopher Norton's YouTube Channel)
https://soundcloud.com/nortonchristopher
(Christopher Norton's music on Sound cloud - 716 Tracks)
http://christophernorton.blogspot.co.nz/
(Christopher Norton's blog)
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http://www.boosey.com/pages/cr/composer/composer_main.asp?composerid=4968&tt
ype=BIOGRAPHY&ttitle=Biography
(Boosey and Hawkes Publisher's biographical details.)
www.christophernorton.com
(Christopher Norton's online store.)
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Appendix 2
A List of Website Links to Biographical Information About Christopher
Norton
http://sounz.org.nz/contributor/composer/1075
Centre for New Zealand Music
http://www.boosey.com/pages/cr/composer/composer_main.asp?composerid=4968&tt
ype=BIOGRAPHY&ttitle=Biography
Boosey and Hawkes Publishing Website - Norton biographical details.
http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/The_500_Series_Producer_Chris_Norton
_talks_about_the_worship_album_series/39930/p1/
Christopher Norton interview with Tony Cummings
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Appendix 3
Christopher Norton's Interview with Anna Cannon 16th April 2015.
1. Creative Process Questions - Could you please explain your composition process,
how pieces are developed? In particular, do you think analytically about how you
compose a piece of music or is it more intuitive or based on playing at the piano?
Christopher Norton prefers to compose at the piano. Any musical idea will work
as a starting point because Norton states “anything can suggest something.....one
thing leads to another."
Norton believes that a music composition is a balancing act of repetition and
variation. He also insists that composition is a blend of the musical influences a
composer listens to. His musical influences are varied and include; Debussy,
Chopin, Prokofiev, Nielsen, Grieg, Ravel, Shimonoseki, Poulenc,
Satie, Faure,
Martineau, also contemporary musicians Beyoncé, Björk, Neil Young, jazz
musicians, Miles Davies, Jazz Crusaders, Weather Report, Herbie Hancock and
New Zealand composer Douglas Lilburn.
Norton also speaks of using intuition, as well as logic, when writing compositions,
and form is very important to him. Variation is an exceptionally important factor
in composition, but sometimes “something just occurs to me” says Norton so he
writes it down after working it through on the piano.
“A strong melody is
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essential,” continues Norton, who asserts that this is one of his strengthens in
writing music compositions.
2. When asked if jazz was a strong influence in his music?
Norton answered “Yes....But I'm not really a pure jazzer."
3. I've noticed you use a lot of major sevenths and ninths in your compositions, do
you have any strong preferences for certain sounds or rhythms when you
compose?
“I really like piled up fifths,” says Norton. Who explained these sounds have
“overtones of Lilburn." Norton enjoys open fifths, and major ninths and sevenths
that are apparent throughout his music compositions. Norton also commented
several times on the use of inverted chords, “they sound just right” says Norton,
who does not discount root position chords, but clearly enjoys composing using
inverted chords. Norton believes one of his strengthens in composition is that he
is “really good at voicing”.
4. I have been studying the Connections and Microjazz Piano series; how do you
view the stylistic differences in these two different series?
Norton explains that he was asked to write the Connections Series by the Canadian
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Examination Board. He worked through this large body of compositions by writing
one piece every day. He varied the levels each day and wrote based on what he
felt like at the moment, so one day he might write a grade one piece, the next day
a grade eight. Norton was not given any instructions about what to write or how
to write and this freedom allowed him to work creatively and intuitively through
his compositions until the eight books were completed over a period of about 200
days. This shows great commitment to the creative process as well as to the
resulting series of books that have been very well received throughout the music
teaching community. Christopher Norton is very clear about this; “I wrote to how
I felt. I wrote what I felt like writing each day.” Clearly Norton takes his job very
seriously but also allows plenty of room for flexibility in allowing intuition and
creativity to play its part.
There are times Norton agrees where logic and
analytical thinking play their part in the process of creating musical compositions.
Norton often starts with a drum track when beginning a composition, and he
prefers to work in the morning when he fresh and most motivated.
Norton asserts that there is no difference in his thinking or process for either the
Connections Series or the Microjazz Series but admits that there are more diverse
influences in the Connections Series. He believes that the influence of playing in a
Funk band during the early 1980's influenced the rhythms and sounds that are
found in the Micojazz Series.
One of Norton's favourite quotes about the
Microjazz series comes from a contemporary pianist he spoke to who had played
some of Norton's music. He said, “this guy writes like I play.” Norton considered
this a high compliment.
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The Connections Series are graded in a similar way to Associated Board and other
exam boards. For example grade seven is similar to Connections Book Seven. The
Microjazz series is not graded; the music in these books are just additional
compositions.
To summarise, Norton says that his works always sound like him! They are a blend
of his classical beginnings, his experiences playing in rock bands and the music he
listens to.
I hear this belief reinforced throughout the interview; Norton is
adamant that whether it is his early music, late music or different books or
musicals, his sound and process is consistent. He does not set out to write music
that is not authentically his music. There is a Christopher Norton Sound says
Norton, it comes from clarity of form, the use of certain chords and voicing, and
writing pieces that imply a rhythm section.
5. When did you start giving workshops for teachers and students; and how did this
come about?
Norton started teaching workshops for children and teachers in 1987. Teaching
improvisation has been a key element throughout this process. Norton sees
himself having a role in the education of teachers; a role that includes educating
music teachers how to teach contemporary music and improvisation. Norton also
believes music teachers should use their classical skills, (in particular,
technique)and apply them to teaching his music and other contemporary pieces.
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6. Why are contemporary music and improvisation such important facets of musical
education in 2015?
Norton insists that students should play music that they identify with and
understand. In the same breath, he states “technique is very relevant” as students
must know how to play in a physically appropriate way. Teachers must work with
students where they are and educate them about how to use their bodies in a way
that brings life to the music; articulation, phrasing and dynamics are critical to
sensitive musical playing. (One can quickly ascertain that Norton has a classical
approach to contemporary music.)
7. How do you make contemporary music relevant to music teachers and educators
when there is such a vast amount of historical repertoire available?
It is important that students have a connection with the music they play. It is
important to play the historical pieces, but people connect more easily with music
that is relevant and familiar.
8. Do you see your compositions as being influenced strongly by jazz harmonies and
rhythms?
“Yes, definitely” asserts Norton, who admits enjoying the big band sound which
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influences his style of compositions significantly. Norton enjoys jazz phrasing and
will “gravitate towards jazz when listening to music.”
Miles Davies, Herbie
Hancock, Weather Report and the Jazz Crusaders feature as favourites that Norton
listens to. Norton clarifies that when he writes in a jazz genre, his pieces are still
strongly tuneful.
9. What are your earliest recollections of music, your love for it, and your desire to
write music?
Christopher Norton's first memories of music include listening to the concert
programme, in particular, Tchaikovsky's The Waltz of the Flowers and the
Beethoven Hallelujah Chorus. Norton's parents gave him money to purchase
records from the World Record Club from the time he was eleven years old and
were supportive of his musical endeavours. Norton did not come from a musical
family but was given opportunities and support by his parents so that he could
follow his own path and make a career from composing music.
10. What was your first composition, and when did you write it?
“I was fourteen years old when I wrote my first composition on manuscript paper
during a holiday in Tauranga.” Rosemary Miller Stott-Miller Stott, was a great
support to him. Miller Stott-Miller Stott gave composition lessons and encouraged
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Norton's musical creativity.
11. Who are your strongest music influences when writing contemporary music and
why? Is there a contemporary musician that you greatly admire?
Prokofiev, Debussy, Nielsen and Barker, are great tune, writers. Modern musicians
include Beyoncé, Björk and Neil Young. Chopin and Grieg are his most loved
composers.
Norton comments that people often mention that he (Christopher Norton) has a
New Zealand sound, not unsimilar to Lilburn.
My sounds speak of “large
landscapes, bright blue skies” says Norton, who finds his fingers gravitating
towards open fifths and large spaced out chords, often in inverted positions.
Lilburn was “very kind to me,” says Norton, even though I had no interest what so
ever in Lilburn's electronic music. It seems Norton has always been his own man
when it comes to music composition. Norton often speaks of “finding your own
voice in music” and of the necessity to be unafraid to express and grow it. He has
never had an affinity with academia, preferring to immerse himself in creative
activities.
12. How have your compositions changed through time? Could you describe the style
of your earlier pieces compared to what you write now?
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Norton reinforces his earlier position that he writes in his own unique style.
Norton's style has been part of his writing from the beginning, it has grown and
developed but is still intrinsically the same as it was in early days. Norton is driven
by his desires to play and write music and not by external influences. Currently,
he is involved in writing musicals for English schools based on the English
curriculum for children aged five to eleven. He receives commissions from time to
time that allow him to explore other genres and instruments. Recently he has
been commissioned to write a ten-minute guitar piece, a piano sonata and a
clarinet work for Mark Walton in Australia.
13. How often do you get commissions to compose new music? Is there a difference
between the works your are commissioned to write and the other music you
write?
Norton explains that he receives commissions from time to time that allows him
to explore musical compositions that he might not necessarily have considered.
He tries to balance this out with his commitments for workshops and his work
with schools.
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Appendix 4
Website links to Clapton and Springsteen videos. A comparison of rock style
with Norton's style.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xfXswFmSzM
Bruce Springsteen - Backstreets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEx9O9x8Jnw
Layla - Eric Clapton
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Appendix 5
Notes from the workshop Getting Comfortable with Contemporary Music in
Dunedin April 16th, 2015.
Contemporary Rock
Contemporary Rock is one of the major genres that Christopher Norton writes in. Norton
gave the example of his composition Driving Range from Connections Book One. The
audience hears the composition played as Norton explains how to play the staccato as if
you are moving a lever. “Playing staccato in rock style, drop your wrist down then up.”
When playing a short phrase, drop down with the wrist on the first note of the phrase and
release upwards on the last note of the phrase says Norton. Norton demonstrates his
composition, showing the wrist movement and demonstrating how easily students can
resort to a heavy unmusical sound, and shows us how to rectify this.
Norton says a high point in his career was when The Associated Board first used some of
his compositions in their exam repertoire. The example used by Norton is Farmyards
Blues; a challenging rhythmical piece that is much loved by students. Christopher Norton
takes us through the steps in practicing a piece with rhythmical challenges. First, practice
clapping the right-hand and left-hand parts separately. Once a student can successfully
clap each part they need to practice clapping each part in each hand together. If a
student cannot do this, then there is little chance that the student will learn the piece
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easily. Contemporary rock music requires a great deal of co-ordination.
Christopher Norton insists grace notes should be played by playing both notes together
then flicking the second note away.
Classification of performance aspects by the
composer, ensure the student understands how to play the piece asserts Norton. Norton
takes pride in ensuring that his scores are detailed and include all slurs, articulations and
dynamics clearly marked for the performer.
Contemporary Latin
Norton suggests that we play contemporary Latin music with a dance-like style with nice
rhythmic patterns. Samba Band in Calypso style from Connections 3 is very popular with
students. Norton does not use a lot of root position chords, preferring inverted chord
movements in his pieces.
Holiday's from Connections 4 is a piece that has bass patterns accompanying a right-hand
tune with some variations in left-hand. Norton suggests a slight tenuto on each note and
playing lightly in the bass. He suggests dropping in on the first note and releasing by
lifting but not shortening the last note. "Encourage your students to play the left-hand by
itself, whilst they are practicing talk to them, then explain how the right-hand is having a
conversation with the left-hand." The left-hand needs to be on autopilot explains Norton.
Contemporary Big Band
Big Band Swagger from Connections 4 is a great example of contemporary big band
music. To maintain the style, of the contemporary big band, the left-hand part must be
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fingered correctly. Norton emphasizes the importance of excellent technique in playing
contemporary music, explaining that one of his teachers (Barry Margin), was very strict
and had high expectations of his students. Norton eludes to the fact that technique and
discipline are still highly valuable and important. For more fun, get students to practice
with the backing track. Norton provides backing tracks for all pieces in his Connections
Series. This involved making about 600 midi files with arrangements that include practice
and performance tempos and different backing options for each piece.
Norton's
connections series web-site has about two million hits each year; clearly his music is
relevant to students in today's society.
Contemporary Ragtime
In ragtime, the left-hand has a steady beat over a right-hand that has a strongly
syncopated melody. Adding the backing track to performance gives the student an
ensemble opportunity. In ragtime music, grace notes are played on the beat, together
then released.
Contemporary Blues
Christopher Norton enjoys writing contemporary blues music and has written many
pieces in this genre. The Blues Duet from Mircojazz 3 is a good example of contemporary
blues. Technically there are a lot of opportunities to teach piano technique through these
pieces.
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Contemporary Impressionist
Sierra from the Rock Preludes book is influenced by the Impressionist style of music.
Debussy is an important influence as is Ravel, Faure, Shimonoseki, Martineau, Satie and
Neilson. Norton has written a large number of pieces in this style. "You are trying to
create an atmosphere in this style of piano composition" states Norton. (Norton, Getting
Comfortable with Contemporary Music, 2015) Moonscape from Connections Five is
another good example of Norton's Impressionist Contemporary music.
Norton's background is classical musical. He only started experimenting with rock music
and other genres from about age seventeen. Norton says it's very important to start with
your students where they are. Start by learning something that is familiar. Norton
commented that some classical students have no understanding of the classical music
they are playing. They often do not know much about the composer, and they do not
know how to make the music sound the way it is supposed to. Some students have no
knowledge of the composers whose music they are playing
Contemporary Gospel
Christopher Norton's father was a minister Church music has an obvious influence in
some of Norton's compositions. Norton comments on the very church sounding D2 chord
that is very common in Christian music. Church music is often played with only a chord
chart and lyrics. Norton has also composed improvisations on some well-known hymns
and pieces, for example, Joy to the World.
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Contemporary Waltz
Not covered in presentation.
Contemporary Ballad
Fantasy Bossa Connections Seven
A piano ballad.
Contemporary Asian
Norton is writing a new book with contemporary Asian pieces that are due for release in
July.
Contemporary Musicals
These are being written for English schools in line with their curriculum.
Norton is a composer in residence in two London schools.
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Appendix 6
List of Music Examination Boards that are using Christopher Norton's Music.
http://st-cecilia.com.au/Syllabuses
St Cecilia School of Music
http://www.trinitycollege.com/site/?id=55
Trinity College London
http://nz.abrsm.org/en/home
Associated Board Royal School of Music
http://www.rcm.ac.uk/
Royal College of Music London
ANZCA
http://www.anzca.com.au/
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Royal Conservatory of Music Canada
https://www.rcmusic.ca/
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Appendix 7
Christopher Norton's 10 Terrific Tips on Teaching Improvisation
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Appendix 8
Interview with Rosemary Miller Stott Miller Stott by Anna Cannon June 25th,
2015.
Rosemary Miller Stott's Background
"I started to write music when I was eight," says Miller Stott, who had been reading
books about different composers at the time. She wanted to try and write her own
music, but nobody could give her any guidance or support.
Rosemary learned piano as a young child, attended Otago University and then went to
the Royal Academy of Music in London where she studied piano and composition. Miller
Stott returned to New Zealand and had worked as a private music teacher and within the
university system as a tutor. She is currently an examiner for the Associated Board Royal
Schools of Music and has examined internationally for some years.
A common theme in Miller Stott's conversation is the importance of creativity and
authenticity, and she values her musical life experiences, in particular, her association
with Christopher Norton, who works she greatly admires. Miller Stott notes her own
ability to "hear" music in her head and concludes that her aversion to formulas for
harmony may result from her special ability to be able to hear internally what one has
composed in writing. Miller Stott commented many times during our interview about
how formal harmony training eroded her sense of creativity and that she is very happy to
see changes occurring within universities teaching music composition today.
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Musicianship Class at Otago University with Christopher Norton
Don McKenzie from Otago University was involved with the establishment of the
musicianship class. It was not called a composition class as it would focus on several
important musical skills including composing, sight-singing, listening skills, aural and
performing of compositions. Rosemary Miller Stott was engaged to take the class. Miller
Stott believes her experiences helped shape the direction of the classes.
She had
experienced some negativity in learning theory and composition, in particular having to
complete harmony exercises from William Lovelocks Harmony Book. These experiences
helped her to offer a positive learning experience where students could "start
composing" before they had done a lot of formal harmony work". Miller Stott thought of
things she enjoyed doing and gave her students these musical opportunities.
The classes had up to eight children in them. The students would go home each week and
compose, and each lesson they would be given the opportunity to have their work
performed during class.
Recollections of Christopher Norton
Miller Stott's first comment about recollections of Christopher Norton was that he was
"prolific" in his compositions. She remembers Norton writing a complete sonata and
recalls Norton was "incredibly interested in composition." "Norton wrote a lot of piano
music," says Miller Stott, "he was an "incredibly creative young boy."
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I asked if Christopher Norton stood out in the class, and Miller Stott replied that she had
no idea he would go to become as successful as he has been. She remembered that
Norton stood out in the class in terms of the length of the works he wrote. Miller Stott
remembers Norton participating in everything and bringing along large piano
compositions.
Christopher Norton - Comments for the Present
I do not have to press Rosemary Miller Stott for comments on Norton's works and current
compositions.
She knows all about his current musicals for schools and has even
suggested to Norton that he could write a New Zealand musical based on Captain Cook.
Norton replied if he did, he could call it "The Endeavour."
Miller Stott is convinced that Christopher Norton has had an "incredible influence" on
music education. She believes that Norton's Microjazz were the first contemporary
pieces selected for inclusion in classical musical exams. Miller Stott remembers when
Norton's pieces were first included in the ABRSM syllabus.
She believes that the
Microjazz pieces keep students motivated and are a brilliant resource for teachers. "He
deserves credit for changing the course of our training!" says Miller Stott emphatically.
"He is the originator of our modern contemporary piano music," Miller Stott remembers
how radical Norton's music was at the time and recalls how some traditional piano
teachers were not ready to embrace it. Now days says, Miller Stott, many music teachers
and schools use Norton's resources, as he has written for many different instruments and
levels.
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"Christopher Norton has a fertile mind and the instant creativity of Mozart. He is
immensely creative, gifted to an astonishing degree. He has created a niche market for
his work" says Miller Stott proudly and notes that she believes Norton is a "leader in his
field. "Nothing he does is superficial. If he had lived in an earlier era he would have been
a Mozart!"
Miller Stott completes our interview by saying that there is an inherently New Zealand
sound in Norton's work and compares his work to Lilburn's. She is grateful to Otago
University for creating this opportunity for young people and herself as she has been
enriched by the experience of teaching the musicianship class and the ongoing contact
she has had with Christopher Norton.
Anna Cannon
June 25th, 2015
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Appendix 9
Facebook interview - Christopher Norton with interviewer Matt Henderson.
(Christopher Norton's Facebook comments)
https://www.facebook.com/christophernortoncomposer/posts/608041475909831
From my forum at www.christophernorton.com, a student from my home town, Matt
Henderson.
Matt Henderson:
Christopher. I'm a Year 12 music student at John McGlashan College, Dunedin, NZ, plus I
am a keen jazz pianist and have performed several of your pieces which I greatly enjoy. At
the moment I currently have to write a report about an influential New Zealand musician
for a NCEA Level 2 music internal, and would be keen to "interview" you!!
Would really appreciate if you could find a moment to answer these questions:
• When did you first love the thought of being a musician? Any leading factor that made
you think “Hey I want to do this for a living”? What music influenced then?
• What do you believe has been your biggest contribution to the music arena, especially
New Zealand?
• Your biggest honour? Career highlight?
• Funniest moments in your career?
• One difficult aspect of composing that the public may not realize?
• Comments on the influence of the Latin genre on your composition over the years.
• My personal favourites of yours that I have recently played are “Out on the Prairie” and
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“Samba 2”. What influenced you when writing these two pieces?
• What are your personal favourite pieces you have composed and why?
