While we have typically looked at works that are more challenging as part of our exploration of somewhat forgotten music, there is also much music that is easier to perform and ideal for beginner to intermediate skilled performers. Today we take a look into this area with a set of three easier pieces by Edgar Bainton, his 3 Little Sketches for solo piano.

Edgar Bainton is most known today for his church music, in particular his choral work "And I Saw a New Heaven," published in 1928. Bainton, however, was a prolific composer of orchestral and chamber music as well. His 3 Little Sketches was originally published in 1913 while Bainton was Principal of the Newcastle upon Tyne Conservatory of Music.  While not much is known on the origin of these works, one can imagine their use amongst his students (particularly knowing that Bainton had been a Professor of Piano at the school up until the previous year).

The first sketch, "Bakawali's Dance," is a faster movement, written in 3/4 time. While score in D Major, Bainton creates intriguing harmonies by opening us with an E Dorian feel, with the outlines of an E minor chord in open fifth in the left hand that are disrupted by the main melody in the right hand in the third measure, where ornaments in the figure introduce the Dorian feel with the C#.

A second theme comes quickly with moving sixteenth and eighth notes in both hands, creating a contrast to the open fifths in the left hand up to this point. Quickly, Bainton takes us back to open chords to transition us back to the opening figure, moving from A back to our E Dorian feel. The two themes quickly repeat, with more ornamentation, before a variation on the open transitional chords takes us back to a calm ending on D Major.

The second sketch, "Silent Noon," presents a more complex counterpoint between the voices, however a student could easily master these lines. The left hand provides a constant harmonic structure through arpeggiated chords, while the right hand introduces his themes, which are quickly repeated before transitioning from G Major to the dominant, D Major, for the second theme, this time with the left hand echoing the melody. A short development of the idea occurs, before returning the opening in G Major.

The final sketch, "After Work to Play, and Then to Sleep," presents a faster tempo, with a scherzo-like feel to it.  The repeated rhythmic idea of a dotted eighth, sixteenth, eighth provides much of the structure to the short work.  Again, the work is one that could be mastered by a student, this time introducing more chromatic challenges in scales.

Much of Bainton's music has remained hidden, with few recordings of his non-church music other than some recordings of orchestra works made a few years ago. These simple piano works give any pianist an easy way to explore works that have remained in silence for nearly a century!