Your treble (alto) recorder grade 6 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. Croft Sonata in G (complete). No. 4 from Sonatas by Old English Masters, Vol. 2 (Bärenreiter HM 209)
    2. Frescobaldi Canzona No. 5 (for descant/tenor recorder). Frescobaldi Canzoni (Doblinger DM87)
    3. Handel Adagio and Allegro: 2nd and 3rd movts from Sonata in Bb, HWV 377 (Fitzwilliam Sonata No. 1). Handel Complete Sonatas for Recorder (Faber or Bärenreiter BA 4259) or Handel The Fitzwilliam Sonatas for Treble Recorder (Schott ED 10062)
    4. J. B. Loeillet Largo and Allegro: 1st and 2nd movts from Sonata in Bb, Op. 3 No. 2 (Schott OFB 57) or J. B. Loeillet 12 Sonatas for Treble Recorder, Op. 3, Nos 1–3 (Amadeus BP 0951)
    5. B. Marcello Adagio and Allegro: 1st and 2nd movts from Sonata in F, Op. 2 No. 1. Marcello Sonatas for Treble Recorder, Op. 2, Vol. 1 (Bärenreiter HM 151) or Marcello 12 Sonatas for Flute, Op. 2, Vol. 1 (Editio Musica Budapest Z.13476)
    6. J.-C. Naudot Rondeau (Gracieusement) and Vivement: 3rd and 4th movts from Première Sonate in C. French Baroque Suites for Recorder (Editio Musica Budapest Z.14477)
    7. Telemann Menuet and Trio: 4th movt from Concerto di Camera in G minor, TWV 43:g3 (Peacock Press PAR014)
    8. Telemann Vivace and Largo: 1st and 2nd movts from Sonata in F, TWV 41:F2 (Schott OFB 1001) or Telemann Four Sonatas from Der getreue Musikmeister (Bärenreiter HM 6)
    9. Vivaldi Corrente: 2nd movt from Sonata in D minor, RV 36. Vivaldi 4 Sonatas for Recorder, trans. Varga (Editio Musica Budapest Z.14130)
    10. Woodcock Allegro: 1st movt from Concerto No. 2 in G (for descant recorder) (recorder to play in tuttis) (Doblinger DM1198a or Faber)

    LIST B

    1. M. Arnold Cantilena: 1st movt from Sonatina, Op. 41 (Novello PAT60050)
    2. Christopher Ball A Summer Day (Peacock Press PCB0031)
    3. Alan Bullard Mexican Hat Dance (for descant recorder): No. 3 from Hat Box (Forsyth)
    4. Genzmer Bewegt: 1st movt from Sonata (Schott OFB 32)
    5. John Golland Blues (flutter-tonguing optional): No. 2 from New World Dances, Op. 62 (Forsyth)
    6. Colin Hand Plaint (for tenor recorder) (Schott ED 11147)
    7. W. Leigh Allegretto: 1st movt from Sonatina (Schott OFB 1041)
    8. Nicholas Marshall The Old Mole: No. 1 from A Playford Garland (Forsyth)
    9. Hans Poser Poco allegro e giocoso: No. 1 from Seven Bagatelles, Op. 52 (Moeck 1509)
    10. Peter Thorne Lento: 2nd movt from Sonatina (Warwick Music)

    LIST C

    1. Arnold Cooke Allegro vivace: 3rd movt from Little Suite No. 2. Pieces for Solo Recorder, Vol. 3 (Forsyth)
    2. Elizabeth Cooper No. 2: from Ten Advanced Studies for Treble Recorder (Peacock Press P311)
    3. van Eyck Wilhelmus van Nassouwen (Theme and Modo 2, 3 & 4) (for descant/tenor recorder). No. 43 from van Eyck Der Fluyten Lust-hof, Vol. 1 (XYZ 1013) or No. 42 from van Eyck Der Fluyten Lust-hof, Vol. 2 (Amadeus BP 0705)
    4. Guus Haverkate Rumba: No. 1 from 12 Advanced Studies in Recorder Technique for Descant Recorder, Book 1 (Broekmans & Van Poppel)
    5. Köhler Study No. 10. Treble Recorder Studies, Book 2 (Cramer)
    6. Hans-Martin Linde Allegro vivace: No. 13 from Modern Exercises for Treble Recorder (Schott ED 4797)
    7. Quantz Giga. P. 13 from Quantz Fantasias and Caprices for Treble Recorder, arr. Heyens (Schott OFB 204) or P. 16 from The Solo Recorder, Vol. 1, arr. Robinson (Peacock Press PAR108)
    8. Telemann Allegro: 2nd movt from Fantasia No. 3 in D minor, TWV 40:4. No. 3 from Telemann 12 Fantasias, arr. Harras for treble recorder (Bärenreiter BA 6440) or P. 27 from The Solo Recorder, Vol. 1, arr. Robinson (Peacock Press PAR108)

    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 Recorder Grades 1-8 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 Treble Recorder Grades 6-8 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 6-8 Book (a guide with tests) and/or ABRSM Specimen Sight-Reading Tests Grade 6 Book (specimen tests).

     

    *Information correct at time of publishing 14.03.16


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