• Your advice to young musicians of the 21st century?
I greatly appreciate your time and help!
Many thanks,
MH
Christopher Norton's reply
Hello! Here goes:
I first thought of the idea of being a full-time musician when I decided to do a music
degree at the age of seventeen. I'd started to write my own music when I was fourteen
and realised that I liked playing the piano, but also liked figuring out my own pieces on
the piano and arranging those pieces for other instruments. When I finished my degree, I
immediately became a teacher of music in a high school and at that point I realised I was
already making a living in music! But in quite a short time I began to free-lance as a
composer, arranger and performer (as well as continuing to teach) Once I arrived in the
UK in 1977 I continued teaching piano and free-lancing. And I've been doing it ever since.
I listened to a wide range of music before I went to university, but almost all classical
music. My favourite composers (in no particular order) included Prokofiev, Ravel,
Debussy, Nielsen, Rachmaninoff, Poulenc, but also Beethoven, Brahms, Faure, Bizet,
Schumann... the list is quite long! During university, I was introduced to a range of
popular music and began to play it for the first time. My life's work has been integrating
the two strands.
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My biggest contribution to music has been to keep lots of students playing who might
otherwise have given up! My pieces are not too long, easy to read and appeal to young
performers as well as their peers and, very importantly, parents. This has happened in
lots of countries, New Zealand included.
My biggest honours - winning the Concerto Competition in Christchurch in 1976 and
getting the MPA (Music Publishers Association) award for best publication for the
Essential Guide to Pop Styles. Career highlights include Christopher Norton Piano Festivals
in many countries, most recently in Seattle, Vancouver and Halifax (Nova Scotia) And my
new Micro Musicals (www.micromusicals.com)
Funniest moment - getting on stage in Adelaide with a five-year-old pianist (a little girl)
who was about to play one of my American Popular Piano pieces which has a teacher
accompaniment. I said to her "would you like me to play with you?" Without looking at
me, she barked "NO!" and proceeded to play, leaving me standing, lemon-like, on stage...
A difficult aspect of composition is, for me, writing pieces in well-known styles (boogie
boogie, bossa nova, ragtime etc) and making them something more than pastiche i.e.
giving them a composer voice while being recognisably in a specific style.
I have written lots of Latin pieces over the years. I loved an album by Sivuca from the
early 70s, then Santana and then lots of other Latin players and writers over the years.
My most recent favourite artist in that field is Eliane Elias (check her out on YouTube)
One of my personal favourite books is my Latin Preludes Collection. Check out the lovely
new recordings of them by Nicola Melville on Sound cloud
(www.soundcloud.com/nortonchristopher)
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Out on the Prairie is a country piece with lots of violin-like 5ths and an underlying rock
beat - Bruce Hornsby and the Range are the best touchstone for this style (check out the
awesome Harbour Lights) I like the rodeo/hoedown flavour. Samba 2 is a lovely sunny,
upbeat piece - I like its upbeat character even though it's in the minor key. And those
chords in the middle section are gorgeous!
My favourite pieces:
Country Song from the Rock Preludes Collection - again a sunny, happy piece which keeps
growing and changing in a nice organic way.
Beguine from the Latin Preludes Collection - a Spanish guitar-style piece for piano, with
rich, expressive harmonies and two climaxes.
Stratford Air from American Popular Piano Level 8 - a lovely syncopated ballad.
Fantasy Bossa from Connections 7 - a bossa nova that keeps going in different directions.
My advice to young musicians - play as much music as you can, ideally with other people
as well as by yourself. And try to find what really moves you musically - it will be a clue for
whatever direction your composing takes.
Best wishes
Christopher Norton
London September 19th 2013
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Appendix 10
Christopher Norton email Interview with Crystal Smith 9th May 2015
Crystal Gwendoline Smith Interviews Christopher Norton on May 9th 2015 by
email.
Dear Mr.Norton,
1. Can you describe your music career path to date?
I did a music degree at Otago University, graduating in 1974. I’d already written a lot of
music (including pieces for the Schools Chamber Music Competition and piano music
broadcast on the Concert Programme) and I went to Wellington in 1975 and got a job as
head of music at Scots College. After two years there (during which time I won the
Christchurch Piano Concerto competition) I took up a position at Taw College, then I was
a composer in schools for a year. In 1977 I left for the UK and did a second degree (in
composition) at York University, at the end of which I became a free-lance musician,
which I’ve been ever since. I toured, I arranged music, I wrote music on commission,
music for television, background music albums, midi files, and ring-tones. I was published
by 1981, first with Universal Edition in London, then with Boosey & Hawkes, who remain
my publisher to this day. Micro jazz (1983) was quickly a success, and I have produced
over 100 books since. These days I write and arrange still, but also travel all over the
world giving presentations on my music and doing workshops and master classes with
students. My most recent venture is Micro Musicals ; short (30 minute) musicals for
junior school, based on the UK curriculum. So I am back in schools again after a 40 year
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gap!
2. What have been the highlights and lowlights of your career?
Highlights:
1) having a piece for orchestra performed on the Concert Programme in New Zealand
when I was 16 years old.
2) Winning Best Publication (for Essential Guide to pop Styles) at the Music Publishers
Association awards in the 1990s
3) Seeing many of my pieces played by students all around the world.
Low points:
1) Not winning the Auckland Piano Concert Competition (I played a Mozart concerto at
breakneck speed)
2) Arriving at York in the wrong era, when avant-garde styles were the only acceptable
way to compose
3. What do you consider the most important aspects of your tertiary study?
In Otago, being exposed to lots of music I didn’t know (and I knew a lot of music when I
arrived) and getting very sensible advice from various people, including Jack Spears,
Edwin Carr and John Rimmer. In York, seeing how rigorous the feedback and analysis
could be of composition by students and staff alike. A chance to play in a variety of
musical contexts.
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4. Where did you study and what courses did you do to become what you are? Otago and
York. I was what I was from the beginning, but the courses enabled me to take time to
reflect on what I wanted to write (which I subsequently did)
5. How do you currently financially and artistically sustain your career?
Book royalties, media (tv and radio play) royalties, fees for events
6. When did you first feel established in your career?
Probably by the mid-1980s
7. What advice can you give an undergraduate musician of the 21st century?
Write from a starting-point of music you like and build up a portfolio of pieces so that if
you get any kindof break, you have material already! Assume you might be asked to write
pastiche or write to picture. Assume video-game music might be an option. Look for
media music opportunities as a writer rather than print.
Crystal Smith
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Appendix 11
Further questions for Christopher Norton from Anna Cannon on April 26th
2015.
On 26 Apr 2015, at 04:04, Anna Cannon <[email protected]> wrote:
Hi Chris and Wendy
Your presentation was very enjoyable Chris, and I enjoyed the opportunity to interview
you afterwards.
I have a few questions still, and a couple of things that need clarification when you have
an opportunity to reply.
1. What is the correct spelling of your teachers name? (Barry Margin - Is that the correct
spelling?) Could I have some more information about him, please. It seems clear he
influenced your technique and desire to do things correctly.
Barry Margan - he taught at Victoria in the early 70s and was a very fine piano soloist. He
was in Music Players 70. http://sounz.org.nz/contributor/performer/1443
2. I am very interested in the connection between Lilburn and your music. You spoke
briefly about this to me, if you had any further thoughts on the similarities between your
music and his, it would be much appreciated.
There’s just a subtle similarity in some of the sonorities we both like - use of 4ths and
5ths and “open” chords. I was also really keen on Nielsen and Sibelius as a teenager and
Lilburn certainly owed something of a debt too Sibelius in his early works.
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3. Titles
I am very curious about how the titles of your pieces come about. Do you start with a
title, or end up with one once the piece is finished? Or can it be either way depending on
the day and your mood? Do you ever set out to write a piece with a definite flavour
before playing at the piano?
I write the piece and give it a title afterwards on the whole. I don’t tend to set out with
any particular mood in mind but it soon becomes evident what kind of mood a new piece
has!
4. Fantasy Boss from Connections 7 - You categorised this as a piano ballad rather than a
Latin ballad. What is your reason for this? (This is one of my favourite pieces too! My
students enjoy learning it)
It is both a piano ballad and a Latin ballad! You might say it’s a piano ballad in Latin style..
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Appendix 12
Email Questions Anna Cannon to Christopher Norton 8th May 2015
I am currently writing the biographical section of my dissertation and would be thrilled if you
could answer the following questions when you have time.
1. Where in NZ were you born please?
Tauranga
2. Could I have a little more background information on your early years; where you
attended primary school, and your interests besides music?
Waiouru Primary (presumably), Papakura Normal, an
intermediate school in Devonport
for one year, Dunedin North Intermediate, Otago Boys.
3. Do you have any other qualifications aside from your degree at Otago University?
M.Phil from York University (UK)
LRSM
4. There is a lot of similar information on your websites and other websites with information
about you, are there any interesting facts or stories that you would see as important in
your development as a child, student, and composer?
As a young composer, the influence of Rosemary Miller
Stott, who is still teaching
in Christchurch and an ABRSM examiner. She ran
composition classes for young
composers which I attended. Don McKenzie, who made it
possible financially for me to
attend music schools in Dunedin. Jack Speirs was a very
practical and helpful
composition teacher at
Otago University.
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Appendix 13
Email Interview Matthews Tyson (St Cecilia School of Music Director) to
Anna Cannon
Anna Cannon questions Matthews Tyson
I am doing a dissertation on Christopher Norton's music (including the pedagogical
aspects) and I would like to know when St Cecilia School of Music started including them
in their exam syllabus and your motivation for their addition to your syllabus. (And your
willingness to be quoted in my paper, please.)
Many thanks Anna
Response from Matthews Tyson
Christopher Norton's pieces have been in our syllabuses for over 15 years now. Many of
our teachers requested that he be represented and we probably have more of his pieces
in our syllabuses than any other board as a result.
I have given Marilyn a NEW keyboard and Woodwind syllabus to get to you. You will see
Christopher's pieces are very well represented.
Clearly, students and teachers really enjoy his imaginative approach. Examiners find the
pieces refreshing too. The fact that he is a New Zealand (even though he lives in Canada
now?) is also a plus. We all feel proud of the fact that "one of our own" has done so well and continues to do well.
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Appendix 14
Website links to articles about Christopher Norton.
http://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/opinion/334115/dunedins-own-sound-classic-worldwide
Otago Daily Times, August 4th, 2015
http://www.teachpianotoday.com/2014/06/04/chatting-contemporary-music-with-theone-and-only-christopher-norton/
Teach Piano Today Website - June 4th 2015
http://www.irmt.org.nz/Documents/ritmico91apr2012_Conference%20Overview.pdf
Ritmico Article
http://timtopham.com/tttv002-using-piano-improv-to-create-a-musician-for-life-withchristopher-norton/
Tim Topham interview with Christopher Norton
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http://www.punemirror.in/entertainment/unwind/All-about-thePiano/articleshow/45981989.cms
Article on Pune Mirror website.
http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/The_500_Series_Producer_Chris_Norton
_talks_about_the_worship_album_series/39930/p1/
Christopher Norton is interviewed by Tony Cummings about the 500 Series
A Selection of Video Links Of Norton Performances
A Brief Tango
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgk1ZhQ1StM
Microjazz Collection 3 No 13
Tango
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdXlmiKG3qQ
Toronto Tango (Played by Christopher Norton)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKAF4jnDcnc
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Last Tango (Played by Christopher Norton)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh4dNoY3HC0
The Microstyles Collection No 48
Giveaway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LTFluae_Gc
The Microstyles Collection No 18
In the Sun (Bossa Nova)
The Microstyles Collection No 30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MSvvQ6x-bA
Latin Nights (Bossa Nova)
The Microstyles Collection No 32
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjb1NqfEC2A
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Hideaway
The Microstyles Collection No 15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBn-9LxxesM
A Charmer
The Microstyles Collection No 19
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZLC80fZ53Y
Samba 1
The Christopher Norton Latin Preludes Collection
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p_ce-nyfOI
Slow Samba
The Christopher Norton Latin Preludes
https://soundcloud.com/nortonchristopher/01-slow-samba-composer
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Samba III
The Christopher Norton Latin Preludes
https://soundcloud.com/nortonchristopher/01-slow-samba-composer
Mambo
Latin Preludes
https://soundcloud.com/nortonchristopher/01-mambo-composer-performance
Mambo Queen
Connections 8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mercdu8HD00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6Xc-NQYntU
Christopher Norton - Chasing My Tail - Clarinet Sonata
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http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2w366c
Christopher Norton - How to play Moonscape from Connections 5
YouTube Video - Norton speaking about the Connections Series
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PttPuaFPWqw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md5uHsRGNds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEckkXLyRx8
(Syncopation)
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Appendix 14
Tony Cummings Interview with Christopher Norton about the 500 Series
Tony: Can you give us a biography prior to you producing your first album?
Chris: Born in New Zealand in 1953. I began composing at the age of 14 and by the age of
16, had an orchestral work performed and broadcast. Completed an honours degree in
music from Otago University in 1974 and had some success as a pianist in New Zealand,
playing with the Symphony Orchestra and broadcasting on the Concert Programme. I was
at the same time teaching music in local high schools and beginning to freelance as a
composer and arranger. I had also started to play keyboards in a rock band and became
interested in jazz and pop. Came to the UK in 1977 on a New Zealand government
scholarship and studied composition at York University with Wilfrid Mellers and David
Blake. I wrote a variety of pieces during this time - choral works, orchestral pieces, piano
music and musicals. Played in various bands and started to experiment with combinations
of styles that crossed the divide between my classical background and the more
contemporary popular styles that I was playing. My earliest publications were with
Universal Edition in London and included Carol Jazz - improvisations on Christmas tunes
and Sing'n 'swing, for choir, piano and percussion. In 1983, I was signed by Boosey &
Hawkes and the first of the Microjazz series appeared - music which appealed greatly to
children and teenagers but was rooted in the classical tradition sufficiently to be useful as
teaching material. The series has expanded over 20 years to include music for all of the
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major instruments with piano, ensemble books and midi file backings. It is now the
biggest selling music series for Boosey & Hawkes, with probably a million sales to date.
Over the last 20 years, I have also written much other music for the educational market.
During the same time period, I have written much music for television - most recently for
Junkyard Wars - have written many pieces for library music companies and have also
found time to produce huge numbers of albums for particularly the gospel market, with
releases worldwide selling in excess of 1,000,000 units. I am also an active publisher,
particularly of religious music.
Tony: Your name as producer seems to come up on dozens and dozens of albums. How
did you get into record production?
Chris: I was a keyboard player and arranger for Phil Potter's 'Lead Me On' album (1979),
which was produced by John Pantry, and John and I had a long and happy association for
a number of years. This got me familiar with studios and production. I produced a few
albums for Word UK in the early 1990s, including the first 'Praise Him' albums and their
success, both in Europe and America (re-released as the 'Ambience' series) meant that I
kept being asked to produce projects - for Word initially, then for various other labels.
This situation has continued until the present day.
Tony: You seem to live in recording studios! Is that true?
Chris: I have associations with a number of studios around the UK (including Northern
Ireland) as well as set-ups in the USA and Australia. I co-ordinate the efforts of lots of
individual musicians and studios to create a global recording set-up that is really internetbased. I also do lots of live recordings - the Hymn Makers series for example (20 albums!)
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which are always the most fun to do. The day of big studios is over, and I have created
new ways of recording that avoid being locked away in studios for weeks at a time.
Tony: Of all the numerous projects you've worked on, what would you say are your three
or four favourites?
Chris: The Celtic Series (Eden's Bridge) - together with my US business partner, we got
this series started and its worldwide success is very satisfying; The Hymn Makers series
and Heart Of Worship - it's very interesting trying to create albums that reflect the best of
what's going on in praise and worship around the world and it's a challenge to get the
albums sounding authentic - all singers are actual worship leaders. Sales of these three
series are probably around 1.1 million units, which is also satisfying - there is a market out
there for Christian music!
Tony: The 500 Series is proving to be a popular one. How many of the songs were
unfamiliar to you?
Chris: I know most of the songs on the series - we (CN Productions) are also responsible
for the World Of Worship series and The Source recordings, so we really are pretty
familiar with the worship song repertoire!
Tony: You've worked a lot with the singer Simon Goodall. What particularly attracts you
to Simon's vocals?
Chris: Simon is a great singer who is versatile and a fast worker! He sings with real feeling
and can invest the simplest song with a real intensity.
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Tony: Many of the singers on the 500 Series (Calvin Bottoms, Ingrid DuMosch, Shannon
Sparks, etc) are, I believe, American. What percentage of the vocals were recorded there,
then?
Chris: My American singers sing on songs that seem particularly suited to US voices. I like
mixing up singers from different countries on recordings to create variety and to get the
authentic styles that are often required. We've just done a Spring Harvest hymns album
and Lesley, the girl singer on the album, is in Paul Oakley's band. You can't get that
distinctive UK sound from an American singer. But when it comes to a song like "Restore
Me", the final track on 'Heart Of Worship 3', an American singer is absolutely ideal. I try
to slightly favour the UK singers, so I'd say US singers do round 30 per cent of my vocals.
Tony: When you assemble the list of 500 Series songs to record, do you try and say, "Let's
put in a couple from the Catholic tradition, a couple of Graham Kendrick's," stuff like
that? Or are they simply the first ones for which you have the words and music to hand?
Chris: I didn't have any say in the selection - it is literally CCLI's top 500 songs!
Tony: Has there been any song in the 500 Series copyright list where you've had real
trouble tracking down words and music?
Chris: Not really - I have all the songbooks and also record all around the UK, so I can
generally track things down.
Tony: What would you say is the appeal of the series?
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Chris: Funnily enough, it's the middle of the road aspect that people like - we are trying to
have something of the classic Maranatha praise albums of the '70s as our starting point.
What I have discovered is that the 35 age group really like them and so do children, who
like the songs, but aren't looking for hard rock versions.
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Appendix 15
Characteristics of Christopher Norton's Connection Series
The use of English words for descriptions for mood and expression:
Descriptive Titles.
(All)
Single note melodies:
Still at the Center (1), Driving Range (1), Trucking (1), Full of Confidence (1), Bear Dance
(1), Lost Toy (1), On stage (1), Creaking Stairs (1), Ready for Action (1), Pipe Tune (1),
Carol in Canon (1), The Minstrel (1), Sea Bird (1), In the Snow (1), Marking Time, Dance
Steps (1), Eastern Song (1), Picnic Hop (2), Feelin Good (2),Trumpet Blues (2), The
Highlands (2), Sugar Cane (2), Half Asleep (2), Long Haul (2), Smiley (2), A Morning Song
(2), Motoring Along (2), Snappily Dressed (2), Across the Avenue (2), Leading the Cheer!
(2), Given Half a Chance (3), Rainforest (3), The Dream (3), Feeling Silly (3), At the Market
(3), Sunset Mood (3), Deep in Thought (4), A Steady Hand (4), Positively Swinging (4),
Stegosaurus (4), Bedbug Blues (4), By Myself (4), Two Trails (4), Jaunty (4), Scamp (5),
Boxcar Blues (5), Floating (5), Rail Rhythms (5), Mood Marigold (6), Mississauga Rag (6),
Tent Meeting (6), Upside (6), Picking Up the Pace (7), Last September (8).
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Melody based on scale steps:
Marking Time (1), Morning Song (2), Free for the Day (6).
Favours faster tempos:
On Stage (1), Ready for Action (1), Dance Steps (1), Picnic Hop (2), Feelin Good (2), You've
Got Mail (2), The Highland (2), Sugar Cane (2), Motoring Along (2), Snappily Dressed (2),
Licorice Allsorts (2), Given Half a Chance (3), In the Spirit (3), The Dream (3), Feeling Silly
(3), On the Spur of the Moment (3), White Sand (3), Happy-Go-Lucky (3), Up and Away
(3), Counterintuitive (4), Positively Swinging (4), Strutting About (5), Tap Dance (5), Cool
as a Cucumber (6), Mississauga Rag (6), Tent Meeting (6), Bahama Beach (6), Big Band
Swagger (6), Upside (6), Streetwise (7), Ringing Changes (7), The Band Strikes Up (7), At
the Rodeo (7), Early Morning Workout (7), Hot Day(8), Texas line Dance (8).
