Your grade 4 cello ABRSM exam will be marked out of 150 and you will need a total of 100 marks to Pass, 120 marks for a Merit and 130 marks for a Distinction.  The exam comprises of four main areas:

    Pieces

    In your exam you are required to play three pieces (worth up to 30 marks each), one from each of the three lists, A, B and C below:

    LIST A

    1. Beethoven Come fill, fill, my good fellow More Time Pieces for Cello, Vol. 2, arr. Bruce and Wells (ABRSM)
    2. attrib. Stradella Pietà, Signore More Time Pieces for Cello, Vol. 2, arr. Bruce and Wells (ABRSM)
    3. Boyce Minuet (from Concerto Grosso in B minor). Time Pieces for Cello, Vol. 3, arr. Black and Harris (ABRSM)
    4. Cirri Allegro or Adagio: 1st or 2nd movt from Sonata in C (Schott CB 192) or No. 1 from Cirri Three Sonatas for Cello (Heinrichshofen N1283 )
    5. attrib. Henry VIII Pastime with good company (cello melody) (incl. second verse). The Fiddler Playalong Cello Collection, arr. Huws Jones (Boosey & Hawkes)
    6. Telemann Air Trompette (from Der getreue Musikmeister). Play Baroque! arr. East (Stainer & Bell H479)

    LIST B

    1. Järnefelt Berceuse (Chester CH00305)
    2. O’Carolan Carolan’s Air (cello melody). The Fiddler Playalong Cello Collection, arr. Huws Jones (Boosey & Hawkes)
    3. Tchaikovsky Humoreske. Time Pieces for Cello, Vol. 3, arr. Black and Harris (ABRSM)
    4. Weissenborn Humoreske: from Arioso and Humoreske, Op. 9 (ABRSM). Also available in: First Repertoire for Cello, Book 3, arr. Legg and Gout (Faber)
    5. Wolf Wiegenlied (Lullaby). Concert Pieces for Cello, arr. Sassmannshaus (Bärenreiter BA 9695)
    6. Henry Wood Tom Bowling (from Fantasia on British Sea Songs). More Time Pieces for Cello, Vol. 2, arr. Bruce and Wells (ABRSM)

    LIST C

    1. Gershwin Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off. Play Gershwin for Cello, arr. Gout (Faber)
    2. Grainger Shepherd’s Hey. More Time Pieces for Cello, Vol. 2, arr. Bruce and Wells (ABRSM)
    3. John Graves It is Market Day in the Square: from Cathedral City (Schott ED 11047)
    4. Purcell, arr. Cornick Fairest Isle. Blue Baroque for Cello (Universal UE 21381)
    5. Squire Joyeuse (At Morn): No. 2 from Petits morceaux, Op. 16 (Stainer & Bell H409). Also available in: The Squire Cello Solo Collection (Carl Fischer)
    6. Pam Wedgwood Sometime Maybe: No. 8 from Jazzin’ About for Cello (Faber)

    Scales & Arpeggios

    As part of your exam you are also required to play scales & arpeggios from memory (worth up to 21 marks) - please see the ABRSM Cello Grades 1-5 Scale Book

    Sight-Reading Test

    You will also be required to sight-read some music that you have not seen before (worth up to 21 marks) - to prepare for this part of your exam please see the ABRSM Cello Grades 1-5 Sight-Reading Book which has a selection of specimen sight-reading pieces.

    Aural Tests

    In another part of your exam you will be required to complete a set of aural tests challenging your musicianship (worth up to 18 marks). To help prepare for this please see the ABRSM Aural Training in Practice Grades 4-5 Book (a guide with tests) and/or ABRSM Specimen Sight-Reading Tests Grades 4-5 Book (specimen tests).

     

    *Information correct at time of publishing 14.03.16


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