How can I use all this?” cries the primary school teacher looking at a cupboard full of percussion instruments. Keith Bartlett offers a creative response with his collection of six pieces to play with classroom percussion ranging from tambourines and scrapers to cymbals and drums plus “anything else in the cupboard”. Each piece comes with guidance for use, a score for the teacher, a piano part, photocopiable instrumental parts and a CD.

I like the clear illustrations and descriptions of how to play each instrument. This technical know-how makes for more rewarding musical performance as well as providing the teacher with scope for linking music to the science of sounds.

The titles of the pieces (including Tom-Tom Tomahawk, Dragon Dance and Clockwork Calypso) reflect a slightly cliched musical content. However, the collection includes a variety of styles with wide appeal. Waltz Espa$a and Stop Start March are full of energy and Creepy Crotchets suitably atmospheric.

As ever, the real question is whether it will work for the children in your class or music group. The CD allows for some flexibility with several tracks to accompany each piece; slow speed and a count-in for rehearsal and faster versions for performance.

You could by-pass the written parts altogether and just play along to the CD at different speeds. If you are teaching notation, a performance of these pieces would be a fine culmination of all your efforts.

Pemma Spencer Chapman Pemma Spencer Chapman is a former Director of Abingdon Music Centre Education Trust and a music therapist