The music does not start in the tonic:
On a Swing (7), Desolate (7) A Cool Night (7), Frolics (1), Trumpet Blues (2), Suave (2), Half
Asleep (2), Morning Song (2), In the Spirit (3), A Gentle Touch (3),
Crystals (3),
Counterintuitive (4), Deep in Thought (4), A Simple Song (4), Daydreaming (5), Mood
Marigold (6), In Between (6),Seconds Apart (6), On a Swing (7).
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Prolonging resolution to the tonic chord:
Fantasy Bossa (7), Little Lullaby (6), A Simple Song (4), Leaves Falling (5), Daydreaming (5),
Strutting About (5), In Between (6), Seconds Apart (6), Alone in Autumn (7), Ringing
Changes (7).
12 Bar Blues form or influence:
Picnic Hop (2), Long Haul (2), Smiley (2), Motoring Along (2), Snappily Dressed (2), On the
Spur of the Moment (3), Happy-Go-Lucky (3), Positively Swinging (4), Stegosaurus (4)
Bedbug Blues (4), Taskmaster (4), Two Trails (4), So Easy (5), Back on Track (5), Strutting
About (5), Nerferti Blues (7), Streetwise (7), Early Morning Workout (7).
Pentatonic scale:
Smooth as Silk (1), Driving Range (1), Rocking Horse (1), Ready for Action (1) (in melody),
Smooth as Silk (1) (in melody), Feelin Good (2), A Gentle Touch (3), Trail-Ride Blues (3), So
Easy (5).
Blues scale influence:
Up and Away (3), Stegosaurus (4), Strutting About (5), Cool as a Cucumber (6), Big Band
Swagger (6), Nerferti Blues (7).
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Use of blue notes:
Given Half a Chance (3), So Easy (5), Boxcar Blues (5), Strutting About (5), Boogie Express
(5), Streetwise (7), Texas line Dance (8).
Pentatonic influence:
Grey Skies (2), Long Haul (2), Smiley (2), Motoring Along (2), Snappily Dressed (2),
Across the Avenue (2), Licorice Allsorts (3), In the Spirit (3), Sunset Mood (3), Happy-GoLucky (3),Positively Swinging (4), Stegosaurus (4), Line by Line (4), Open Window (4), Tap
Dance (5), Tent Meeting (6), Picking Up the Pace (7), At the Rodeo (7), Hot Day (8).
Use of contrary motion:
Sugar Cane (2), Half Asleep (2), Smiley (2), Given Half a Chance (3), The Dream (3), Feeling
Silly (3), Crystals (3), On the Spur of the Moment (3), White Sand (3), Happy-Go-Lucky (3),
Taskmaster (4), Scamp (5), Contra Dance (5), Daydreaming (5), Mysterious Stranger (5),
Mood Marigold (6), Too Cool (6),Gazelle (6), Big Band Swagger (6), Alone in Autumn (7), ),
On a Swing (7), Streetwise (7), Desolate (7), The Band Strikes Up (7).
Similar motion:
Snappily Dressed (2), Trail-Ride Blues (3),Positively Swing (4), Taskmaster (4), Open
Window (4), Holidays (4), Bahama Beach (6), ), On a Swing (7), Veiled in Mystery (8).
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Strong tonic to subdominant movement:
Little Lullaby (6), Fantasy Bossa (7), Deep in Thought (4), Taskmaster (4), Taskmaster (4),
Cake Mix (4), A Summers Day (5), Mississauga Rag (6), As in a Dream (6), Buttoned Down
(6), Alone in Autumn (7), In Spain (8).
Swing rhythm:
Ready for Action (1), Whistling Tune (1), Full of Confidence (1), On Stage (1), Smooth as
Silk (1), Picnic Hop (2), Feelin Good (2), Trumpet Blues (2), Sugar Cane (2), Smiley (2),
Snappily Dressed (2), Given Half a Chance (3), In the Spirit (3), Happy-Go-Lucky (3), Up
and Away (3), Positively Swinging (4), Bedbug Blues (4), Two Trails (4), Jaunty (4), Scamp
(5), Tap Dance (5), Tent Meeting (6), Big Band Swagger (6), Streetwise (7), The Band
Strikes Up (7), Hot Day (8).
Minor keys with a raised 6th:
Displacement (6), The Minstrel (1), Out of the Mist (1), Sugar Cane (2), Licorice Allsorts
(3), The Dream (3), Line by Line (4), Open Window (4), Too Cool (6),Displacement (6),
Alone in Autumn (7), In Spain (8).
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Use of rhythmic patterns in bass:
Twilight Dance (6), Bear Dance (1), No Worries (1), On Stage (1), Rocking Horse (1),
Creaking Stairs (1), Ready for Action (1), Frolics (1), In the Snow (1), Out of the Mist (1),
Still at the Center (1), Dance Steps (1), Eastern Song (1), Caribbean Song, (1), In the Quiet
House (2), A Walk in the Sun(2), Toronto Tango (2), You've Got Mail (2), Sidewalk Cafe
(2), A Stately Occasion (2), Trumpet Blues (2), Grey Skies (2), Suave (2), The Highlands (2),
Sugar Cane (2), Half Asleep (2), Long Haul (2), Smiley (2), Morning Song (2), Motoring
Along (2), Snappily Dressed (2), Across the Avenue (2), Circling (2), Drum Dance (2), A
Long Goodbye (2), Licorice Allsorts (3), Given Half a Chance (3), In the Spirit (3), A Gentle
Touch (3), The Dream (3), Feeling Silly (3), Wind Riders (3), Crystals (3), Poolside (3), On
the Spur of the Moment (3), Angel's Breath (3), White Sand (3), Samba Band (3), Breezy
(3), Sunset Mood (3), Ocean Breeze (3), Happy-Go-Lucky (3), Trail-Ride Blues (3), Snake
Dance (3), Up and Away (3), Fantasy Bossa (7), Deep in Thought (4), The Young Rider (4),
Positively Swinging (4), Stegosaurus (4), Bedbug Blues (4), Taskmaster (4), Sunny Again
(4), Two Trails (4), Open Window (4), Cake Mix (4), Jaunty (4), Holidays (4), Scamp (5),
Contra Dance (5), A Summers Day (5), So Easy (5), Palm Trees (5), Floating (5), A Folk Song
(5), Back on Track (5), Country Calm (5), Daydreaming (5), Rail Rhythms (5), Strutting
About (5), Mysterious Stranger (5), The Arrival (5), Tap Dance (5), Simple Pleasures (5),
Boogie Express (5), Caribbean Mood (5), Free for the Day (6), Cool as a Cucumber (6),
Mood Marigold (6), Rocker (6), Bare Trees (6), Too Cool (6), Gazelle (6), Tent Meeting (6),
Bahama Beach (6), Displacement (6), A Minor Incident (6), Little Lullaby (6), Upside (6),
Nerferti Blues (7), Alone in Autumn (7), Hanging Gardens (7), Streetwise (7), Desolate (7),
Picking Up the Pace (7), Ringing Changes (7), The Band Strikes Up (7), On the Alert (7),
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Soft-Edged (7), Stormy (7), A Cool Night (7), At the Rodeo (7), Early Morning Workout (7),
Sax Tune (7), Water Lilies (7), Hot Day (8), Last September (8), New England Dawn (8), In
Spain (8), Texas line Dance (8), Cuban Romance (8), Celtic Lament (8), Veiled in Mystery
(8).
Ostinato:
Trucking (1), Bear Dance, Pipe Tune (1), The Dream (3), White Sand (3), Samba Band (3),
Bedbug Blues (4), Taskmaster (4), Holidays (4), Contra Dance (5), Floating (5), The Arrival
(5), Caribbean Mood (5), Free for the Day (6), A Minor Incident (6), Nerferti Blues (7),
Streetwise (7), At the Rodeo (7), Early Morning Workout (7).
Syncopation:
Driving Range (1), Whistling Tune (1), Trucking (1), Bear Dance (1), On Stage (1), Creaking
Stairs (1), Ready for Action (1), On Stage (1), Creaking Stairs (1), Ready for Action (1), Bell
Tower (1), Frolics (1), Out of the Mist (1), In the Quiet House (2), Sidewalk Café (2),
Trumpet Blues (2), Grey Skies (2), Sugar Cane 2, Long Haul (2), Smiley (2), Snappily
Dressed (2), Circling (2), Leading the Cheer! (2), A Long Goodbye (2), Licorice Allsorts (3),
Given Half a Chance (3), In the Spirit (3), Feeling Silly (3), Wind Riders (3), On the Spur of
the Moment (3), Angels' Breath (3), White Sand (3), Samba Band (3), Breezy (3), At the
Market (3), Ocean Breeze (3), Happy-Go-Lucky (3), Trail-Ride Blues (3), Snake Dance (3),
Up and Away (3),
Fantasy Boss (7), Counterintuitive (4), Positively Swinging (4),
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Stegosaurus (4), Bedbug Blues (4), Taskmaster (4), Taskmaster (4),Line by Line (4), Sunny
Again (4), Lightbulb (4), A Simple Song (4), Two Trails (4), Open Window (4), Cake Mix (4),
Jaunty (4), Holidays (4), Lighter than Air (4), Scamp (5), Contra Dance (5), A Summers Day
(5), So Easy (5), Boxcar Blues (5), Sometimes It's How I Feel (5), Palm Trees (5), Floating
(5), A Folk Song (5), Back on Track (5), Rail Rhythms (5), Strutting About (5), The Arrival
(5), Tap Dance (5), Simple Pleasures (5), Boogie Express (5), Caribbean Mood (5), Free for
the Day (6), Cool as a Cucumber (6), Mississauga Rag (6), Rocker (6), Bare Trees (6), Too
Cool (6), Gazelle (6) In Between (6), Tent Meeting (6), Bahama Beach (6), As in a Dream
(6), Buttoned Down (6), Big Band Swagger (6), A Minor Incident (6), Upside (6), Nerferti
Blues (7), Alone in Autumn (7), Hanging Gardens (7), Southern Serenade (7), Streetwise
(7), Desolate (7),Picking Up the Pace (7), The Band Strikes Up (7), On the Alert (7), Stormy
(7), A Cool Night (7), Wound Up (7Early Morning Workout (7), Sax Tune (7), Water Lilies
(7), Hot Day (8), Last September (8), Texas Line Dance (8), Cuban Romance (8).
Riffs:
Driving Range (1), Bear Dance, Creaking Stairs (1), Ready for Action (1), Smooth as Silk
(1), Eastern Song (1), A Stately Occasion (2), Long Haul (2), Long Haul (2), Motoring Along
(2), Snappily Dressed (2), Drum Dance (2), Licorice Allsorts (3), The Dream (3), On the
Spur of the Moment (3), Breezy (3), Counterintuitive (4), Taskmaster (4), So Easy (5),
Boxcar Blues (5), Palm Trees (5), Simple Pleasures (5), Cool as a Cucumber (6), Rocker (6),
Buttoned Down (6), Displacement (6), Stormy (7), Early Morning Workout (7), Texas line
Dance (8).
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Held bass notes throughout:
In the Quiet House (2).
Repeated notes in the bass:
Driving Range (1), Trip to the Bazaar, Full of Confidence (1), Drum Dance (2), Ocean
Breeze (3), Cool as a Cucumber (6), Ringing Changes (7), Cuban Romance (8).
Octave bass throughout:
Rocker (6).
Stride Bass:
Scamp (5).
Blues Bass:
So Easy (5), Back on Track (5), Rail Rhythms (5), Strutting About (5), Tap Dance (5), Boogie
Express (5), Free for the Day (6), Early Morning Workout (7).
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Modal influence:
A Cool Night (7), Half Asleep (2), In Between (6), A Cool Night (7), Cuban Romance (8).
Chord based accompaniment:
At the Market (3), Sunset Mood (3), A Simple Song (4), Jaunty (4), Lighter than Air (4), A
Summers Day (5), Sometimes It's How I Feel (5), Leaves Falling (5), Tap Dance (5), In
Between (6), Tent Meeting (6), As in a Dream (6), Nerferti Blues (7), ), On a Swing (7),
Hanging Gardens (7), Southern Serenade (7), Desolate (7), Soft-Edged (7), Sax Tune (7),
Cuban Romance (8).
Chords used at the end of the music:
Rocking Horse (1), A Walk in the Park (1), Dots and Dashes (1), Trip to the Bazaar (1), Lost
Toy (1), Pipe Tune (1), Carol in Cannon (1), Smooth as Silk (1), In the Snow (1), Out of the
Mist (1), Still at the Centre (1), Merry-Go-Round (1), Caribbean Song (1), In the Quiet
House (2), A Walk in the Sun (2), Feelin Good (2), You've Got Mail (2), Sidewalk Cafe (2),
Trumpet Blues (2), Grey Skies (2), The Highlands (2), Sugar Cane (2), Half Asleep (2),
Smiley (2), Morning Song (2), Snappily Dressed (2), A Long Goodbye (2), A Gentle Touch
(3), Crystals (3), Angel's Breath (3), At the Market (3), Sunset Mood (3), Ocean Breeze (3),
Trail-Ride Blues (3), Up and Away (3), Counterintuitive (4), Deep in Thought (4), Bedbug
Blues (4), By Myself (4), A Simple Song (4), Open Window (4), Sometimes It's How I Feel
(5), Floating (5), Country Calm (5), Bare Trees (6), Gazelle (6), Tent Meeting (6), As in a
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Dream (6), Seconds Apart (6), Displacement (6), Big Band Swagger (6), Little Lullaby (6),
Upside (6), Nerferti Blues (7), Alone in Autumn (7), ), On a Swing (7), Hanging Gardens (7),
Picking Up the Pace (7), Ringing Changes (7), On the Alert (7), Soft-Edged (7), Stormy (7),
At the Rodeo (7), Sax Tune (7), Water Lilies (7), Last September (8), New England Dawn
(8), In Spain (8), Celtic Lament (8).
Crunch chords or clusters at the end of music often played staccato:
Big Band Swagger (6), Streetwise (7), No Worries (1), Caribbean Song (1), You've Got Mail
(2), Trumpet Blues (2), Sugar Cane (2), Smiley (2), Snappily Dressed (2), Across the
Avenue (2), Circling (2), Drum Dance (2), Open Window (4), Palm Trees (5), Gazelle (6),
Tent Meeting (6), Nerferti Blues (7), Ringing Changes (7), Texas line Dance (8).
Open fifth or interval of a fifth used as an ending:
Eastern Song (1), Sidewalk Cafe (2), Morning Song (2), The Dream (3), Wind Riders (3),
Taskmaster (4), Moonscape (5), Contra Dance (5), Daydreaming (5), Rail Rhythms (5), The
Arrival (5), Buttoned Down (6), Southern Serenade (7), Desolate (7), On the Alert (7),
Wound Up (7), Cuban Romance (8), Veiled in Mystery (8).
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Octave notes played together at the end of the melody:
Bear Dance (1), Four-Wheel Drive, Driving Range, (1), Creaking Stairs (1), Motoring Along
(2), On the Spur of the Moment (3), Two Trails (4), Number Crunching (4), Bahama Beach
(6).
Single note ending:
The Minstrel (1), Smooth as Silk (1), Marking Time (1), Long Haul (2), Motoring Along (2),
Across the Avenue (2), Circling (2), Leading the Cheer (2), Given Half a Chance (3),
Rainforest (3), In the Spirit (3), Feeling Silly (3), White Sands (3), Samba Band (3),Breezy
(3), Stegosaurus (4), Taskmaster (4), Line by Line (4), Sunny Again (4), Jaunty (4), Scamp
(5), Back on Track (5), Strutting About (5), Tap Dance (5), Buttoned Down (6), Hot Day (8).
Seventh chord Ending:
Picnic Hop (2), Feelin Good (2), Trumpet Blues (2), Palm Trees (5).
Ninth chord ending:
Crystals (3), Poolside (3), Snake Dance (3), Up and Away (3), A Simple Song (4), A
Summers Day (5), Boogie Express (5), Caribbean Mood (5), Too Cool (6), As in a Dream
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(6), Displacement (6), Big Band Swagger (6), Upside (6), Alone in Autumn (7), Ringing
Changes (7), Sax Tune (7), Last September (8), New England Dawn (8), In Spain (8).
Eleventh chord ending:
By Myself (4), Celtic Lament (8).
Thirteenth chord ending:
Mood Marigold (6), In Between (6), Water Lilies (7).
The beginning of the music is used to end the music:
Fantasy Bossa (7), Dreaming On )Rock Preludes 2 P35), Line by Line (4), By Myself (4),
Number Crunching (4), Cake Mix (4), A Folk Song (5), Strutting About (5), Tent Meeting
(6), Displacement (6), Little Lullaby (6), Hanging Gardens (7), On the Alert (7), Water Lilies
(7).
1,5,8 ending in bass:
Ready for Action (1), Frolics (1), Toronto Tango (2).
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Slowing at the end:
Bell Tower (1), A Walk in the Park (1), Dots and Dashes (1), A Trip to the Bazaar (1), Lost
Toy (1), Rocking Horse (1), In the Snow (1), Out of the Mist, (1), Marking Time (1), Eastern
Song (1), In the Quiet House (2), A Walk in the Sun (2), Sidewalk Cafe (2), A Stately
Occasion (2), Grey Skies (2), Suave (2), Half Asleep (2), Morning Song (2), A Long Goodbye
(2), Rainforest (3), A Gentle Touch (3), The Dream (3), Poolside (3), Ocean Breeze (3),
Bedbug Blues (4), Taskmaster (4), Line by Line (4), By Myself (4), A Simple Song (4), Two
Trails (4), A Summers Day (5), Sometimes It's How I Feel (5), Floating (5), A Folk Song (5),
Daydreaming (5), Rail Rhythms (5), Mood Marigold (6), As in a Dream (6), Displacement
(6), Little Lullaby (6), Alone in Autumn (7), ), On a Swing (7), Southern Serenade (7),
Desolate (7), A Cool Night (7), Sax Tune (7), Water Lilies (7), Last September (8), New
England Dawn (8), In Spain (8), Cuban Romance (8).
Ending with a suspended chord:
Out of the Mist (1), A Walk in the Park (1), Dots and Dashes (1), Bell Tower (1), Grey Skies
(2), Suave (2), Half Asleep (2), Snake Dance (3), Leaves Falling (5), Seconds Apart (6),
Hanging Gardens (7).
Use of suspended chords significant:
Ocean Breeze (3), Snake Dance (3), Mysterious Stranger (5), Hanging Gardens (7).
