Minuet in Classical Style

Cecil Armstrong Gibbs (10 August 1889 – 12 May 1960) was a prolific and versatile English composer, best known for his output of songs. Gibbs also devoted much of his career to the amateur choral and festival movements in Britain.

His talents in Latin, won him a scholarship to Winchester College in 1902 where he specialized in history. However, while at Winchester, Gibbs began music studies in earnest, taking lessons in harmony and counterpoint with Dr. E. T. Sweeting. From 1908-1911 he attended Trinity College, Cambridge on a scholarship as a history student. He continued his studies at Cambridge in music through 1913 studying composition with Edward Dent, Cyril Rootham and Charles Wood.

His personal sound was far more influenced by “lighter forms of entertainment, popular song, and British folk song.” He excelled as a miniaturist.

"Minuet in Classical Style" comes from a collection, "An Easy(not THAT easy!) Album" , published by Oxford University Press in 1956.

It shows a skillful sense of harmonic color, and the balance is perfect.

The tempo feels a bit "brisk," but this is the tempo that Gibbs asks for, so, this is the tempo that I played it at!

Two photos of Cecil Armstrong Gibbs are attached below.