Today is my birthday, and, as has been the custom over the past couple of years, I’m offering a free elementary piece for you to download and enjoy. Forget-Me-Not was written a few years ago, and then re-written in 2021; it’s often the case that I ‘revisit’ pieces at a later date and alter them slightly.

The Forget-Me-Not is a traditional flower which proffers interesting symbolism. It apparently indicates remembrance, true and eternal love, and devotion. During the reign of King Henry IV, this delicate, graceful flower, with its blue hue, came to symbolize royalty and endurance, and he adopted it as his formal emblem in 1398. The Forget-Me-Not is also the State Flower of Alaska.

For me, this flower embodies a slight sadness, perhaps it feels as though someone or something is leaving; I’m reminded of that wonderful Aria in the opera Dido and Aeneas (by Henry Purcell), When I am Laid In Earth.

My piece, which is a fairly simple melody with a two-note chord accompaniment (it’s probably around Grade 2 level), certainly feels melancholic and would be best played with very smooth legato phrasing and plenty of sustaining pedal. I hope you enjoy it.

You can download the score, here:

Forget-Me-Not by Melanie Spanswick

And you can hear the audio file, here:

Image: Andrei Lavrinov

Publications

Melanie Spanswick has written and published a wide range of courses, anthologies, examination syllabuses, and text books, including Play it again: PIANO (published by Schott Music). This best-selling graded, progressive piano course contains a large selection of repertoire featuring a huge array of styles and genres, with copious practice tips and suggestions for every piece.

For more information, please visit the publications page, here.