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Quiet endings:
A Walk in the Park (1), Dots and Dashes (1), Trip to the Bazaar (1), Lost Toy (1), Rocking
Horse (1), Pipe Tune (1), The Minstrel (1), Carol in Canon (1), Bell Tower (1), Smooth as
Silk (1), In the Snow (1), Out of the Mist (1), Still at the Centre (1), Merry-Go-Round (1),
Marking Time (1), Eastern Song (1), Caribbean Song (1), Picnic Hop (2), In the Quiet House
(2), A Walk in the Sun (2), Feelin Good (2), Sidewalk Cafe (2), A Stately Occasion (2), Grey
Skies (2), Suave (2), The Highlands (2), Half Asleep (2), Morning Song (2), A Long Goodbye
(2), Rainforest (3), A Gentle Touch (3), The Dream (3), Wind Riders (3), Crystals (3),
Poolside (3), Angel's Breath (3), Sunset Mood (3), Ocean Breeze (3), Trail-Ride Blues (3),
Snake Dance (3), Fantasy Bossa (7), Counterintuitive (4), Deep in Thought (4), Bedbug
Blues (4), Taskmaster (4), Line by Line (4), By Myself (4), Sunny Again (4), Lightbulb (4), A
Simple Song (4), Two Trails (4), Open Window (4), Cake Mix (4), Lighter than Air (4),
Moonscape (5), Contra Dance (5), A Summers Day (5), Sometimes It's How I Feel (5),
Floating (5), A Folk Song (5), Leaves Falling (5), Country Calm (5), Daydreaming (5), Rail
Rhythms (5), Mysterious Stranger (5), The Arrival (5), Boogie Express (5), Caribbean Mood
(5), Mood Marigold (6), Bare Trees (6), Too Cool (6), In Between (6), As in a Dream (6),
Buttoned Down (6), Seconds Apart (6), Displacement (6), Little Lullaby (6), Upside (6),
Alone in Autumn (7), ), On a Swing (7), Hanging Gardens (7), Southern Serenade (7),
Stormy (7), A Cool Night (7), Wound Up (7), Sax Tune (7), Water Lilies (7), Last September
(8), New England Dawn (8), In Spain (8), Cuban Romance (8), Celtic Lament (8).
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Loud Endings:
Driving Range (1), Whistling Tune (1), Trucking (1), Four-Wheel Drive (1), Bear Dance (1),
No Worries (1), On Stage (1), Creaking Stairs, Frolics (1), Toronto Tango (2), You've Got
Mail (2), Trumpet Blues (2), Sugar Cane (2), Long Haul (2), Smiley (2), Motoring Along (2),
Snappily Dressed (2), Across the Avenue (2), Circling (2), Leading the Cheer! (2), Drum
Dance (2), Licorice Allsorts (3), Given Half a Chance (3), Feeling Silly (3), On the Spur of
the Moment (3), White Sands (3), Samba Band (3), Happy-Go-Lucky (3),Stegosaurus (4),
Taskmaster (4), Number Crunching (4), Holidays (4), Scamp (5), So Easy (5), Boxcar Blues
(5), Back on Track (5), Strutting About (5), Tap Dance (5), Free for the Day (6), Cool as a
Cucumber (6), Mississauga Rag (6), Rocker (6), Gazelle (6), Tent Meeting (6), Bahama
Beach (6), Twilight Dance (6), Big Band Swagger (6), A Minor Incident (6), Nerferti Blues
(7), Streetwise (7), Ringing Changes (7), The Band Strikes Up (7), At the Rodeo (7), Hot
Day (7), Texas line Dance (8), Veiled in Mystery (8).
Tremolo ending:
Picnic Hop (2).
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Octave melody played through both hands one after the other at the end of
the music:
Four-Wheel Drive (1), Full of Confidence (1), Driving Range, Four-Wheel Drive, Long Haul
(2).
Melody played in octave parts:
The Young Rider (4), Taskmaster (4), Hornpipe (4) New England Dawn (8).
Use of arpeggio in melody:
Frolics (1), In the Snow (1), Out of the Mist (1), Still at the Center (1), Caribbean Song (1),
In the Quiet House (2), Sidewalk Cafe (2), Trumpet Blues (2), Grey Skies (2), Suave (2), The
Highland (2), Sugar Cane (2), Half Asleep (2), Smiley (2), Feeling Silly (30), Crystals (3), On
the Spur of the Moment (3), Angel's Breath (3), White Sand (3), Samba Band (3), At the
Market (3), Sunset Mood (3), Ocean Breeze (3), Fantasy Bossa (7), Number Crunching (4),
Scamp (5), A Summers Day (5), Sometimes It's How I Feel (5), Palm Trees (5), Back on
Track (5), Back on Track (5), Daydreaming (5), Rail Rhythms (5), Free for the Day (6),
Mood Marigold (6), Rocker (6), Bare Trees (6), Too Cool (6), ), On a Swing (7), Southern
Serenade (7), Desolate (7), Soft-Edged (7), Stormy (7), A Cool Night (7), At the Rodeo (7),
Sax Tune (7), Water Lilies (7), Hot Day (8), New England Dawn (8), In Spain (8), Cuban
Romance (8), Celtic Lament (8).
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Significant use of slurs:
In the Quiet House (2), Toronto Tango (2), Feelin Good (2), You've Got Mail (2), Sidewalk
Cafe (2), A Stately Occasion (2), Trumpet Blues (2), Grey Skies (2), Suave (2), The
Highlands (2), Sugar Cane (2), Half Asleep (2), Smiley (2), Morning Song (2), Motoring
Along (2), Circling (2), Leading the Cheer! (2), Licorice Allsorts (3), Given Half a Chance (3),
Rainforest (3), In the Spirit (3), A Gentle Touch (3), Feeling Silly (3), Wind Riders (3),
Crystals (3), On the Spur of the Moment (3), White Sands (3), Sunset Mood (3), Ocean
Breeze (3), Happy-Go-Lucky (3), Trail-Ride Blues (3), Up and Away (3), Fantasy Boss (7),
Deep in Thought (4), Stegosaurus (4), Number Crunching (4), Open Window (4), Cake Mix
(4), Jaunty (4), Holidays (4), Scamp (5), Moonscape (5), Boxcar Blues (5), Sometimes It's
How I Feel (5), Palm Trees (5), A Folk Song (5), Leaves Falling (5), Country Calm (5), Rail
Rhythms (5), Strutting About (5), The Arrival (5), Boogie Express (5), Mood Marigold (6),
Mississauga Rag (6), Rocker (6), Bare Trees (6), In Between (6), Tent Meeting (6), Bahama
Beach (6), Buttoned Down (6), Seconds Apart (6), Displacement (6), Twilight Dance (6),
Big Band Swagger (6), A Minor Incident (6), Upside (6), Nerferti Blues (7), Alone in
Autumn (7), ), On a Swing (7), Hanging Gardens (7), Streetwise (7), Desolate (7), On the
Alert (7), Stormy (7), At the Rodeo (7), Sax Tune (7), Water Lilies (7), In Spain (8), Cuban
Romance (8).
Embellishing melody notes:
A Walk in the Park (1), Dots and Dashes (1), Four-Wheel Drive (1), No Worries, On Stage
(1), Ready for Action (1), the Minstrel (1), Eastern Song (1), Caribbean Song (1), Feelin
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Good (2), Trumpet Blues (2), Smiley (2), Snappily Dressed (2), In the Spirit (3), Feeling Silly
(3), Samba Band (3), Sunset Mood (3), Trail-Ride Blues (3), Fantasy Boss (7), Positively
Swinging (4), Stegosaurus (4), Lightbulb (4), Cake Mix (4), Jaunty (4), Scamp (5),
Moonscape (5), So Easy (5), Boxcar Blues (5), Sometimes It's How I Feel (5), Back on Track
(5), Mysterious Stranger (5), Boogie Express (5), Rocker (6), Bare Trees (6), Too Cool (6),
Tent Meeting (6), Buttoned Down (6), Big Band Swagger (6), A Minor Incident (6), On the
Alert (7), At the Rodeo (7), Early Morning Workout (7).
Ornaments:
Bare Trees (6), Gazelle (6), As in a Dream (6), Nerferti Blues (7), Celtic Lament (8).
The use of minor second harmonies:
Whistling Tune (1) Trip to the Bazaar (1), Out of the Mist (1), Merry-Go-Round (1),
Trumpet Blues (2), Licorice Allsorts (3), Stormy (7), Line by Line (4), Sunny Again (4),
Holidays (4), Strutting About (5), Boogie Express (5), Twilight Dance (6), Soft-Edged (7),
Stormy (7), Cuban Romance (8).
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The use of major second harmonies:
Dots and Dashes (1), Frolics (1), You've Got Mail (2), Suave (2), Morning Song (2),
Snappily Dressed (2), Licorice Allsorts (3), The Dream (3), Snake Dance (3), Moonscape
(5), The Arrival (5), Free for the Day (6), Rocker (6), In Spain (8), Celtic Lament (8).
Bass pattern 1,3,4,5
Whistling Tune (1), Ready for Action (1), Picnic Hop (2), Given Half a Chance (3).
Bass pattern 1,3,5,6:
Snappily Dressed, Happy-Go-Lucky (3), Positively Swinging (4), The Band Strikes Up (7).
Bass pattern 1,5,6,5:
On the Spur of the Moment (3), White Sand (3), Breezy (3), Trail-Ride Blues (3), Up and
Away (3), Two Trails (4), Boxcar Blues (5),Daydreaming (5), Little Lullaby (6), Southern
Serenade (7).
Bass pattern 1,3,5:
Samba Band (3), Palm Trees (5), A Minor Incident (6), Nerferti Blues (7), Streetwise (7).
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Bass pattern 1,5,8,5:
Sunny Again (4), Mysterious Stranger (5), Picking Up the Pace (7).
Bass using notes in the triad:
Grey Skies (2), Half Asleep (2), Smiley (2), Snappily Dressed (2), Across the Avenue (2),
Circling (2), In the Spirit (3), Samba Band (3), Sunset Mood (3), Ocean Breeze (3), Fantasy
Boss (7), Sunny Again (4), Scamp (5), So Easy (5), Palm Trees (5), Floating (5), Mysterious
Stranger (5), The Arrival (5), Tap Dance (5), Simple Pleasures (5), Caribbean Mood (5),
Mood Marigold (6), Twilight Dance (6), Nerferti Blues (7), Alone in Autumn (7), Southern
Serenade (7), Picking Up the Pace (7).
Bass pattern: 1,5,8,9.
A Cool Night (7), New England Dawn (8).
Descending bass pattern:
Dots and Dashes (1), No Worries (1), On Stage (1), Ready for Action (1), Smooth as Silk (1),
Caribbean Song (1), Trumpet Blues (2), Grey Skies (2), The Highlands (2), Sugar Cane (2),
Half Asleep (2), Morning Song (2), Snappily Dressed (2), Leading the Cheer! (2), A Long
Goodbye (2), Ocean Breeze (3), Up and Away (3), Fantasy Bossa (7), A Steady Hand (4),
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Positively Swinging (4), Number Crunching (4), Sometimes It's How I Feel (5), Floating (5),
Daydreaming (5), Cool as a Cucumber (6), Rocker (6), Too Cool (6), Seconds Apart (6), ),
On a Swing (7), Soft-Edged (7), New England Dawn (8), Celtic Lament (8).
Octaves in the melody:
Full of Confidence (1) Bahama Beach (6).
Melody echoed in the bass:
Full of Confidence (1), Four-Wheel Drive (1), Frolics (1), Pipe Tune (1), The Minstrel (1),
Marking Time (1), Toronto Tango (2), Morning Song (2), Across the Avenue (2), In the
Quiet House (2), Morning Song (2), In the Spirit (3), White Sands (3), Taskmaster (4), Two
Trails (4), A Folk Song (5), Leaves Falling (5), Country Calm (5), Boogie Express (5), Seconds
Apart (6), Twilight Dance (6), Little Lullaby (6), Southern Serenade (7), Soft-Edged (7),
Celtic Lament (8).
A sharpened fourth added to a harmonic minor scale:
A Trip to the Bazaar (1), Four-Wheel Drive (1), Hornpipe (4), Too Cool (6).
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Chords with flattened fifths:
Creaking Stairs (1), Smooth as Silk (1), Nefertiti Blues 7).
Use of sequences:
Bear Dance (1), Trucking, (1), Dots and Dashes (1), Smooth as Silk( 1), Out of the Mist (1),
In the Quiet House (2), Sidewalk Cafe (2), Grey Skies (2), Half Asleep (2), Morning Song
(2), A Long Goodbye (2), Ringing Changes (7), Soft-Edged (7).
Melody repeated up an octave:
Lost Toy (1), Driving Range (1), Bear Dance, No Worries (1), Lost Toy (1), On Stage (1), Still
at the Centre (1), Merry-Go-Round (1), Eastern Song (1), Caribbean Song (1), A Walk in
the Sun (2), You've Got Mail (2), Trumpet Blues (2), Grey Skies (2), Suave (2), Motoring
Along (2), Across the Avenue (2), A Long Goodbye (2), Licorice Allsorts (3), Given Half a
Chance (3), The Dream (3), Feeling Silly (3), Poolside (3), Samba Band (3), Breezy (3),
Happy-Go-Lucky (3), Trail-Ride Blues (3),Fantasy Boss (7), Deep in Thought (4), A Steady
Hand (4), Stegosaurus (4), Bedbug Blues (4), Taskmaster (4),), Hornpipe (4), Lightbulb (4),
A Simple Song (4), Cake Mix (4), Scamp (5), Moonscape (5), So Easy (5), Sometimes It's
How I Feel (5), Leaves Falling (5), Back on Track (5), Country Calm (5), Daydreaming (5),
Strutting About (5), Mysterious Stranger (5), Simple Pleasures (5), Boogie Express (5),
Free for the Day (6), Cool as a Cucumber (6), Mood Marigold (6), Gazelle (6), Tent
Meeting (6), Seconds Apart (6), Twilight Dance (6), Big Band Swagger (6), A Minor
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Incident (6), Upside (6), Alone in Autumn (7), ), On a Swing (7), Picking Up the Pace (7),
Ringing Changes (7), The Band Strikes Up (7), On the Alert (7), At the Rodeo (7), Early
Morning Workout (7), Hot Day (8), New England Dawn (8), Texas line Dance (8), Cuban
Romance (8), Celtic Lament (8).
Melody repeated down an octave:
Dots and Dashes (1), Circling (2), Sunset Mood (3), Floating (5).
Parallel major or minor:
Bare Trees (6).
Form ABA (Ternary form):
Ready for Action (1), Dance Steps (1), Eastern Song (1), Caribbean Song, (1), In the Quiet
House (2), A Walk in the Sun (2), Toronto Tango (2), You've Got Mail (2), A Stately
Occasion (2), The Highlands (2), Morning Song (2), Across the Avenue (2), Leading the
Cheer! (2), Drum Dance (2), A Long Goodbye (2), In the Spirit (3), Feeling Silly (3), Angle's
Breath (3), Samba Band (3), Breezy (3), Ocean Breeze (3), Deep in Thought (4),
Taskmaster (4), Taskmaster (4), Sunny Again (4), Hornpipe (4), Two Trails (4), Open
Window (4), Cake Mix (4), Jaunty (4), Holidays (4), Palm Trees (5), Floating (5), A Folk Song
(5), Daydreaming (5), Rail Rhythms (5), Strutting About (5), The Arrival (5), Tap Dance (5),
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Simple Pleasures (5), Boogie Express (5), Caribbean Mood (5), Free for the Day (6), Mood
Marigold (6), Mississauga Rag (6), Too Cool (6), Gazelle (6), Tent Meeting (6), As in a
Dream (6), Buttoned Down (6), Seconds Apart (6), Displacement (6), Little Lullaby (6),
Upside (6), Alone in Autumn (7), The Band Strikes Up (7), On the Alert (7), Soft-Edged (7),
At the Rodeo (7), Sax Tune (7), Water Lilies (7), Hot Day (8), Last September (8), In Spain
(8), Texas line Dance (8), Cuban Romance (8), Celtic Lament (8).
Form AB. (Binary):
Full of Confidence (1), Feelin Good (2), Sidewalk Cafe (2), Half Asleep (2), Motoring,
Country Calm (5), Along (2), On the Spur of the Moment (3), Up and Away (3), Southern
Serenade (7), Streetwise (7), Desolate (7), Picking Up the Pace (7).
Form ABAB (Binary)
The Dream (3), Mysterious Stranger (5), Cool as a Cucumber (6), Bare Trees (6), Twilight
Dance (6), Big Band Swagger (6), A Minor Incident (6), Nerferti Blues (7), ), On a Swing (7),
Hanging Gardens (7), Ringing Changes (7).
One musical idea. (Often with variations):
Suave (2), Grey Skies (2), Sugar Cane (2), Circling (2), Licorice Allsorts (3), Given Half a
Chance (3), Rainforest (3), A Gentle Touch (3), Wind Riders (3), Crystals (3), Snake Dance
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(3), Fantasy Bossa (7), Counterintuitive (4), Stegosaurus (4), Bedbug Blues (4), Line by Line
(4), Lightbulb (4), Scamp (5), Moonscape (5), Contra Dance (5), A Summers Day (5), So
Easy (5), Boxcar Blues (5), Sometimes It's How I Feel (5), Leaves Falling (5), Back on Track
(5), In Between (6), Bahama Beach (6), Early Morning Workout (7).
Use of a fifth drone in the bass:
Pipe Tune (1), Suave (2), Sugar Cane (2), Half Asleep (2), Smiley (2), Morning Song (2),
Snappily Dressed (2), Across the Avenue (2), Drum Dance (2), Wind Riders (3), Crystals (3),
Sunset Mood (3), A Summers Day (5), A Folk Song (5), Seconds Apart (6), Displacement
(6), ), On a Swing (7), Celtic Lament (8).
Call and response:
The Minstrel (1), Trumpet Blues (2), Grey Skies (2), Snappily Dressed (2), Across the
Avenue (2), Circling (2), Licorice Allsorts (3), The Dream (3), Feeling Silly (3), White Sand
(3), Breezy (3), Sunset Mood (3), Deep in Thought (4), Stegosaurus (4), Holidays (4).
Round:
Carol in Cannon (1), Little Lullaby (6), Palm Trees (5), As in a Dream (6).
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Harmony using tonic and the lowered seventh chord as the basis for the
song:
(e.g. D minor and C major or G and F major). Seabird (1), Bell Tower (1), Pipe Tune (1),
Sunny Again (4), Rail Rhythms (5), The Arrival (5), Boogie Express (5), Bahama Beach (6),
At the Rodeo (7).
Dorian Mode:
Sea Bird (1), Taskmaster (4), Buttoned Down (6), Desolate (7).
Mixolydian mode:
Bell Tower (1). Cake Mix (4).
Aeolian mode:
Number Crunching (4), Gazelle (6), As in a Dream (6), Seconds Apart (6).
Lydian mode:
Merry-Go-Round (1), Snake Dance (3), By Myself (4).
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Changing time signatures:
Grey Skies (2), The Highlands (2), Half Asleep (2), Fantasy Boss (7), By Myself (4), Number
Crunching (4).
Tierce de Picardie:
A Long Goodbye (2).
Frequent shifts in tonality:
Number Crunching (4), Leaves Falling (5), A Cool Night (7).
Emphasis on one key centre:
Contra Dance (5), Too Cool (6), Buttoned Down (6), Displacement (6).
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Appendix 16
Website Links To Information About Scott McBride Smith
http://music.ku.edu/scott-mcbride-smith
http://musicedconnect.com/2015-session-preview
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Appendix 17
Article From Indian Express - Christopher Norton
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Appendix 18
Table of Characteristics of Lyrical Style Pieces in the Connection Series by
Christopher Norton.
