“From Folk to Classical 2” is a mouth-watering collection of 24 arrangements for classical guitar by Paul Coles. The classical pieces include many favourites, including a few you would not expect to hear on the guitar, such as “Habanera” from “Carmen” and Saint-Saën’s famous “Swan” but they really work!

Traditional folk numbers are not neglected, with “Michael Row the Boat” and “Londonderry Air” among the best known. The arrangements are for moderately advanced players (UK grade 5-6) and Paul has offered fingering help for both left and right hands. It follows Book 1 (UE 21673) which was published in 2017 (Grades 3-4). Try it, perhaps as a warm up for Book 2 if you don’t already know it and then try Paul’s “26 Melodic Studies” (UE 21670) or his “Momentos Españoles” (UE 21671).

Traditional Spiritual: Michael Row the Boat ashore · Traditional Gypsy Russian Folk Song: Dark Eyes · Bizet George: Habanera from the opera Carmen · Scotrtish Folk Song: My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean · English Folk Song: Easly One Morning · Albéniz Isaac: Asturias (Leyenda) · Traditional English: Greensleeves · Traditional West Indian: Jamaica Farewell · Traditional Bahamas: Sloop John B · Beethoven Ludwig van: Für Elise · Irish Folk Song: Londonderry Air · Granados Enrique: No. 3 from Valses poeticos · Saint-Saëns Camille: Le cygne from Carnival of the Animals · Strauß (Sohn) Johann: An der schönen blauen Donau · Tschaikowsky Peter Iljitsch: Swan Lake – Act 1 Finale · Chopin Frédéric: Waltz Op. 18 – Grande valse brillante · Beethoven Ludwig van: Minuet No. 1 · Beethoven Ludwig van: Minuet No. 2 · Händel Georg Friedrich: Largo · Debussy Claude: Clair de lune · Dvorák Antonín: Slavonic Dance oOp. 72 No. 2 · Tschaikowsky Peter Iljitsch: Dance of the Merlitons from Nutcracker Suite · Joplin Scott: Wall Street Rag · Fauré Gabriel: Pavane