Fand Catalogue

  

Mood Music Medley

for solo piano

Carey Blyton

arr. John Mitchell

The arrangements for piano in this volume of orchestral music, originally variously scored, by Carey Blyton seek to give a wider audience the chance to hear (and to play) music of charming melodic invention and skilful mood presentation which was mainly written to fulfil publishers’ stocks of library music.

However, although it is clear that most of these works were written specifically to serve this purpose, at least one, Commuter Special, was conceived earlier (and thus was motivated and inspired differently) and then marshalled into a commissioned score.

There are two green-bound volumes announcing Mood Music with the date in gold embossed lettering. One shows 1965 and the other 1968. The arrangements in this current medley derive from the 1965 volume.

In addition, there are three pieces, Commuter Special, Valse Musette and Girl Friday, whose manuscripts exist separately.

Commuter Special (originally ‘Rush Hour’) is clearly a reworking of material thought up as long ago as 1955 when Blyton was 23. It also has the dates 1966 and 1973 on it. In 1974/75 it was recorded and can be heard, along with all these arrangements, on the Carey Blyton – Film & Television Music (1/4) CD.

Sketches of both Valse Musette and Girl Friday exist on manuscript paper dated 1972; again, they were fully scored in time for a 1974 recording session.

Coincidentally, the present arranger of this music, John Mitchell, first met Carey Blyton at his home in Swanley in 1974, and on that occasion heard some of these recordings, ‘just done’, on a reel-to-reel tape recorder!

Minuet for Octet, Pan and Echo, Table for Two and Music Hall Memories were all copyrighted in 1966—although the bound volume clearly states 1965. It is otherwise not possible to date the original conception of these precisely at present.

The ‘pointers to mood’ under each title are Carey Blyton’s own.

—Peter Thompson

Note that an easier (Grade 4–5) arrangement of Girl Friday than the version in this collection, but also by John Mitchell, is available separately.

Sample pages

(Click to enlarge)

		Composer	Title	Grade	Forces	Total duration
		Carey Blyton arr. John Mitchell	Mood Music Medley for solo piano	6 to 8	Piano	10 mins
	#	Composer	Movement		Forces	Duration
	1	Carey Blyton arr. John Mitchell	Valse Musette [Parisian ‘left bank’ evocation]		Piano	2 mins
	2		Girl Friday [A number with a South American flavour]			2½ mins
	3		Minuet for Octet [18th century pastiche]			1½ mins
	4		Pan and Echo [Pastoral]			¾ minute
	5		Table for Two [Romantic; warm]			¾ minute
	6		Commuter Special [Moderate tempo;amusing]			2 mins
	7		Music Hall Memories [Humorous; rather droll]			½ minute

Recorded performance

Performed by the arranger: John Mitchell, Piano

Catalogue code: FM280 • Published: 3rd June 2024
Entry last updated: 3rd June 2024