CHARACTERISTIC
Quiet dynamic range
NAME OF PIECE
A Walk in the Park
Lost Toy
Bell Tower
In the Snow
Angel's Breath
Moonscape
Floating
Country Calm
Daydreaming
BOOK
One
One
One
One
Three
Five
Five
Five
Five
Quiet to moderately loud
dynamic range
Eastern Song
One
Sidewalk Cafe
Grey Skies
A Calming Influence
Rainforest
Sunset Mood
Deep in Thought
A Simple Song
A Folk Song
Leaves Falling
In Between
Seconds Apart
Last September
Jane's Song
Two
Two
Two
Three
Three
Four
Four
Five
Five
Six
Six
Eight
Eight
Half Asleep
Two
A Gentle Touch
The Dream
By Myself
Mood Marigold
Bare Trees
As in a Dream
Little Lullaby
Alone in Autumn
Desolate
Three
Three
Four
Six
Six
Six
Six
Seven
Seven
Quiet to loud (forte) dynamic
range
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Soft-Edged
Water Lilies
Celtic Lament
Infinitely Regretful
TITLE
A Walk in the Park
Lost Toy
Bell Tower
In the Snow
Side Walk Cafe
A Sidewalk Cafe
A Gentle Touch
Deep in Thought
Daydreaming
Little Lullaby
Alone in Autumn
Too Sad for Words
Jane's Song
Soft Edged
Infinitely Regretful
Eastern Song
A Folksong
(17)
Seven
Seven
Eight
Eight
BOOK
One
On
One
One
Two
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Eight
Seven
Eight
One
Four
4/4
Grey Skies
A Calming Influence
Rainforest
Angel's Breath
Moonscape
Floating
Country Calm
Mood Marigold
Bare Trees
In Between
As in a Dream
Seconds Apart
Desolate
Water Lilies
Last September
(15)
Two
Two
Three
Three
Five
Five
Five
Six
Six
Six
Six
Six
Seven
Seven
Eight
2/2
Sunset Mood
A Simple Song
Half Asleep
Leaves Falling
By Myself
The Dream
Celtic Lament
Three
Four
Two
Five
Four
Three
Eight
CHARACTERISTIC
3/4
3/2
2/4
Changing Time Signatures
5/4
5/8
6/8
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Descriptive Titles
TEMPOS
 66 and under
ALL
Sunset Mood
A Simple Song
Moonscape
Infinitely Regretful
A Walk in the Park
Lost Toy
Grey Skies
A Gentle Touch
Angel's Breath
Deep in Thought
Floating
Daydreaming
Bare Trees
Questioning
Seconds Apart
Little Lullaby
Soft-Edged
Water Lilies
Half Asleep
Alone in Autumn
Desolate
Last September
Bell Tower
In the Snow
Rainforest
Mood Marigold
Too Sad for Words
Jane's Song
Sidewalk Cafe
A Calming Influence
By Myself
Three
Four
Five
Eight
One
One
Two
Three
Three
Four
Five
Five
Six
Six
Six
Six
Seven
Seven
Two
Seven
Seven
Eight
One
One
Three
Six
Eight
Eight
Two
Two
Four
♩ 161 - 170
The Dream
Three
♪ 132
Celtic Lament
Eight
♪ 200
Leaves Falling
Five
♩100 and under
♩ 101 - 110
♩ 111 - 120
♩ 121 - 130
♩131 - 140
♩ 141 - 150
♩ 151 - 160
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Appendix 19
An Overview of Christopher Norton's Connections Series Books 1 - 8
Book
One
Title
Driving
Genre
Range Character
Tempo
Restless
♩ 152
Time
Key
Signature
Signature
4/4
E Minor
Characteristics
Riff based.
Disco style
Pentatonic E, G, A, B,
7th chords
Syncopation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG1pKdaI6Wc
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A Walk in the Park
Lyrical
Sauntering
3/4
D Major
Jazz Bass
Suspended chords and major sevenths are used to
♩ 100
embellish rhythm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF6KWATh_-o
(Student performance)
Whistling
Tune Swing
Happily
♩144
4/4
F Major
Swing Jazz
Bass pattern 1,3,4,5 - Walking bass style.
Strongly syncopated rhythms.
Embellished melody line.
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Trucking
Latin
Boldly
2/2
C Major
 80
Strong Latin rhythm.
Harmony is moving in tone descents.
Strong 7th chords.
Riff based.
Syncopated melody and bass line.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxqicFHIVco
(Student performance)
Dots and Dashes
Character
Gracefully
♩ 132
3/4
C Major
Jazz waltz feel, particularly in the melody.
Descending bass line in dotted minims.
Embellished melody notes.
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Harmonies have a jazz influence with altered bass
notes and significant shifts in tone colour. C, G/B,
Am7, Ab, G min, Gb, F minor.
Full of Confidence
Swing
Swaggering
♩ 132
4/4
C Major
Bass pattern 1,3,4,5.
Jazz triplets using flattened notes
Swing
Seventh chords
Strongly articulated notes in a jazz style.
Call and response.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWzEgELX0V8
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Trip to the Bazaar
Character
Swaying
4/4
Altered
Dorian
♩ 84
Eastern sound.
Ostinato bass.
Small range of melody notes based on the altered
Dorian scale.
Four-Wheel Drive
Character
Heavy rock
♩ 120
4/4
G
Minor Riff used in bass and melody.
key
Call and response.
signature
Embellished melody notes.
Sounds like
G altered
Dorian
Rock feel with the second note accented in the bass
line.
Bass echoes right-hand melody.
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Sharpened fourth note in the bass pattern.
Bear Dance
Character
Heavily
4/4
D Minor
Bass riff.
Lightly syncopated melody.
♩ 108
Bass uses intervals of a fifth.
Use of sequences.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAJrpR_xaXQ
(Student performance)
No Worries
Character
Cheerfully
♩ 132
4/4
C Major
Walking bass
Descending bass line
Does not start in the tonic
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This piece sounds like a gentle boogie with the use of
fifth and sixth notes in the melody and the 1,5,6,5
bass that occasionally appears.
Melody is repeated in the bass line.
Melody is embellished.
Blues scale influence and the use of blue notes.
Chords have a jazz influence. F9, C6, Dm7, F7, D7b9,
G7.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPG4VbxdN-U
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Lost Toy
Lyrical
Sighing
3/4
E Minor
Rhythmical patterns are reoccurring in the bass.
No definitive jazz sound.
♩ 92
Suspended chords and a clear sense of E minor, but
embellished with many interesting notes such as C,
F# and A.
Melody repeated an octave higher.
On Stage
Swing
Strutting
♩ 152
4/4
D Minor
Repeated bass sequence.
Swung
Pentatonic minor scale influence.
Melody repeated an octave higher.
Syncopated melody.
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Harmonies included Dm, Dm7, Bbmaj7, D, Dm9,
Rocking Horse
Character
At an easy
6/8
E Minor
trot
Echoing riff in the bass.
Bass echoes melody.
♩ . 84
A character song with little jazz influence.
Harmonies used E minor with a descending bass, C,
and D.
Creaking Stairs
Character
Mysteriously
♩ 104
4/4
A minor
Minor key with a flattened fifth played mysteriously.
Slightly jazzy harmonies with primarily A minor with a
flattened fifth and F major with a sixth and flattened
seventh.
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Syncopated rhythm.
Bass and melody riffs.
Ready for Action
Swing
Sunny
♩ 152
4/4
C Major
Swing
Descending bass.
Jazz sound and feel
Bass pattern 1,3,4,5.
Bass pattern 1,5,6,5. (Boogie)
Embellished melody.
Syncopated rhythm in the melody.
Ternary form. (ABA)
1,5,8 ending in the bass.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2OmirpSfW0
Pipe Tune
Character
Crisply
2/4
G Major
Drone 5th used as accompaniment
Melody repeated in the bass with right-hand
♩ 126
accompaniment.
Shifting fifths in the bass.
Harmonies: G, C and F
The Minstrel
Character
Lilting
♩. 52
6/8
A Minor
Call and response (question and answer)
Bass patterns.
Sharpened 6th in bass line.
Minor Pentatonic scale used.
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Harmonies include A minor, E minor, D minor, A
minor with altered notes, (F and F#). D major and F6.
Carol in Canon
Character
Chanting
2/2
D Minor
 60
Melody repeated in the bass like a round.
Simple harmony. D minor, C major, A minor.
Modal sound.
Simple rhythm, crotchets, minims and semibreves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3fiMNA5O2A
(Student performance)
Bell Tower
Lyrical
Chiming
♩ 116
3/4
G
Melody and harmony based on the tonic and lowered
Mixolydian
seventh. G major and F major, which is constant
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throughout like a bell chiming.
Syncopated bass repetitive bass rhythm.
G Mixolydian
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cctDFIzFSJ8
(Student performance)
Frolics
Latin
Cheerfully
♩ 132
4/4
C Major
Latin bass and melody. (Caribbean style)
Does not start in tonic.
Harmony based on tonic and dominant triads.
Syncopated and strongly articulated.
1,5,6,5 bass
1,5,8,5 bass
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Left hand has a melody in the middle section with
right-hand accompanying.
Repetitive bass rhythms
Arpeggio shapes used in the melody.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cisZtYVB9lU
Sea Bird
Character
Soaring
♩ 128
3/4
D Dorian
The main harmony is D minor, C major, Bb major, Ab
major, A minor.
Melody and harmony give a sense of descent.
Bass pattern 1,5,6 common.
Dorian mode but with occasional shifts to Bb and Eb.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzsOdR44mJw
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Smooth as Silk
Swing
Suave
4/4
A Minor
A minor Pentatonic with occasional moves to G# and
Eb.
♩ 126
Swing
A very clear jazz sound.
Descending bass.
Improvisational style.
Bass copies melody
Sequences.
Crunch jazz chords A major 7th.
In the Snow
Lyrical
Sadly
♩ 120
3/4
E Minor
Arpeggio melody.
(Aeolian
Simple harmony. E minor, C major, D major, A minor.
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Mode)
Out of the Mist
Latin
Mysteriously
4/4
A Minor
Bass rhythm pattern.
Melody based on minor second harmony and many
second, third and fifth intervals. One melody only.
♩ 120
Descending harmony.
Syncopated rhythm in melody and bass.
Harmonies include A minsus2, F major, G major.
Latin bass.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkOIPkyUpbc
(Student performance)
Still at the Center
Character
Innocent
♩ 100
2/4
F Major
Harmony: F major, F6, D minor, F major, C major, G9,
Bb major 7th and F9.
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Rhythmic bass pattern.
Single note melody.
Merry-Go-Round
Swing
Jazz Waltz
♩ 132
3/4
A Minor
Jazz Waltz in Lydian mode.
Lydian
Swing.
Mode
Harmony: A minor, D major, G major, F major, E
major, D/E, A minor sus 2.
Rhythmic pattern in the bass.
Harmonic sequence that continues throughout the
piece.
A minor, D major, A minor, G major, F major, G major
then repeats with small changes.
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Suspended chords.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuWzaLgOK34
Marking Time
Character
Like
3/4
D Minor
clockwork
Single note melody.
Harmonies: D minor, Implied C and C7, C/D, D minor
with an A bass, Bb major 7, A minor, G minor, Eb
♩ 100
Major, A7.
Echoing bass pattern.
Scale-like motif.
Dance Steps
Latin
With Island 4/4
charm
G Major
Calypso rhythm with typical quaver echoes half way
through the bar.
Short motifs.
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Tango bass.
♩ 144
Simple Harmonies: G major, C major, D major, A
major.
Descending bass.
Inverted bass notes.
Ternary form. ( ABA)
Eastern Song
Lyrical
Trance-like
♩ 72
2/4
D Minor
Melody over a mostly D Minor tonality with subtle
shifts in colour.
Bass crotchets and quavers are moving in fifths and
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sixths, or quavers are moving in fifths, sixths and
sevenths.
Use of the second degree of the scale again a tonic
bass (ninth) to create a haunting melody.
Embellished melody.
Melody repeated up an octave.
Slurred off-beat quaver melody.
Ternary form. (ABA)
Caribbean Song
Latin
Relaxed
♩ 132
4/4
C Major
Typical Caribbean rhythm and melody.
Short motifs in the melody that are often echoed.
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Sequences.
Echoing bass part after melody.
A large number of rhythmic bass motifs.
Tango rhythm in the left-hand.
Single note melody.
Embellished melody.
Staccato accented chords placed three octaves in the
distance.
Ternary form. (ABA)
B Section is played in the
subdominant of F major.
Strong articulation, lots of staccatos and short slurred
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sections.
BOOK Picnic Hop
TWO
Swing
Groovin
♩ 152
4/4
F Major
1,3,4,5 Legato Bass.
Walking bass jazz style.
Fifth flattened harmony notes in the melody.
Many flattened melody notes.
Swing eighths
Very clear jazz sound.
Improvisational.
Repeated sequences.
Tremolo seventh chord ending.
12 bar blues form with some changes towards the end.
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Simple harmony; chords one, four and five.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU-fEtd_1BQ
In the Quiet
Character
House
Wistfully
4/4
G Major
Jazz chords. G9, C/G, Gmaj7, F9, Bb9, C, Dsus, Asus4,
Eb9, D9.
♩ 84
Typical jazz progressions.
Syncopated rhythm.
Bass patterns.
Ternary form. ( ABA)
Bass echoes melody.
A Walk in the
Sun
Latin
Swaying
♩ 116
4/4
C Major
Jazz chords. C9, F/C, F, F9, Bb9, Amin, G/B, Eminsus4, E,
Ternary form. ABA (B section repeats with an ending).
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Descending bass pattern in section B.
The return of theme A is played 8va.
Melody is formed mostly around ninth chord
harmonies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDRX6lepBnY
Toronto Tango
Latin
With bite
♩ 132
4/4
E Minor
Tango bass.
Bass echoes melody.
Both voices play an octave apart.
Strong use of articulation.
Ternary form. ABA.
Harmony: Em, C7, C, B7 E minor.
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Second section Harmony: E, A min, D/F#, G B, F#7.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKAF4jnDcnc
Feelin' Good
Swing
Strutting
♩ 144
4/4
C Major
Swing eighths.
Fast jazz feel.
Walking bass.
Harmonies: C6, F7, C7, G7,
Binary form. AB
Strong articulation.
Improvisational in style.
Repeated use of motifs.
Seventh chords are prominent.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWsxD7dDqpE
You've Got Mail
Latin
Like a
Habanera
♩ 144
4/4
D Major
Bass moves in scale patterns.
Bass moves like a Habanera.
Strong use of articulation and slurs.
Strong tango ending with accents and staccatos.
Melody is harmonising with scale ascending bass.
Harmonies include D, D/F#, D/A, A/C#, G, Bb, C, D7, G9,
G7, A7, D9,
Ternary form. (ABA)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qnu_sb0zJRI
(Student performance)
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Sidewalk Café
Lyrical
Easy
3/4
C Major
Harmonies: Cmaj9, F9, Dm7sus4, Eminsus4, F9, Em7,
Dm7, G6/7, Amin7, Dm9, F7, Bb7, Ebsus4, C6, Eb6.
♩ 126
Binary form. AB.
Has the feel of a jazz waltz.
Short phrases followed by slightly longer ones.
Patterned bass.
Arpeggio ending.
Syncopation in melody.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkCgbbRV7xM
A Stately
Occasion
Character
Proudly
♩ 132
4/4
D Minor
Strong bass ostinato.
Ternary form. (ABA) Each section is repeated with
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small variations.
Harmonies: Dm6, Dmsus4, Dm7, Gm7, Amb5, A, Bb,
F/A.
Single note melody.
Mixed articulation.
Small echo of the melody in the bass.
Trumpet Blues
Swing
Boldly
 80
2/2
F Major
Swing eighths.
Many seventh chords. Seventh chord ending.
Mixed articulation.
Syncopation.
One melody played in the second section up an octave
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then down to the original pitch.
Minor fifth harmonies.
Descending bass line.
Minor seconds apparent in harmony.
Parallel chords are common throughout the music. For
example F minor to F7, C minor to C7.
Harmonies: Fm, F7, Bb9, Bb7/Ab, Cm, C7, Fmin/maj/C.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMEht2vySKk
Grey Skies
Lyrical
Wandering
♩ 100
4/4
F Major
Melody often appears after a crotchet rest.
Syncopation.
Has a sense of displacement.
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Strong major seventh sound.
Two chords played together for example in bar two the
harmony starts as Fmaj7 and a Bb chord is added in the
bass.
Harmonies: Fmaj7, Fmaj7/Bb, F9, Bb, Dmin7,
Gmin7sus2.
Patterned bass. Using notes in the triad.
Walking bass.
Strong use of slurs to shape the melody.
Call and response.
One musical idea throughout.
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Melody repeated up an octave.
Suave
Swing
Jazz Waltz
♩ 120
3/4
G Major key One musical idea throughout played 8va in the middle
signature
section.
Modal
Jazz waltz.
Jazz harmonies: Amin7, Gmaj7/B, G/B, Cmaj7, Bbmaj7,
F/C, Ab9, Db, Abmin9/Db, Abminsu2, Ab min/G, C9, C6,
Chords often move in semitone steps backwards.
Use of arpeggio in the melody.
The music uses mostl two bar phrases.
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The Highlands
Character
Playfully
6/4
F Major
Fast tempo.
Creative use of slurs creates a sense of displacement.
♩ 160
Predictable harmony. F, Bb, F/A Gmin7,
Descending bass.
Scale patterns.
The melody uses notes mainly from the arpeggio.
Ternary form. (ABA) (A played four times, B played
three times)
Sugar Cane
Swing
Finger
snapping
♩ 138
4/4
D Minor
Fast swing tempo.
Strongly articulated melody.
Descending bass pattern throughout the melody.
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Contrary motion.
Melody based on arpeggio and minor seconds.
Syncopation.
Bass plays the melody.
Harmonies: Dm, Bb7, Am7, E7/G#, Gm7, A7/G, A7.
Many sevenths chords and inverted chords and chords
with altered bass notes.
One melodic idea played between the hands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv-GG-2B7Yw
Half Asleep
Lyrical
Dreamily
♩ 112
3/4
C Major
Changes in time signature create a sense of
displacement.
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Music does not start in the tonic.
Binary form: AB One strong melodic idea followed by
Rhythmic chords.
Harmonies: Fmaj7, C6, Bbmaj7, Amin7, Abmaj7,
Gmin7, Eb, F9, Ebmaj7, Dmin7, C, Csuss4.
Bass patterns.
Frequent shifting of harmonies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9Z7Cua1vIc
(Student performance)
Long Haul
Character
Determined
♩ 120
4/4
E minor
Strong rock bass riff played one chord one and four.
Bass drives the music; the melody is almost secondary.
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Blues scale influence.
Single note melody.
Riff played two octaves apart as an ending.
Flattened fifth note used in a minor key.
Harmonies mostly fourths and fifths.
Syncopation.
A strong minor pentatonic melody.
Harmonies: Em, Am, C, B.
12 Bar Blues with harmonic variation.
Melody uses "blue" notes.
Improvisational in style.
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Smiley
Swing
Happily
 76
4/4
C Major
1,3,4,5 Bass.
Swing Eighths
Harmonies: C, F, G, C7, F7, D7.
Has the feel of a 12 bar blues but with a short interlude
between sections.
The melody and harmonies have many blues notes,
and many seventh chords are used.
Syncopation.
Mixed articulation.
Two clear melodic ideas.
Embellished melody notes.
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Form: Binary but with ending taken from the A section.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT8aLZeYG_s
(Student performance)
Morning Song
Character
Smoothly
♩ 152
3/4
F Major
Song is shaped around major seventh and suspended
chords and a mostly descending melodic shape of
crotchets.
Harmonies Bb maj7, A min7sus4, B min, C, F, Bb, Bb/F,
Dmin, G min, F/A, C7/Bb, Eb/G, Aminsus4.
Melody does not start in the tonic.
Ternary form. (ABA)
Bass shares melody with the right hand in the middle
section.
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Motoring Along
Character
Unstoppable
♩ 132
4/4
A Minor
Riff based melody and bass.
Two main patterns in bass, riff based on the pentatonic
scale and octave crotchet pattern.
Melody repeated up an octave.
Strongly articulated melody line.
Melody and bass play the same notes three octaves
apart as an ending.
Harmonies: Amin, F, G.
The lower range of piano notes is used.
Minor pentatonic scale.
Open fifths used in the bass.
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Staccato is prominent.
Binary form. AB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSdzWVp0UDw
Snappily
Dressed
Swing
Groovy
♩ 136
4/4
D Major
1,3,5,6 Bass.
Swing eighths.
Syncopated embellished melody.
Simple harmony: D6, G6, A.
Seventh chords are used.
