The Halloween Collection is a set of 5 pieces for Grade 2 - 3 / Early Intermediate pianists.
 
All Hallows’ Eve by Catherine Wilson is ominous, mysterious and has a foreboding feel.
 
The use of the tritone / augmented 4th, cluster chords and range of nearly 5 octaves all help to create the menacing tone and fear of what may happen!
 
Instrument: Piano Solo
 
Approximate difficulty level: Grade 2 - 3 / Early Intermediate
 
Key: E minor
 
Time signature: 4/4
 
Features: Hand crossing and quasi-Alberti bass motifs in left hand, cluster chords in right hand
 
Focus: Spatial awareness, coordination, chord placement
 
 
Casting the Spell by Catherine Wilson is mysterious, atmospheric with an ominous feel. 
 
The use of  pedal and glissandi help create a mystical quality while the use of tritones produces an eerie quality to make us wonder if the spell is cast for good or for evil!
 
Instrument: Piano Solo
 
Approximate difficulty level: Grade 2 - 3 / Early Intermediate
 
Key: D natural minor
 
Time signature: 6/8
 
Features: Hand crossing with octave jumps, glissandi, chords of 5ths, 6ths and tritones
 
Focus: To build confidence lifting hands away from the keys, work on chord placement, explore atmospheric playing
 
 
The Witch’s Cat by Catherine Wilson is quirky, mysterious and has a spooky feel.  
 
The use of chromaticism and triplets helps add to the uncertainty while the semitone / half-step motif that culminates with six octaves of hand crossing mimics a cat walking from the top of the keyboard all the way down to the very lowest note! 
 
Instrument: Piano Solo
 
Approximate difficulty level: Grade 2 - 3 / Early Intermediate
 
Key: Tonal centre of A with use of F# and C#, D# accidentals
 
Time signature: 4/4
 
Features: Chromatic runs, riff-like motifs with triplets, intervals of 5ths and 6ths
 
Focus: To work on finger dexterity, interval recognition, rhythmic playing
 
 
Halloween Dream by Catherine Wilson is quirky, spooky and has an unpredictable feel.  
 
There is an independence between the hands as the right hand oscillates between a quirky melody and chromatic scales while the left-hand uses riffs and octave jumps. 
 
Instrument: Piano Solo
 
Approximate difficulty level: Grade 2 - 3 / Early Intermediate
 
Key: C minor
 
Time signature: 6/8
 
Features: Use of semitones / half-steps and tritones, duplets, chromatic scales, octave jumps
 
Focus: To explore the tonality created by chromaticism, build confidence changing hand positions, work on coordination and rhythm
 
 
The Haunted Hollow by Catherine Wilson is eerie, mysterious and atmospheric.
 
The use of diminished chords and tritones / augmented 4ths alongside mysterious sounding rising motifs (sustained by the pedal being held throughout) help to build the mysterious soundscape.
 
Instrument: Piano Solo
 
Approximate difficulty level: Grade 2 - 3 / Early Intermediate
 
Key: Dorian mode with added G sharps
 
Time signature: 4/4
 
Features: Changing hand position on repeated notes, pedal held throughout, ‘copying and pasting’ motifs an octave higher
 
Focus: Navigating hand position changes, spatial awareness, coordination