Selections From Winter, Volume 1 is the companion sheet music book to Ryan Marvel’s 2013 recording, Winter. Six of the thirteen piano solos from the album are included, and since this is “Volume 1,” I suspect a second collection may be in the works. The songbook contains an interesting selection of traditional and popular Christmas pieces plus one original composition. All of them are on the slow, peaceful side, but they are not simple. Ryan Marvel’s playing style is very expressive, so these pieces should be played with a lot of heart and an expressive touch. Some of the chords have a reach of more than an octave, but those can be rolled or adjusted to each pianist’s hands. The transcriptions are beautifully done and the scores are printed on a bright white paper that is crisp and substantial. The notation is well-spaced and easy to read. The binding is stapled, and front and back covers are full-color images from the CD artwork. The book also includes Ryan Marvel’s bio. This is a very beautiful book that is available exclusively from RyanMarvel.com. Individual pieces can also be downloaded from the same site. These are wonderful arrangements to work on with advancing students as well as for pianists at an early-advanced playing level. Highly recommended!

The titles, the keys they are in, and the number of pages are:

O, Holy Night - Key of D (2 sharps) - 8 pages
Walking in the Air (from “The Snowman”) - Key of C minor (3 flats) - 10 pages
O Come, O Come Emmanuel / Lo, How A Rose - Key of E minor (1 sharp)/ E major (4 sharps) - 4 pages
Winter (original piece) - Key of G# minor (5 sharps) - 9 pages
The First Noel - Key of D (2 sharps) - 5 pages
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Key of Bb (2 flats) - 3 pages