The Occult

I wrote Ghostly Piano Tales nearly two years ago after becoming increasingly fascinated by the stories behind ghostly legends. I’ve always been interested in the occult, having experienced the supernatural at work.

Most memorable was a surprise ‘sighting’ during a rehearsal at a medieval church in London around 25 years ago. I’d gone to the church to accompany a clarinettist with whom I was working. It was a bright, sunny Summer’s day, and as the church caretaker handed us the keys, he told us that we were the only people in the church at the time and not to stay beyond daylight. But as it was a morning rehearsal, this didn’t worry us and we thought no more about it.

We started to play Schumann’s Fantasiestücke Op. 73 as I recall, and, almost immediately, the pages of my score turned over on their own at the appropriate moment—yes, they really did! I felt goose bumps on the back of my neck but said nothing to the clarinettist. As we continued playing, out of the corner of my eye, I could see what might be described as a white floating ‘entity’ creeping around the crypt area, but, again, I pretended nothing had happened. Perhaps it was all in my imagination. The clarinettist, a sincere, down-to-earth person, would probably never entertain the notion of such bizarre, irrational ‘sightings’, or so I thought.

We continued the rehearsal, but there was a definite unease within the church and a distinct chill in the air despite it being mid-August. Moving onto the second work in our programme, as we finished playing, my colleague swiftly turned to me with a look of fear in her eyes; she remarked with sheer panic in her voice that the church’s inner front doors, which were glass and out of my vision, had just opened entirely on their own. She had also seen the ‘apparition’ above the crypt.

Leaving promptly, we couldn’t face playing the concert, so it was swiftly cancelled. Apparently this particular church is renowned for its ghostly hauntings.

Since this mysterious ‘sighting’, I’ve endured several further supernatural experiences, some terrifying, while others have been less intimidating. All have sparked an interest and inspired a gradual ‘study’ of the occult.

The Collection

Ghostly Piano Tales is a collection of 24 solo piano pieces intended for elementary to early intermediate level students, or around Grades 1–3 of the British examination board syllabus standards. The volume encapsulates a whole host of ghostly and supernatural phenomena from around the world. There are numerous mythical legends, characters, and places, some dating back centuries. Every piece contains information about the subject and the ‘tale’ behind it, as well as added performance directions written on each score. The volume is presented in progressive order and there are eight pieces within each grade.

These stories will hopefully be of interest to both children and adults. Ghostly Tales takes a look into the background of a particular legend, figure, or story, and they range from ominous references to the occult to macabre tales of the underworld. Included are characters like ‘The Lone Hatif’, ‘Asiman Witch’, ‘Yuki-onna’, and ‘The Fairy Cat’, and they sit alongside such legends as ‘Gai Jatra’, ‘Min Min Lights’, ‘Día de los Finados’, and ‘Floating Orbs’.

Some pieces sound necessarily sinister, whereas others are ethereal, atmospheric, or distant. A few inhabit major keys indicative of a ‘happier’ tale or are reminiscent of more cheerful times. Stylistically, the music offers a complete variety with jazzier, lighter numbers appearing alongside minimalist-style pieces with a modern twist, as well as the perhaps expected more dissonant, creepy works. Piano ‘effects’ are also incorporated and are directed on the score.

I hope you enjoy my selection, and by shining a light on this subject, you may be tempted to delve a little further into an entirely different world and one that often appears beyond our understanding.

Ghostly Piano Tales was recently shortlisted as a finalist at the 2024 Presto Music Awards and the book won the ‘Best Printed Contemporary Sheet Music Prize’ at The Art of Piano Education Awards 2025

Hear the music

You can hear all 24 pieces by clicking on the YouTube playlist below. If you click onto my YouTube channel, the stories and legends which have inspired each piece have been printed in full underneath each video:

Purchase

You can purchase Ghostly Piano Tales from all good online stores and websites including musicroom.com, prestomusic.com, and Amazon. Alternatively, purchase it from Schott Music’s website by clicking the link below:

Reviews

‘In Ghostly Piano Tales, Spanswick shapeshifts into a composer of 24 pieces, slicing them into three equal portions to be undertaken by brave souls at Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grace 3. The idea is creative, the front cover is suitably dark and creepy, and the detailed explanation of the meaning behind each piece provides intrigue and helps the performer to understand the spirit of the music. Some neat effects, such as knocking on the piano, or holding down notes silently create ghostly touches that will appeal to younger learners, and the level of writing is suited to the prescribed levels. Imaginative writing, with lots of fun to be had.’

Pianist Magazine

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‘Composing a collection of elementary piano pieces which stand out from the crowd is no easy task, but Melanie Spanswick has certainly succeeded with Ghostly Piano Tales. Definitely weird, often wonderful, this is without doubt one of the most distinctive, creative, and scarily good music books of the year.’

Pianodao

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‘Those who work through all 24 pieces will learn a great deal, above all, about the possibilities of subtle sound design, with unconventional techniques which are always explained. Interestingly, the increasing degree of difficulty is less related to increasingly virtuosic demands than to an increasingly sophisticated exploration of the piano’s tonal possibilities.’

‘Melanie Spanswick’s Ghost Stories are certainly spooky!’

Piano News

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‘A ‘Halloween’ collection but thanks to the author’s explanations and stories, it provides us with a journey through cultures and history. These miniature ‘holidays with ghosts’ are a fantastic basis for developing imagination and the ability to differentiate sound. In short, this piano music is an exercise in interesting, colourful playing, and we rarely get studies for such a problem. Spanswick’s collection definitely deserves attention.’

Notatnik Pianistyczny – Piano Notebook