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All About Snoob: Bassoon (Solo)

$15.95 USD
$15.95 USD
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All About Snoob Cover Image
All About Snoob: Bassoon (Solo)

All About Snoob: Bassoon (Solo)

By Piers Hellawell

Item: 98-EP73534
$15.95
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Description

All About Snoob for solo bassoon was written for Jeremy Crump as the first in the Lockdown Commissioning Triangles series for CoMA during the spring of 2020. Chris Shurety and I devised the idea of bringing short solo pieces for keen amateurs into being, to overcome the virus-induced national isolation of that time, which had put an end to live concert activity. The piece was premiered by Jeremy Crump on Youtube in June 2020.

All About Snoob is a character piece. Snoob is a louche character - a wit, of some learning, a flâneur who is now somewhat down at heel – the type who seems to know everybody, without having any obvious profession. Everyone runs into Snoob, but no one knows much of Snoob's history… Such characters add colour to the tapestry of other lives but seem to lack any clear framework to their own; in chance encounters they point out things we had not thought of, even things we wished we had not thought of – but then they're gone, as if only to exist for that gad-fly purpose – stinging us into seeing things through another's imagination. Such characters leave much of what they feel hidden away; maybe they only exist at all in our own consciousness. So this is all about Snoob.

Piers Hellawell 2020



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Additional Details
Series: Edition Peters
Publisher: Edition Peters
ISBN10: 0-57-702105-2
ISBN13: 979-0-57-702105-8
SKU: 98-EP73534

More about this title

About the Composer: Piers Hellawell

Piers Hellawell is a British composer whose work spans orchestral, choral, and chamber music. His compositions often draw inspiration from literary and philosophical sources, creating pieces that blend intellectual rigor with accessible musicality. He has been active in commissioning and promoting new music for amateur and professional musicians alike.

Why we love this

Hellawell captures something genuinely theatrical in this character study. Rather than reaching for virtuosity or technical display, he creates a bassoon solo that demands theatrical maturity and interpretive nuance, making it rewarding for experienced amateurs who want substance over spectacle. The piece emerged from real community need during isolation, and that generosity of purpose infuses the writing.

What to expect

All About Snoob feels like a conversation overheard at a café, full of charm and oblique wisdom but with hidden loneliness underneath. The music moves between moments of sociable ease and introspective stillness, painting a portrait of someone perpetually passing through other people's lives without fully belonging anywhere.

Who it's for

This piece suits experienced amateur bassoonists and advanced students who have developed interpretive maturity beyond technical mechanics. It rewards performers who enjoy character-driven music and find meaning in literary connections.

How to get the most out of it

  • Find Snoob's personality before you find the notes. Read Hellawell's character description carefully and decide what Snoob's voice sounds like in your hands: is he sardonic, melancholy, charming, caustic? Let that emotional clarity shape your articulation and phrasing.
  • Balance the lyrical passages with rhythmic precision. This piece moves between conversational meandering and moments of sharper definition; treat tempo and tone as tools for character development rather than technical markers.
  • Use dynamic contrast to reveal Snoob's contradictions. A character who seems knowing but unknowable benefits from subtle shifts in volume and intensity that suggest inner depth beneath a surface charm.

How to use it

This works beautifully as a solo during a recital devoted to character pieces or contemporary chamber music. It also suits a concert exploring solo woodwind repertoire from the 21st century, or a program themed around isolation, connection, and human complexity.

Skills your students will build

  • Interpretive depth and character portrayal in instrumental music
  • Phrasing and articulation choices that convey emotional subtext
  • Balance between lyrical expression and rhythmic clarity
  • Understanding of how literary inspiration translates to musical gesture

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