Sixth chords punctuate the melody line.
Sounds like a simple 12 bar blues.
Walking bass.
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Across the
Latin
Avenue
Keep steady
4/4
D minor
Simple harmony: Dm7, Gm, Bb and C are primary
chords. Am is occasionally used.
♩ 126
Rhythmic bass pattern with a Latin feel.
Single note melody for section A and a harmonised
melody for section B. A much slower moving second
melody.
Octave sections.
Pentatonic.
First section uses B natural - Dorian mode.
Ternary form. (ABA)
Circling
Character
Unsettled
4/4
G Minor
Rhythmic bass pattern.
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Aeolian
♩ 138
mode
Strongly syncopated melody.
Harmonies: G Minor, Eb and F cycling fairly
consistently. The occasional use of D Minor and D
Minor 7.
Melody notes are frequently on the second or fourth
degree of the chord used.
One musical idea with a large number of motifs that
are echoed back.
Melody idea is played one octave lower the second
time.
Leading the
Cheer!
Character
Cheerfully
♩ 126
4/4
F Major
A strong descending bass is used.
Harmonies: F, C/E, Dm7, C Bbmaj7, Am, Gm7, F
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There are many altered chords including sevenths,
major sevenths, minor sevenths and ninths.
Syncopated melody.
Single note bass part with single note melody.
Legato bass with mixed articulation in melody.
Ternary form. ABA with ending.
A Calming
Influence
Lyrical
Restful
♩ 126
4/4
C Major
Syncopated melody supported by chords.
Harmonies: C6, F9, Em7, F, Fmin9, F maj7, Bb, Dm7, C,
G7, Csus2.
Bass pattern.
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Harmonies in bass mostly using some time of seventh
or suspended chord. Melody also picks up on sixth and
seventh notes.
This piece has one main musical idea that is made up
of two distinct parts. The first section melody is used in
the second half of the music like an echo.
Strong jazz influnce.
Drum Dance
Character
Simply
♩ 132
4/4
C Minor
Bass riff dominates melody. This riff is chiefly based on
a minor third, a sound that dominates the whole piece.
Strong drum beat sound in the bass using open fifths.
Strong use of mixed articulation.
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Harmonies: Cm, Ab, Gm, Bb.
The right-hand plays harmonies and single note
melodic ideas over a strong drum beat bass.
Ternary form. ABA, but second is played with different
harmonies.
A Long
Goodbye
Character
Sadly
♩ 120
4/4
D Minor
The bass part is mostly descending and often uses a
pattern of 1,5, to 1,6 in the tonic part of D minor.
Bass part moves in crotchets beats throughout.
Syncopated single note melody mostly, occasionally
harmonised with a semibreve.
Harmonies: Dm, Dm6, Bb, C, Bb, Am, Gm, F, Eb, D, etc.
Ends with a tierce de Picardie.
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Ternary form. (ABA)
Melody is played up an octave.
BOOK Licorice Allsorts
3
Character
Driving
forward
 112
2/2
G Minor
Bass riff.
Minor second harmonies common.
Driving repetitive pattern in the bass.
One musical idea repeated in tonic and subdominant.
The subdominant chord is used in both the major and
minor form.
Syncopated melody.
Uses mostly the lower range of the piano.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukmMVfmkClQ
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(Student performance)
Given Half a
Chance
Swing
With
Swagger
♩ 132
a 4/4
C Major
Swing Eighths
1,3,4,5 Bass.
Descending bass pattern.
Harmonies: C, C/E, F C, G, D7, G7, Ab.
One musical idea repeated with variations in melody
and articulation in the second section.
Syncopated melody.
The interval of the fourth and fifth plays a significant
part to the melody.
Articulations help create the sense of swagger.
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Significant use of blue notes in the melody.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG8SO_DiDus
Rainforest
Lyrical
Mysteriously
♩ 120
4/4
A minor
Repeated right-hand played against changing bass
notes.
Many suspended harmonies.
Small crescendos placed at the end of the bar.
Harmonies: Aminsus2, Emsu2 lowered, D2/6, Em and
Emsus4 and E.
Repetitive quaver rhythm in the melody.
Dynamics form a significant part of the composition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPESTRMaioE
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In the Spirit
Swing
Easily
♩ 132
4/4
Eb Major
Swing Eighths.
Does not start in the tonic.
Strong jazz identity.
Bass motif echoes melody.
Harmonies: Fm7, Bb7, Eb, Eb6, Eb7, Ab, Implied D,
Gm/Bb, B dim, Cm, Cm7/Bb, Eb/Bb, F7.
Light syncopation.
Strongly articulated melody.
Ternary form. ( ABA)
Pentatonic influence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5d_9XZSpU0
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(Student performance)
A Gentle Touch
Lyrical
Thoughtful
3/4
G Major
Bass patterns.
Does not start in the tonic.
♩ 92
Syncopation.
Pentatonic influence.
Harmonies: Cmaj7/6, G6, F6, C/E, Ebmaj7, C9/D, Dbb9,
and Eb9.
The Dream
Lyrical
Restlessly
♪ 168
5/8
A Minor
Strong rhythmical patterns in the bass which are often
based around 1,5 and 6.
Major second harmonies used in the melody,
otherwise single note melody.
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Binary Form: ABAB with ending
Very limited harmonies are mostly focusing around A
minor. Using Am, Am6, Am#6. Fmaj7 and G6 are also
used.
A sense of displacement in the melody. 5/8-time
signature.
Feeling Silly
Swing
Rocking
around
♩ 126
4/4
C Major
1,3,4,6 Bass Pattern.
Ternary form. ( ABA)
Melody repeated up an octave.
Call and response.
Syncopated melody.
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Simple harmonies: C, F, G, C/E, Dm, C/G and Dm/A.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCp_23gyx4Y
(Student performance)
Wind Riders
Latin
Unsettled
♩ 126
4/4
A Minor
Unsettling groups of three note slurs in 4/4 with
accents on each first note of three.
Melody mostly formed from arpeggio notes. Melody
rhythm keeps appearing with changing harmonies.
The changing wind is felt in the shifting harmonies and
altered bass notes.
Harmonies: Am, Em7, G, F9, Em/G, F6/9, G/F, D/E,
Amsus2, Emsus4, E, and E7.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSIQN8PGGIw
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(Student performance)
Crystals
Character
Floating
5/4
C Major
Constantly shifting harmonies in unusual progressions.
Unsettled rhythm in 5/4. Grouped in 2/3 patterns.
♩ 116
Melody is constantly echoing.
One musical idea throughout.
Open fifths are common as harmony in the bass.
Most chords are either 9/6's or suspended fourths.
Harmonic movement: Eb9, Dmsus4, C6/9, Ebmaj7,
Dm9, C9, Eb9, Dsus4, Db6, C6, Ebmaj7/6, Dm9, C9,
C9/6.
Poolside
Latin
Mellow
4/4
F Major
Gentle Latin rhythm sustained for most of the piece;
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open fifths in semibreves end the music.
♩ 116
F9 and Bb/F form the main harmonic outline.
Harmonies: F9, Bb/F, Db7/9, Cm7, Bb9, and C9.
Syncopated melody.
One main melodic idea with a long ending or A
followed by a shorter B section.
Melody repeated up an octave.
On the Spur of
the Moment
Character
Footloose
♩ 44
4/4
D Major
1,5,6,5 Boogie bass without swing.
12 Bar blues form with additional bars at the end of
music.
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Harmonies: D,D7,G,G7,A,and A7.
Improvisational in style.
Form: AB First part is a melody, the second part same
harmonies with rhythmic chords.
Melody notes mostly from the triad.
Syncopation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt9rBYTqT3w
(Student performance)
Angel's Breath
Lyrical
Comforting
♩96
4/4
G Major
A mood piece.
Melodic idea played through both
hands.
Harmonies: G9, C9, G/G, Cmaj7/G, Am7 and D.
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Form: ABA repeated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0FBdAtSKlQ
White Sand
Latin
With verve
♩ 144
4/4
Bb Major
Calypso feel - Tango bass
Melody focused on arpeggio notes.
Simple harmonies focused mostly around chord one,
four and five: Bb, Eb, F, Cm, and C with some seventh
chords.
Syncopated rhythm.
Call and response.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFGwZetpmno
(Student performance)
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Samba Band
Latin
Lively
4/4
G Major
Strong Latin rhythm pattern throughout.
Harmonies formed around chords 1,4 and 5: G, C, D
♩ 138
with altered bass notes.
Bass uses mostly arpeggio notes.
Embellished melody line.
Strong syncopation.
Ternary form. ( ABA)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8B1jz-OaJ0
(Student performance)
Breezy
Swing
Cool
♩ 112
4/4
E minor
Swing eighths
Complex harmonies: Em, A/E, Am/E, B, Em9, Em7,
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Amsus2/7, B7/D#, and F7.
Substantial bass riff.
Syncopation.
Ternary form. (ABA)
At the Market
Character
With a
Reggae Beat
♩ 132
4/4
C Major
Chord accompaniment in the bass with the melody,
then melody in the bass with right-hand
accompaniment.
One melodic idea made up of two parts.
Syncopation.
Many chords are played in inverted positions.
Harmonies: C/G, F/A, Dm/A, Am, G, C/E, A/F, C/F, E/C
and C.
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Sunset Mood
Latin
Nostalgic
2/2
F Major
 66
Chord based accompaniment.
Chords and bass harmonies move in minim patterns.
Melody based mostly around major 9th chord.
Pentatonic melody in B section.
Call and response.
Melodic idea appears down an octave.
Harmony: Mostly major 9th chords, 6/9 chords,
inverted chords, and minor 7th.
Single note melody.
Ocean Breeze
Latin
Lilting
♩ 132
4/4
F Major
Melody based primarily on the triad notes.
Harmony in first section F to C9 sus4. (First twelve
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bars)
Harmony in bars 13- 16: Dm7, C9, F major 7 and F.
Harmonies in bars 17 - 32: Bb, F/A and Gmin9 sus 4 are
the primary shapes. Bars 31 -32 uses Eb and Eb sus4
and sus 2 before moving to the dominant seventh
chord that also suspends.
Strong sense of F major tonality broken up with
suspended and major ninth chords.
Syncopated melody.
Significant bass patterns and repetition.
Ternary form. ( ABA)
Melody is repetitive.
The first section repeats the
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melody three times with small variations. The relative
minor shifts the melodic sound on the final repeat.
Section B is repetitive without the harmony changes
sitting with chord one, four and two.
Strong cadence points.
Descending bass pattern.
Happy-Go-Lucky Swing
Full
energy
♩ 152
of 4/4
C Major
12 Bar blues
1,3,5,6 Bass pattern.
Simple harmony: C, F and G, coloured by sixth and
seventh harmonies.
Swung melody.
Contrasting articulation.
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Single note melodies followed by harmonies
Pentatonic influence.
Trail-Ride Blues
Character
Loping along
12/8
Bb Major
96
1,5,6,5. Bass Pattern.
Pentatonic melody.
One melodic idea with variations.
Harmonies: Sixth and Seventh chords prominent.
Syncopated melody.
Snake Dance
Latin
Sinuous
♩ 144
4/4
A Minor
Latin rhythm.
Rhythmical bass pattern.
Strong suspended harmonies.
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Secondary dominants.
One musical idea played up an octave with an ending.
Parallel chords used Bar 30, 31 and 15, and 16.
The chords are primarily moving between chord one
and four, with an occasional dominant chord appearing
at the end of sections.
Harmonies: A minor Suspended 4th, A minor 9th, E
minor Suspended 4th, E minor 9th, Suspended 4th, D
minor 9, G minor 9th, C9, F major 7th, E
Lydian sounding melody in bars one and two.
Up and Away
Swing
Fast dance
4/4
C Major
12 Bar Blues
Harmonies use primarily chords one, four and five.
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Chords used: C6, F7, Cm6, and G6.
♩ 160
Form: A, B with the end of B coming from the end of A
section.
Syncopated melody.
Use of blue notes to embellish melody.
C9 Ending.
Swing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_FQ2rFOS8s
(Student performance)
BOOK Counterintuitive Character
4
Brightly
♩ 148
4/4
C Major
Strong bass ostinato - syncopated rhythm.
Staccato chords on mostly compound chord shapes.
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Music does not start in C major.
Strong unresolved or suspended sound. Chords are
constantly moving towards resolution.
Harmonies used F mj7, G 6/9, G11, Fmaj7/G, G13, G11,
Cmaj9, Fmin7, Ab9/C, Ab9/Bb, Eb13, Ab9, Ab13/Eb, D
half diminished, etc
Lots of chords with bass notes other than the tonic.
A sense of unrest.
Only crotchet rhythm for most of right-hand.
Little sense of melody, rather more sense of harmony
and rhythm.
Strong tonic to dominant sound.
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One musical idea developed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZnQsJyx7_E
(Student performance)
Deep in
Thought
Lyrical
Cool
♩ 88
3/4
F Major
Lyrical.
Quiet and soothing.
Starts on the subdominant. Strong subdominant to
tonic movement.
Bass pattern.
Scale passages link sections.
A, AV, B, AV. (ABA).
Melody repeated up an octave.
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Major seventh chords a strong element of harmony.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCZJGsxcesU
A Steady Hand
Character
Expressively
♩ 144
4/4
A Minor
Descending scale in bass
Melody played up an octave.
Variations.
Chords in bass in section.
Form either Binary or one 16 bar musical idea that is
repeated up an octave with variations.
Syncopation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NWz-S0kl7Y
(Student performance)
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The Young Rider Character
Cantering
6/8
B Minor
Bass patterns which repeat.
Classical style piece - Schubert influence.
♩. 108
Left-hand takes the melody while right-hand plays
chords.
Echoing bass .
Melody played in octaves in both hands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAQeN4eSz-Y
Positively
Swinging
Swing
Energetically
♩ 144
4/4
C Major
Strong swinging syncopated melody embellished and
strongly articulated.
Bass plays 1,3,5,6
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Descending bass.
Rock and roll influence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwjg-WzMP2g
Stegosaurus
Character
Sturdily
♩ 116
4/4
C Major
Bass Pattern 1,3b,3,b,6b,6.
Mancini stomp (A big dinosaur lumbering along).
Embellished melody.
Syncopation.
12 Bar Blues.
Descending bass.
Light grace notes.
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Simple harmony - Chords 1,4, and 5.
Melody played up an octave.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlZP4LdRN1w
Pony Ride
Latin
Easygoing
♩ 116
4/4
C Major
Bass pattern 1,5,6,5.
Syncopated melody.
Rhythmic chords.
Descriptive rather than melodic.
Strong use of rests.
Prominent C, Dm7 harmony and F, C harmony in the
second part.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VylGiGDzR2Y
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(Student performance)
Bedbug Blues
Swing
Soulfully
♩ 88
4/4
Bb Major
Blues-inflected melody - Influence of blues scale.
12 Bar blues.
One melodic idea.
Seventh chords prominent.
Syncopated melody.
Melody repeated up an octave.
First part as accompaniment in left-hand as semibreve
fifths.
In second part left-hand has a traditional blues base of
bass note with a fifth, bass note with sixth and then
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repeated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-Bw-dbngU0
(Student performance)
Taskmaster
Character
Sternly
 76
2/2
A Minor
Melody starts with both hands playing in octaves.
Heavy rock piece - imitate a guitar part.
Written primarily in the bass staff.
Melody repeated up an octave.
Bass echoes melody.
Primarily tonic and subdominant harmony. Occasional
use of dominant.
Pentatonic influence.
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12 Bar blues - subtle influence.
Syncopation.
Ternary form.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvbW-sOQUhc
Running Out of
Latin
Steam
Relentlessly
4/4
Dorian
Mode
♩ 120
Minor pentatonic scale influence.
Syncopation.
Melody is echoed.
Ostinato.
Dorian scale - D.
Ternary form. (AB A)
Line by Line
Character
Simply
4.4
A Minor
Minor key with raised sixth.
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A strong focus on the tonic of A minor with small
♩ 100
movements to subdominant and tonic chords often as
suspended chords.
Minor second harmonies.
One melodic idea with variations.
Repetitive motif.
Pentatonic minor influence.
By Myself
Lyrical
Expressively
♩ 126
5/4
G Major
Arpeggio bass.
Change in time signatures.
Simple harmonies.
Simple rhythm mostly crotchets and dotted minims.
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Sunny Again
Latin
Cheerfully ♩ 4/4
G Major
Strong Latin rhythmic pattern in bass .
(Tango rhythm particularly prominent in bass)
120
Minor second harmonies.
Ternary form. AA/BB/A
Strong harmonic movement from tonic G to F .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIWPmN7Wtyk
(Adult performance)
Hornpipe
Character
Spirited
♩ 100
2/4
D Minor
Bass has open fifths (Drone).
Dm, C, Bb.
Sharpened fourth note (G#).
Melody repeated up an octave.
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Ternary form.
Melodic variation.
Lightbulb
Character
With humor 4/4
C Major
♩ 144
Descending minor fifth harmonies (Jazzy sound).
Embellished melody with blue notes.
Melody moves up an octave.
One melodic idea with variations.
Syncopation.
Seventh chord ending.
A Simple Song
Lyrical
Steady
 63
2/2
Eb Major
Music does not start on the tonic.
Strong minor seventh and seventh major harmonies.
Melody is played up an octave.
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Chord based accompaniment.
Syncopation.
Prolonging resolution to the tonic at end.
Two Trails
Swing
Relaxed
4/4
E Major
12 bar blues influence.
Simple chord progressions.
♩ 104
Repetition in bass of melodic ideas.
Ending is played in octaves .
Ternary form.
Triplets against quavers.
Syncopation.
Number
Character
Flowing
5/8
No
key Changing time signature.
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crunching
signature
♩ 120
Displaced beat.
Frequent shifts in tonality.
13th chord harmonies.
Octave ending.
Descending bass line.
Open Window
Latin
Easygoing
♩ 126
4/4
E Minor
Habanera left hand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX2Ok8hgYbk
Strong articulation.
Syncopation.
Bass pattern.
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Ternary form.
Melody with variation.
Single note melody.
Staccato chords at end.
Pentatonic minor.
Cake Mix
Character
Perky
 80
2/2
A Major
Sequences.
Melody repeated up an octave.
Mixolodian mode .
Simple harmony.
Bass patterns.
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Syncopation.
Embellished melody - use of blue notes.
Jaunty
Swing
Easygoing
♩ 132
4/4
Eb major
Repetition and variation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=theUlvKx7Cc
Ternary form but A has some significant variations.
Syncopation.
Chord accompaniment.
"Jazzy"
Descending bass.
Triplets against quavers.
Inverted chords.
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Holidays
Latin
Cheerfully
4/4
D Major
Calypso bass pattern.
Syncopation.
♩ 126
Ternary form.
Simple harmony - Mostly chord one, four and five.
Lighter than Air
Latin
Lightly
4/4
D Major
Minor second harmonies. Simple harmonic structure.
Flattened sixth chord with no third.
♩ 138
The main progression is D6 to D6b.
F major melody in scale pattern prior to end.
BOOK Scamp
5
Swing
Playfully
♩ 120
4/4
D Major
Arpeggio based.
Swung.
Embellished melody.
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Stride bass on alternate notes.
Triplets against quavers.
Syncopation.
One melody with variations including 8va.
Secondary dominants.
Simple harmony.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sarYESwEqF8
Moonscape
Lyrical
Atmospheric
 52-56
4/4
G Minor
(A musical picture of the surface of the moon)
Open fifths
One musical idea repeated up an octave without
variation.
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Embellished melody.
Main chords used are Gmin 11, Eb13, Eb9, Dm 7, Cm9,
D, Gm9, Dm11. (These chords create the atmospheric
mood)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHnIToaxNE8
Contra Dance
Character
Like
clockwork
♩ 96
2/24
E Minor
Staccato in left hand throughout.
