Ballad, in G, is set in 4/4 with Guitar Four tuned to D. Opening in G major, the music has a centre section in G minor where not only does the bottom D start to earn its keep, but there are some bottom Eb notes too - there's something rather deep and satisfying about them too. On returning to the original theme, much of the opening is simply repeated, though the coda extends the ending and so it makes sense to score it afresh.
The opening isn't difficult, but “getting started” might prove slightly problematic to an ensemble without a conductor, simply because of the need to begin on different beats without enough time for any one part to establish the beat.
The rhythm is slightly more complex than other pieces in the Dance Suite, with occasional ties across the bar line and some slurs in amongst a set of quavers that aren't on the beat, but off.
One of Mark Houghton's strengths is the ability to create a simple melody without it sounding hackneyed or trite; this piece has a melody that, whilst not strong enough to remember on a single hearing, progresses effortlessly and pleasingly over chords that resolve painlessly and richly.
The technical demands of this piece are probably around Grade 6 - not because it's complex, but because a good sense of ensemble is needed, and because some of the slurs need a sequence of position shifts to bring the appropriate pairs of notes under the hand. Guitar One climbs to top D several times, and to fret 14 at the end. It has a small amount of double stopping and a three note chord or two.
Guitar Two wanders up to top Eb in the passage in Gm, so it might be a learner's first efforts to marry up high position work and flats. But the pace is modest and the notes are slow. Guitar Three has some small bars and reaches up into fifth position.
Guitar Four is down in the cellars, with a 6=D and some bass lines that are marked staccato. Despite the piece's name, which might indicate something historical, there are some modern sounding syncopations without the dissonances that so often marginalise a piece. Definitely a nice sound!
Derek Hasted (Classical Guitar Magazine)