Bass pattern 1-5-1-6-1-7-1-6 throughout piece.
One melodic idea with variations.
Syncopation.
E minor throughout.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSLR3xQbBxU
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(Student performance)
A Summer Day
Character
Gracefully
3/4
A Major
Simple harmony throughout.
One melodic idea with variations.
♩ 132
Syncopation.
Chord based accompaniment.
Bass patterns.
Strong tonic-subdominant movement with an A pedal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtlpIe4WaXk
(Student performance)
So Easy
Character
Easygoing
12/8
C Major
Blues bass pattern.
12 bar blues .
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Turn around on dominant.
♩ 112
Melody repeated up an octave.
Pentatonic ..
Embellished melody notes (often blue notes)
Boxcar Blues
Character
Resolute
♩ 112
4/4
D Major
Boogie style.
Bass pattern 1-5, 1-6, 1-5, 1-6.
Two note slur followed by a longer slur.
Secondary dominants.
Simple harmony.
One melody with variations.
Syncopation.
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Embellished melody notes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA5fX7kChBc
Sometimes It's
Character
How I Feel
Simply
4/4
C Major
Descending bass.
Simple harmony.
♩ 92
Syncopation.
Melody repeated up an octave.
One melodic idea with variations.
Embellished melody notes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjNFtYzLE_o
(Student performance)
Palm Trees
Latin
Cheerfully
4/4
G Major
Calypso style.
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Bass patterns (Often 1-3-5).
♩ 144
Simple harmony .
Secondary dominants.
Syncopation.
Ternary form.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7W4YcOoO_g
Floating
Lyrical
Still
♩ 100
4/4
F# Minor
Baroque style left hand with a descending bass
(quaver).
Frequent pedalling.
Introduction.
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Syncopation.
Different phrase length.
Ternary form.
Melody repeated down an octave.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6GYpuK-Pvk
A Folk Song
Lyrical
Plaintively
♩ 63
2/4
D Minor
Drone Bass (open fifth).
Simple harmony. Dm, Bb, C in the first section.
Second section Eb to F and Eb - Dm.
Bass patterns.
Ternary form but with many variations in melody.
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Syncopation.
Leaves Falling
Lyrical
Wafting
5/8
No
key Descriptive piece.
signature
♪ 200
The prominent use of major seventh, ninth, eleventh
and thirteen chords. Some altered chords and inverted
chord shapes.
One musical idea with variations.
Beat displacement.
Back on Track
Swing
Easygoing
♩ 126
4/4
G Major
Bass pattern 1-5, 1-6, 1-7b (Blues)
Embellished melody.
Triplets followed by quavers.
12 bar blues.
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One melody with variations.
Tremolos.
Syncopation.
Melody repeated up an octave.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTHvj2z8Y-E
(Student performance)
Country Calm
Lyrical
Smoothly
♩ 108
4/4
G Major
Simple harmony.
Ternary form.
Melody repeated up an octave.
Rippled chords.
Melody repeats in bass.
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Simple rhythmic patterns in bass and melody.
Daydreaming
Lyrical
Calmly
3/4
C Major
Varying bass patterns.
Prolonging resolution to the tonic.
♩ 88
Harmonic structure includes Ebmaj7 - Dm9 - C6.
(Chords are often major seventh, ninth, eleventh or
thirteenth variations.)
Displacement of beat - left-hand quaver pattern).
Rail Rhythms
Character
Chugging
along
♩ 100
4/4
G Major
Harmony shifts from G to F Major.
Uses a series of short motifs. (Short DA motif used and
inverted. Semiquaver G motif repeated and similar
motif used on other notes).
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Ternary form but with many variations.
Syncopation.
Strutting About
Lyrical
Driving
♩ 160
4/4
C Major
Riff based melody.
Dissonance.
Blues scale influence.
Delaying resolution to tonic.
Open fifth bass accompaniment and 1-5 to 6 pattern in
the second section.
Syncopation .
Ternary form .
12 bar blues influence but not adhering to form.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lb3kljcACk
Mysterious
Latin
Stranger
Suave
4/4
F Minor
Tango bass pattern.
Binary form with ending.
♩ 132
Simple harmony.
Embellished melody line.
Syncopation.
The Arrival
Character
With
anticipation
♩ 132
4/4
E Major
Bass pattern.
Simple harmony. Section A is E to D. Section be is C#
minor to D.
Ternary form.
9th chords prominent.
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Rubato.
Tap Dance
Swing
Happily
4/4
C Major
Chord based accompaniment and bass pattern 1-3-5-3.
Walking bass - ascending.
♩ 160
Jazz influence.
Syncopation.
Ternary form.
Pentatonic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyC9nFa6Eiw
(Student performance)
Simple
Latin
Perky
4/4
G Major
Bass patterns.
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Pleasures
Ternary form.
♩ 132
Syncopation.
Left hand has a melody in Section B.
The lower range of piano used.
Simple harmony.
Embellished melody notes.
Boogie Express
Character
Happily
♩ 120
4/4
Eb Major
Boogie style.
Bass patterns including open fifths, 1-5-6-5 and
flattened seventh.
Ternary form.
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Syncopation.
Melody played up an octave.
Eb to Db major harmonic structure main basis of music.
Caribbean
Latin
Mood
Lilting
4/4
C Major
Simple harmony.
Syncopation.
♩ 132
Ternary form.
Latin bass pattern and seventh harmonies in bass.
Rhythmical chords introduce piece and end piece.
BOOK Free for the Day Character
6
Groovin
♩ 126
4/4
C Major
Contrary motion.
Ternary form.
Triad based harmonies and melody.
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Slurred quavers.
Strong articulation.
Section A is C major.
Section B moves to Ab major.
Cool as a
Cucumber
Swing
Rock beat
♩ 152
4/4
G Minor
Bass patterns often based on the first and fifth note of
the chord.
Repeated bass notes at the same pitch (Similar to
Driving Range)
Rock influence - driving beat.
Form: ABAB.
Syncopation.
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Flattened fifth note in minor melody.
Mood Marigold
Lyrical
Wistfully
4/4
C Major
Frequently shifting chord changes in line with a
descending bass that moves chromatically.
♩ 120
Ternary form.
Bass patterns.
(1-5-8-8-10) (1-3-7-8-9-8-7-5) (Open fifths).
Varying phrase length.
Music does not start in the tonic.
Many jazz chords (7th, 9th, 11 and 13).
Mississauga Rag
Character
Rollicking
♩ 160
4/4
D Major
Rag-style.
Stride bass on alternate notes.
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Chromatic ascending bass.
Ternary form.
Strong tonic to subdominant chord progressions.
Simple harmonies.
Syncopation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ_jadOUklQ
(Student performance)
Beguine Again
Latin
Sultry
♩ 132
4/4
G Minor
Long periods of sustained harmony.
Strong tonic to dominant harmony.
Many 9th and 11th chords.
Frequent use of rhythmic chords to embellish melody.
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Simple harmony using mostly chord one, four and five.
Rocker
Character
Driving
4/4
E Minor
Octave bass.
Driving rock rhythm.
♩ 104
Three distinct melodic sections (ABCA).
Embellished melody notes.
Pentatonic influence.
Strong syncopation.
Loud dynamic throughout.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uk8YdMyx0s
(Student performance - Adult)
Bare Trees
Lyrical
Lonely
4/4
D Minor
Single note melody followed by the melody in sixths.
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Change to parallel major then returns to D minor.
♩ 100
Inverted compound chords.
Uses many 7th, 9th, 11th and 13th chords in harmony.
Form: ABAB.
Bass patterns (lyrical bass 1-5-8-9).
Syncopation.
Too Cool
Swing
Nonchalant
♩ 138
5/4
A Minor
Ternary form.
Beat displacement.
Section A is formed around Am7 and Am6#
Section B is based around arpeggio like melody over
F9, Dm7 implied G7 and E7 harmony.
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Syncopation.
Gazelle
Character
Galloping
6/8
B Minor
108
Repetitive arpeggio pattern in bass.
B pedal note.
Ternary form but many melodic and harmonic
variations.
Beat displacement.
Ornamentation.
Harmony in sixths.
B Natural minor (Aeolian mode).
In Between
Lyrical
Questioning
♩ 88
4/4
Bb Major
Chord based accompaniment with melody.
Binary form: AB .
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Jazz chords, mostly elevenths and thirteenths.
Does not start in the tonic.
Has a modal sound.
Uses seventh, ninth, eleventh and thirteenth chords.
One melodic idea with many variations.
Tent Meeting
Swing
Gospel style 4/4
♩ 144
G Major
Inverted chords.
Diminished chord.
Country style.
Section A is composed of two bars that repeat with
variation in bars one to eight. Bars nine to twelve
contain harmonic variation.
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Bars 13-14 form a bridge to the next section.
Section B uses G7/F to Edim7 as the main basis of
harmony.
Bar 26 till the end is a variation of Section A.
Ternary form.
Syncopation.
Pentatonic melody.
Bahama Beach
Latin
Bopping
♩ 160
4/4
D Major
Slightly detached melody (Staccato).
The main melody repeats at different pitch
One main melody with main variations.
Melody played in octaves in the right hand.
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Harmonies move between tonic and lowered seventh
(D to C) (A to G) etc.
Syncopation.
Right and left-hand play octaves.
As in a Dream
Lyrical
Singing
♩ 92
4/4
F Minor
Ternary form.
Harmony is mostly Fmin9, Bbmin9, Dbmaj7and Eb.
Many seventh, ninth, and eleventh chords
Ninth chord ending.
Singing melody.
Section B is harmonised over a scale passage in left
hand. Very contrasting sections.
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Chord based accompaniment.
Syncopation.
Aeolian mode.
Buttoned Down
Latin
Driving
♩ 144
4/4
Dorian
Mode
Displaced beat.
Riff based pattern throughout left hand almost
continuously.
Simple harmony.
Dorian mode.
Embellished melody notes.
Syncopated.
Ternary form.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Loczp2QaQ9U
(Student performance)
Seconds Apart
Lyrical
Bittersweet
4/4
E Minor
Descending bass.
Does not start on tonic.
♩ 63
Minor and major second harmonies common.
Melody is echoed or continued in bass.
Ternary form.
Aeolian mode.
Displacement
Character
Dreamy
♩ 108
5/8
E Minor
Bass notes consist mostly of E, C, D.
Repetitive bass patterns.
Sharpened sixth note in E minor.
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Ternary form.
Melody is a two bar pattern that repeats over
changing bass notes.
Section B is contrasted by
harmonies and changes in rhythm.
Twilight Dance
Latin
Pensive
♩ 126
4/4
D Minor
Two contrasting sections.
Minor second harmonies common.
Syncopation.
Melody in bass and treble.
Melody in octaves.
Prolonging of tension in one key centre (first eight bars
are in D minor).
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Big Band
Swing
Swagger
Strutting
4/4
A Minor
Walking bass.
Two contrasting sections.
♩ 144
Embellished melody notes.
Syncopation.
Simple harmony.
Big band sound.
A Minor
Incident
Character
Sophisticated 4/4
♩ 132
F# Minor
Two contrasting sections.
Bass pattern (1-3-5).
Melody played up an octave.
Syncopation.
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Variations of melody .
Little Lullaby
Lyrical
Gently
3/4
F Major
rocking
1-5-6-5 quaver bass pattern with variations.
Simple melody with variations.
♩100
Two contrasting sections.
Many major 7th, 9th.
Pedal F.
Ternary form.
Tonic and Subdominant harmony.
Upside
Latin
Cheerful
♩ 152
4/4
C Major
Ternary form but with variations of melody in both
sections.
Melody taken by the left hand when Section A is
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repeated.
Melody repeated up an octave.
Simple chord harmonies.
Syncopation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bLWw40E9xw
(Student performance)
BOOK Fantasy Bossa
7
Latin
Warmly
♩ 126
4/4
F Major
One musical idea throughout varied through rhythmic
block chords and variations of melody and harmonies
underpinning the main musical idea.
Syncopation.
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Bossa nova bass - dotted crotchet, dotted crotchet and
crotchet underpins much of the melody.
Block chords.
Change in time signature.
Harmonic changes mostly chord one, four and five.
Subtle use of chord six. Frequent use of major 13th
chords.
Embellished melody.
Melody is repeated 8va.
A wide range of dynamics from pp to f with crescendo
and diminuendo.
Octave notes at the end played staccato.
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Use of melodic echo often in a lower octave.
Slurs important.
Lots of block chords.
Melody uses a lot of arpeggio shapes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhrTI5fHRv8
Nefertiti Blues
Character
Spirited
♩ 132
4/4
No key
signature
Ends in C
Major
Uses C Blues Scale.
The feel of a 12 bar blues but with more bars and
variations.
Improvisational style.
The first section is melody over staccato chords.
Simple harmony - Inverted chords (1, 4 and 5).
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Variation through different bass pattern from bar 17
on. (1-3-5)
Embellished melody notes.
Syncopation.
Light staccato left-hand chords.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEX-RN9U10M
Alone in
Autumn
Lyrical
Wistfully
♩ 104
4/4
C Minor
Ballad.
Lyrical flowing bass.
Minor second harmonies.
Mordents.
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Octave harmonies.
Jazz influence.
9th Chord ending.
Ternary form.
Significant variation in melody and rhythm in the main
section.
Syncopation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RNUvMjr-gY
On a Swing
Character
Jazz
Waltz, 3/4
easy swing
♩ 116
C Major
Syncopation.
Music does not begin with the tonic.
Descending bass.
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Jazz waltz bass.
Strong triplet feel to melody.
Melody echoed in bass.
Beat displacement.
Two main melodic sections with much variation and
shifts in tonality.
Hanging
Gardens
Latin
Languid
♩ 126
4/4
E Major
Lyrical ballad style.
Legato melody with accents.
Chord accompaniment.
Jazz chords.
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Bass echoes melody.
Two contrasting sections. First section melodic, second
rhythmical.
Syncopation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzMO1OutSCM
Southern
Serenade
Character
Tenderly
♩ 84
4/4
Bb Major
Strong jazz flavour .
Bass patterns including 1-5-6-5.
Chord accompaniment.
Lyrical melody.
Two contrasting sections.
Chords include 7ths, 9ths, and altered chords.
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Chords shift from minor to parallel major (B9)
Inverted chords.
Jazz fills and ending.
Syncopation.
Streetwise
Swing
Struttin'
♩ 152
4/4
C Major
Boogie feel.
12 bar blues influence.
Two significant shifts in key signature.
Two contrasting sections.
Syncopated.
Bass pattern 1-3-5 in syncopated.
Section B has rhythmic chords as accompaniment.
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Desolate
Lyrical
Sadly
4/4
D Minor
Does not start in the tonic.
G Dorian.
♩ 108
Section A repeats 8 bar melody in the left-hand.
Two contrasting sections.
Syncopation.
Jazz chords.
Bass patterns.
Chord accompaniment in places.
Flowing quaver bass in other places.
Open 5th ending.
Picking Up the
Character
Relentless
4/4
C Major
The strong rhythmical riff in left-hand moves from C to
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Pace
D to E to D in the bass. Presents in inverted positions
♩ 144
and root position throughout the music.
Syncopation.
Two contrasting sections.
Simple harmonies.
Small range of notes.
Pentatonic influence.
Ringing Changes Character
Like
carillon
♩ 132
a 5/8
many C Major
changes
in
Frequent shifts in time signature and dynamic.
Chord based.
time
Many open fifths in bass.
Repetitive lyrical melody in Section A.
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Section B is harmonised with stronger rhythm.
Two contrasting sections.
Melody is repeated up an octave.
Sixth chords prominent also7ths, 11ths.
Harmony shifting constantly (C,D,Eb,Bb,C)
Bell like sound.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7tSkkfzKAE
The Band
Strikes Up
Swing
Brash
♩ 172
4/4
G Major
1-3-5-6 Bass.
Chords.
Jazz ending similar to Big Band Swagger - many
similarities to Big Band Swagger.
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Dominant 7th chords prominent.
Inverted chords.
Syncopation.
12 Bar blues influence.
Two contrasting sections.
Ternary form.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVxRP29LWX8
(Adult performance)
On the Alert
Character
Funky
♩ 88
4/4
C# Minor
Blues influence.
Ternary form.
Uses most of the left-hand side of the piano (Lots of
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low notes).
Highly embellished melody.
Lots of articulation.
Syncopation.
Simple bass patterns.
Soft-edged
Lyrical
Rocking
♩ 88
3/4
F Major
Very similar to Little Lullaby.
Prolonging of tension before returning to the tonic.
Bass patterns.
Scale pattern in Section B (Eb Lydian).
Ternary form.
Simple harmony F6 - Gmin9 - Am7.
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Ascending and descending bass lines.
Melody is played by left-hand.
Stormy
Character
Unsettled
7/8
many E Minor
100
changes
in
Frequent shift in time signature.
Sudden shifts in tonality (E minor to F scale over Bb7
time
chord inverted).
Repetitive bass patterns.
Syncopation.
Descriptive piece.
Slurs shape melody (Sets of three slurred notes in
semiquaver groupings).
A Cool Night
Latin
Brooding
4/4
Three flats,
Bass patterns (Latin influenced).
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but sounds
♩ 112
Rhythmic chords.
like F Minor
Syncopation.
Aeolian
Mode
Aeolian mode (F minor natural).
A very loose form of ternary form. There are a lot of
rhythmical and harmonic variations.
Chords include 7ths, 9th,s 11ths.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq6CJYJ5clo
(Student performance)
At the Rodeo
Character
Spirited
♩ 120
4/4
D Major
Simple harmony.
Bass pattern galloping throughout.
Octave bass quavers.
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Highly embellished melody.
Blues influenced.
Ternary form with much melodic variation.
Pentatonic influence.
Wound Up
Latin
Nervous
♩ 132
4/4
G Minor
Melody passes between hands.
Motifs based on interval of a sixth.
Two contrasting sections.
Dissonance.
Staccato.
Displacement of beat.
Syncopation.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE6P3gqfLMY
Early Morning
Character
Workout
Pumpin'
4/4
E Major
12 bar blues .
Blues bass patterns (1/5 - 1/6 - 1/7b - 1/6).
♩ 132
Simple harmony.
One main melody with variations.
Melody played up an octave.
Syncopation.
Turn around sections between repetitions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIH2eZfbuZo
(Adult performance)
Sax Tune
Latin
Easygoing
4/4
F Major
Similar to Fantasy Bossa.
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Delaying of return to tonic.
♩ 112
Jazz chords.
Rhythmic chords.
Ternary form.
Syncopation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITQRkBItRyE
(Adult performance)
Water Lilies
Lyrical
Drifting
♩ 96
4/4
C Major
Two contrasting sections.
Descriptive piece.
Left-hand takes the melody at times.
Wide range of piano is used.
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
362
Jazz chords.
Piled up fifths and compound chords.
Syncopation.
Mostly simple harmonic progressions (with a few
exceptions).
Harmonies in thirds.
Chords.
Scale passages link to next section.
Book
8
Hot Day
Swing
Jaunty
♩ 152
4/4
C Major
Stride Bass.
Jazz/Rag influence.
Ternary form.
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
363
Syncopation.
Two contrasting sections.
Pentatonic influence.
Arpeggio shaped melody in places.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlKFuwE9lYU
(Student performance)
Last September
Lyrical
Serene
♩ 104
4/4
Db Major
Jazz chords (major sevenths, ninths, etc.) .
Lyrical bass pattern.
Two bar repetitions of bass pattern.
Syncopation.
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
364
Ternary form.
Lyrical quality.
Left-hand plays the melody too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhGZGn01Vh4
(Student performance)
New England
Dawn
Character
Still
♩ 84
4/4
C Major
Large intervals in right-hand.
Section A is seven bars long (unusual for Norton).
Melody swaps between the hands.
Jazz chords, often inverted.
Section A melody is inverted the second time it
presents.
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
365
Melody played in octaves.
Section A and B are blended in the second playing of A
Section.
Two contrasting sections with an overlap of ideas.
Fifths in bass.
Bass patterns.
Chords build a bridge between sections.
(1-5-8-9) bass pattern .
Descending bass pattern.
In Spain
Latin
Enigmatic
♩ 116
4/4
A Minor
Latin bass pattern interspersed with chords.
Crotchet triplet rhythms in melody.
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
366
Staccato in bass.
Move from A minor to parallel major (A major).
Ternary form.
Syncopation.
Melody notes sourced from arpeggio.
Prominent tonic to subdominant harmony.
Lyrical melody.
Texas Line
Dance
Character
Exuberant
♩ 176
4/4
G Major
Stride bass.
Changes in tempo.
Blues notes.
Scalic passages.
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
367
Ternary form.
Simple harmony.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldyEYMgc6AU
(Student performance)
Cuban Romance Latin
Like a Bolero
♩ 88
4/4
G Major
Bolero style.
Modal?
Latin influence in rhythms.
Pedal notes.
Ternary form.
Complex harmony (modal sound).
Large chords accompany strong melodic line.
Syncopation.
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
368
Melody is derived from arpeggio.
Rhythmic chords.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZQfUFneYBM
(Adult performance)
Celtic Lament
Lyrical
Moving
♪ 132
6/8
E minor
Celtic piece.
Melody is shared between the hands.
Major second harmonies.
Interesting shifts in harmony.
Scale passage links melody.
Bass patterns.
Ornamentation.
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
369
(Modal sounding - Aeolian).
Two contrasting sections. Melodic variation.
Melody in octaves.
Descending bass.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwziZYqeFc0
Veiled in
Mystery
Character
Swirling
♩ 120
6/4
G Major/E
minor
Melody based on descending G major scale.
Repetitive melodic ideas.
Melody repeated in bass.
Mostly crotchet, quaver and semiquaver rhythms in
both hands.
A sense of displacement.
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
370
Top of the Class
Character
Determined
4/4
D Minor
Repetitive bass pattern (1,1,5,1) and (1,1,8,1).
Parallel minor and majors.
♩ 138
Dorian mode in places.
Two contrasting sections - Rhythmic chords
then
melody.
Grand March
Character
Strict
precise
♩ 100
and 2/4
C Major
A "March" style piece written without traditional
march-like features apart from the 2/4-time signature
and march-like rhythms that appear from time to time.
Stride bass.
Open fifths.
Melody with variations.
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
371
Scale passage toward ending.
Frequently moving harmonic progressions.
Out on the
Character
Prairie
Vigorous
4/4
A Major
Harmonic and rhythmical patterns.
Shift from A major to F major.
♩ 132
Two distinct melodic sections.
Scale passage in the middle of the music. (Modal)
Melody repeated up an octave.
Syncopation.
Too Sad for
Words
Lyrical
Introspective
♩ 120
4/4
D Minor
Melody influenced by ninth chord harmony.
Melody begins in two bass clefs.
Accompaniment involves chords and bass patterns.
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
372
Large harmonic movement away from D minor at
times.
Syncopation.
Jane's Song
Lyrical
Wistful
4/4
E Major
Bass patterns (1,5,8,9,10)
Strongly lyrical - songlike.
♩ 112
Key shift from E major to E minor (parallel minor).
Harmonies of sixths.
Ternary form.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYnjQ1PtN9g
At Peace
Swing
Thoughtful
3/4
C Major
Ternary form.
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
373
Melody played up an octave
♩ 96
Frequent use of triplets in melody.
Jazz style, frequently moving harmonies.
Syncopation.
Mambo Queen
Latin
Driving
♩ 144
4/4
C Major
Latin rhythms.
Bass patterns.
Syncopation
Melody embellished.
Ternary form.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mercdu8HD00
(Student performance)
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
374
Perpetuo
Character
Insistent
4/4
G
Major/E Restless insistent quaver rhythms overlaid with
Minor
♩ 176
Modal
crotchet bass patterns often using the first, fifth and
eight notes in the scale.
Syncopation
Chord based melody at times
Harmonic variation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3a3SfCj65U
(Student performance)
Hot Breakfast
Character
With zip
♩ 200
4/4
D Major
Ragtime style.
Stride bass.
Two contrasted melodies.
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
375
Wide range of piano used.
Syncopation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpP0CGdGjT4
(Student performance)
Waltz for Elaine
Character
Serious
♩ 80
3/4
E Minor
Strong waltz feel.
Contrasting rhythm in different melodic sections.
Jazz harmony.
Arpeggios used in bass for accompaniment.
A starting similar to Gymnopedies.
Very quiet dynamic (ppp at end) .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCiKTAcVdgc
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
376
(Student performance)
Cause for
Swing
Rejoicing
With flair
4/4
F Major
Jazz harmonies.
♩ 126 swing
Swing melody.
eighths
Bass patterns.
Syncopation.
Melody in octaves.
Two contrasting sections.
Latin Lament
Latin
Somber
♩ 132
4/4
D Dorian
Strongly rhythmical.
Simple melodic motif that inverts.
Left-hand takes the melody.
Two contrasting sections.
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
377
Jazz harmony, in particular, major sevenths and ninth
chords.
Melody repeated in different registers.
Syncopation.
Bass patterns.
Open fifths.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwziZYqeFc0
Infinitely
Regretful
Lyrical
Restless
 64
3/2
C Minor
Use of blue notes.
Bass pattern (1,5,8,5,9,5).
Intervals of thirds and fourths common in the melody.
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
378
The melody repeats up an octave.
Syncopation.
Two contrasting melodies.
A variety of bass rhythms including chords.
Open fifths stacked fourths.
Country
Sentimental
Character
Soulfully
♩ 90
4/4
C Major
Relaxed country feel.
Bass patterns (1,5,8,10,12).
Embellished melody.
Gentle syncopation.
Open fifths in bass ascending and descending.
Quiet mood.
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
379
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De73c7OMZzA
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
380
Appendix 20
- A List of Christopher Norton Publications
Product Code
9790060081033
M060081064
M060123054
M051467686
M060123047
M060062605
M060113628
M060115424
M060116674
M060120503
M060116698
M060116704
9790060119897
9790060119873
9790060118784
M060113031
M060077586
9790060119880
M060126260
M060097430
M060097423
M060113048
Title
20th Century Classics vol.1 for Piano Solo
20th-Century Classics vol.2 for Piano Solo
A Blue Christmas - SAATB
Agnus Dei SATB & organ
Angels & Shepherds - SSATBB & Piano
Candles and Crowns SATB & piano
Celtic Melt (Big Beats series) Book & CD
Christopher Norton Concert Collection (Bk & CD)
Christopher Norton Concert Collection 2 (Book & CD)
Christopher Norton Concert Collection For Cello
Christopher Norton Concert Collection for Clarinet (Book & CD)
Christopher Norton Concert Collection For Flute (Book & CD)
Christopher Norton Concert Collection For Trumpet (Book & CD)
Christopher Norton Concert Collection For Violin (Book & CD)
Christopher Norton's Guide To Microjazz (Book & CD)
Chunky Phunky (Big Beats series) Book & CD
Cocktail Lounge (Piano)
Concert Collection For Alto Saxophone
Concert Collection for Tenor Saxophone
Concertino For Trumpet & Piano
Concertino For Trumpet Strings & Piano
Country Comfort (Big Beats series) Book & CD
Publisher
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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M060104886
M060117497
M060105326
M060115943
M060085680
M060103896
M060097720
M060095375
M060090004
M060112287
M060110184
M060085673
M060085666
M060085659
M060079368
9790060122545
M060117725
M060828676
M060107665
M060097775
M060116261
9790060119149
M060103186
M060122767
M060110559
M060110566
M060110269
M060111136
M060123849
Country Preludes (Christopher Norton Piano Preludes series)
Country Preludes Collection (Book & CD) (Christopher Norton Piano Preludes series)
Diversions for violin and piano
Easiest Way to Improvise (Bk & CD)
Ensemble Microjazz 1
Essential Guide To Latin Styles For Keyboard
Essential Guide To Pop Styles (German edition)
Essential Guide To Pop Styles for Keyboard
Final Frontier piano
Four Pieces from Microjazz (Flexensemble series)
Guitar From Scratch (Book & CD)
Improvise Microjazz Alto Sax
Improvise Microjazz Clarinet
Improvise Microjazz Flute
Improvise Microjazz Piano
In the need of prayer - SATB (Concerts for Choirs)
Jazz Preludes Collection (Book & CD) (Christopher Norton Piano Preludes series)
Jazz Quartet for Brass Ensemble
Keyboards From Scratch (Book & CD)
Latin Duets for Piano
Latin Preludes Collection (Book & CD) (Christopher Norton Piano Preludes series)
Little Cradle Rocks (Upper Voices/Piano) (Book & CD)
Lost In Cyberspace piano
Microballads
Microjazz Alto Saxophone Collection 1
Microjazz Alto Saxophone Collection 2
Microjazz Cello Collection 1
Microjazz Cello Collection 2
Microjazz Christmas Collection: Beginner-Intermediate
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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M060124280
M060109096
M060110610
M060091902
M060122514
M060122521
M060122538
M060106804
M060106811
M060106828
M060109089
M060110603
M060091896
M060122569
M060085642
M060122576
M060071102
M060085628
6580
M050059226
M060087882
M060091933
M060091926
M060127618
M060079436
M060079504
M060079177
M060082573
M060085635
Microjazz Christmas Collection: Intermediate-Advanced
Microjazz Clarinet Collection 1
Microjazz Clarinet Collection 2
Microjazz Clarinet Duets
Microjazz Collection 1 for Piano: Book & CD
Microjazz Collection 2 for Piano: Book & CD
Microjazz Collection 3 for Piano: Book & CD
Microjazz Duets Collection 1 (Piano)
Microjazz Duets Collection 2 (Piano)
Microjazz Duets Collection 3 (Piano)
Microjazz Flute Collection 1
Microjazz Flute Collection 2
Microjazz Flute Duets
Microjazz for Absolute Beginners: New edition
Microjazz for Bassoon
Microjazz For Beginners (Repackaged Book & CD)
Microjazz for Clarinet Cl/Piano
Microjazz for Double Bass
Microjazz For Ensemble vol.3 (Score & Parts)
Microjazz For Ensemble vol.4
Microjazz For Guitar Duet Book 1
Microjazz For Guitar Duet Book 2
Microjazz For Guitar Solo Book 2
Microjazz for Mandolin (Book & CD)
Microjazz for Oboe
Microjazz for Recorder
Microjazz for Recorder Group Full Score & Parts
Microjazz for Starters - Viola and Piano
Microjazz for Tenor Saxophone
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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M060084607
M060095870
M060082436
M060091919
M060110597
M060110245
M060111129
M060119651
M060128622
M060127861
M060127878
M060128615
M060129544
M060127724
9790060120596
9790060115790
M060120497
M060102554
M060114250
M060114533
M060114540
M060114083
M060114076
M060114090
M060114526
9790051105526
BH12340
M060097768
M060116384
Microjazz for Trombone (bass clef)
Microjazz for Trumpet 2 (& Piano)
Microjazz For Viola
Microjazz Saxophone Duets
Microjazz Trios Collection Piano 6hds
Microjazz Violin Collection 1
Microjazz Violin Collection 2
MicroLatin (Book & CD)
Micromusicals: A Christmas Carol (+ CD)
Micromusicals: Queen Nut (+ CD)
Micromusicals: Romeo & Juliet (+ CD)
Micromusicals: The Highwayman (+ CD)
Micromusicals: The Little Mermaid (+ CD)
Micromusicals: The Vikings (+ CD)
Microrock (Book & CD)
Microstyles Collection (Book & CD)
MicroSwing (Book & CD)
More Microjazz 1 3. 5in Smf Pack
Quintet for four violins & piano
R&B Ripple Alto-Sax (Big Beats series) Book & CD
R&B Ripple Cello (Big Beats series) Book & CD
R&B Ripple for Clarinet (Big Beats series) Book & CD
R&B Ripple for Flute (Big Beats series) Book & CD
R&B Ripple for Violin (Big Beats series) Book & CD
R&B Ripple Trumpet (Big Beats series) Book & CD
Riffs & Grooves (Book & CD)
Rock & Pop Piano Basics (Bk & CD)
Rock Duets (Piano Duet)
Rock Preludes Collection (Bk & CD) (Christopher Norton Piano Preludes series)
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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M060115912
M060114564
M060114571
M060114052
M060114045
M060113468
M060114557
M060114069
M060105265
M060079283
M060114502
M060114519
M060113970
M060113963
M060114496
M060113987
M060122996
M060097300
M060109102
M060110627
M060113086
M060091889
Silver Screen Wind Quartets Sc/Pt
Smooth Groove Alto Sax (Big Beats series) Book & CD
Smooth Groove Cello (Big Beats series) Book & CD
Smooth Groove Clarinet (Big Beats series) Book & CD
Smooth Groove Flute (Big Beats series) Book & CD
Smooth Groove Piano (Big Beats series) Book & CD
Smooth Groove Trumpet (Big Beats series) Book & CD
Smooth Groove Violin (Big Beats series) Book & CD
Sonatina Flute & Piano
Stepping Out Oboe & Piano (Easy Music Series)
Techno Treat Alto Sax (Big Beats series) Book & CD
Techno Treat Cello (Big Beats series) Book & CD
Techno Treat Clarinet (Big Beats series) Book & CD
Techno Treat Flute (Big Beats series) Book & CD
Techno Treat Trumpet (Big Beats series) Book & CD
Techno Treat Violin (Big Beats series) Book & CD
The Earthly Choir - SSAATTBB & Piano
The Hymn Makers 1 SATB & organ
The Microjazz Trumpet Collection 1
The Microjazz Trumpet Collection 2
Write Songs from Scratch (Book & CD)
Yankee Doodles-Improvis. On Folktunes
Connections For Piano Grades 1-5
Connections For Piano Activities 7
Connections For Piano Activities 8
Connections For Piano Repertoire 7
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
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Boosey & Hawkes
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Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Frederick
Harris
Music
Frederick
Harris
Music
Frederick
Harris
Music
Frederick
Harris
Music
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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CNR08
Connections For Piano Repertoire 8
CNR05
HL00641864
HL00641865
Connections for Piano: Repertoire 5
Harmonica Power! vol.1: Norton Buffalo's Bag of Tricks DVD
Harmonica Power! vol.2: Norton Buffalo's Blues Techniques DVD
Studio Microjazz vol.3 (cassette)
My Melancholy Baby
Favourite Gospels (SSA)
American Popular Piano Christmas Level 1
American Popular Piano Christmas Level 2
American Popular Piano Christmas Level 3
American Popular Piano Christmas Level 4
American Popular Piano Christmas Level 5
American Popular Piano Christmas preparatory
American Popular Piano: Level 01 Etudes
American Popular Piano: Level 01 Repertoire (Book & CD)
American Popular Piano: Level 01 Skills
American Popular Piano: Level 01 Technic
American Popular Piano: Level 02 Etudes
American Popular Piano: Level 02 Repertoire (Book & CD)
American Popular Piano: Level 02 Skills
American Popular Piano: Level 02 Technic
American Popular Piano: Level 03 Etudes
American Popular Piano: Level 03 Repertoire (Book & CD)
American Popular Piano: Level 03 Skills
American Popular Piano: Level 03 Technic
American Popular Piano: Level 04 Etudes
American Popular Piano: Level 04 Repertoire (Book & CD)
MV00002539
NOV170379
APPX-01
APPX-02
NVM48
NVM49
NVM50
APPX-00
NVM13
NVM2
NVM24
NVM35
NVM14
NVM3
NVM25
NVM36
NVM15
NVM4
NVM26
NVM37
NVM16
NVM5
Frederick
Harris
Music
Frederick
Harris
Music
Homespun
Homespun
Minim Products
Music Vault
Novello
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
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NVM27
NVM38
NVM17
NVM6
NVM28
NVM39
NVM18
NVM7
NVM29
NVM40
NVM19
NVM8
NVM30
NVM41
NVM20
NVM9
NVM31
NVM42
NVM21
NVM10
NVM32
NVM43
NVM22
NVM11
NVM33
NVM44
NVM12
NVM23
NVM34
American Popular Piano: Level 04 Skills
American Popular Piano: Level 04 Technic
American Popular Piano: Level 05 Etudes
American Popular Piano: Level 05 Repertoire (Book & CD)
American Popular Piano: Level 05 Skills
American Popular Piano: Level 05 Technic
American Popular Piano: Level 06 Etudes
American Popular Piano: Level 06 Repertoire (Book & CD)
American Popular Piano: Level 06 Skills
American Popular Piano: Level 06 Technic
American Popular Piano: Level 07 Etudes
American Popular Piano: Level 07 Repertoire (Book & CD)
American Popular Piano: Level 07 Skills
American Popular Piano: Level 07 Technic
American Popular Piano: Level 08 Etudes
American Popular Piano: Level 08 Repertoire (Book & CD)
American Popular Piano: Level 08 Skills
American Popular Piano: Level 08 Technic
American Popular Piano: Level 09 Etudes
American Popular Piano: Level 09 Repertoire (Book & CD)
American Popular Piano: Level 09 Skills
American Popular Piano: Level 09 Technic
American Popular Piano: Level 10 Etudes
American Popular Piano: Level 10 Repertoire (Bk & CD)
American Popular Piano: Level 10 Skills
American Popular Piano: Level 10 Technic
American Popular Piano: Preparatory Level Etudes
American Popular Piano: Preparatory Level Skills
American Popular Piano: Preparatory Level Technic
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Novus Via Music
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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NVM1
UE17615
UE17314
UE17614
American Popular Piano: Preparatory Repertoire (Book & CD)
Any Time's Kissing Time - Golden Standards
Americana For Pianna 1
Americana For Pianna 2
Americana For Pianna 4
Americana For Pianna 5
Americana For Pianna 6
Carol Jazz
Christmas Carols Piano Duet
Sing n' Swing (2-Pt Optional Percussion)
Novus Via Music
Prowse Keith
Sawmill
Sawmill
Sawmill
Sawmill
Sawmill
Universal Edition
Universal Edition
Universal Edition
Anna Cannon 3998919 MUSI 490 Dissertation Appendix -The Christopher Norton Effect: How Popular Music Influences his Piano Repertoire - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
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Appendix 21
Questions to Norton about Mellers and Blake 31 May 2015
Hi Chris
I am making steady progress through my dissertation. I have done some research on
Mellers and Blake. I found Mellers, in particular, to be a very interesting man. I have in
my notes and interview with you a few comments about the influence of these two
lecturers and composers on your life, but I wondered if you could give some thought to
how they influenced you as a person and secondly whether they did influence your
compositional style (and how that might be explained).
Christopher Norton's reply
Wilfrid Mellers was my supervisor for the first 2 years of my time in York, then he retired
and I switched to David Blake. WM was amazing in that he understood composers can
come from any background and he was willing to be positive about what there was to be
positive about, whatever the style. I wrote a large stage musical, Daniel, that he was very
complimentary about and another musical, The Song of Roland, was staged at the
university and was also very well received. I was starting to write Microjazz and generally
delve into pop styles during my time at York and once WM had retired my interests were
at variance with what was expected for a D.Phil folio (hence the M.Phil) DB was a great
fan of Berg and asked me to analyse Berg's Three Orchestral Pieces while I was writing
Intercity Stomp. His input was really irrelevant to the direction I was heading in. At my
Anna Cannon 3998919 - MUSI 490 - Dissertation - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie
389
viva, somebody said that I would do as well as anyone who had come through the
department, but what was I doing there in the first place (ie not just going into
commercial music)?
Anna Cannon 3998919 - MUSI 490 - Dissertation - Lecturer Dr Anthony Ritchie