Please talk about flute choirs!

[LimuHead]

I recently met a flute teacher in a music store, (she came over to compliment my flute playing!). One of the things she also mentioned was that she has a student flute choir. I had never heard of one, so I googled 'flute choir', and tried to find out more.

Since then I've purchased 3 flute choir albums:

1 - The Woodbridge Flute Choir, "Passages"

2 - The Arctic Wind Flute Choir, "The Sky's No Limit"

3- The Nashua Flute Choir, "Points of View"

I just got the last 2 albums yesterday so haven't given them a full serious listen yet. I do find myself favoring the Nashua Flute Choir's sound and expression the most, though.




Anyone else here interested in flute choirs?

Do you play in one?

Which choirs are considered the best of the best?

Know of any good links relating to flute choirs?

Why do composers not double/triple the bass parts? (It's very difficult to hear their parts.)




Anyway, please talk flute choirs!!!

Thanks ,
Aldon

[flutepicc06]

Anyone else here interested in flute choirs?

I love flute choirs, but they're hard to find, as it takes a lot of work to get enough flutists together with the right equipment all at the same time.

Do you play in one?

I have many times in the past, but right now there is none within reasonable distance, and I don't have the time to start one.

Which choirs are considered the best of the best?

I don't know that there are any that are ranked above others, unlike orchestras. One of my favorite albums comes from the National Flute Choir, titled "Over the Edge."

Know of any good links relating to flute choirs?

Unfortunately, no, but a simple google search turns up innumerable group's websites. If there is something specific you'd like to know about flute choirs, you can likely find it through a similar search.

Why do composers not double/triple the bass parts? (It's very difficult to hear their parts.)

Usually it's not the composer who decides how many low flute parts there are....It's usually the decision of the director or other organizers, and often they will double parts. However, players who own (or even play) lower flutes are somewhat less common than those that play C flute or piccolo, so they have fewer options for doubling to begin with. I've played in a huge flute choir that had 20+ basses, not to mention contra-alto and contrabass flutes, so doubling is not at all out of the question.

[fluteguy18]

I recently met a flute teacher in a music store, (she came over to compliment my flute playing!). One of the things she also mentioned was that she has a student flute choir. I had never heard of one, so I googled 'flute choir', and tried to find out more.

Since then I've purchased 3 flute choir albums:

1 - The Woodbridge Flute Choir, "Passages"

2 - The Arctic Wind Flute Choir, "The Sky's No Limit"

3- The Nashua Flute Choir, "Points of View"

I just got the last 2 albums yesterday so haven't given them a full serious listen yet. I do find myself favoring the Nashua Flute Choir's sound and expression the most, though.




Anyone else here interested in flute choirs?

Do you play in one?

Which choirs are considered the best of the best?

Know of any good links relating to flute choirs?

Why do composers not double/triple the bass parts? (It's very difficult to hear their parts.)




Anyway, please talk flute choirs!!!

Thanks ,
Aldon

1. Yes, I love flute choirs, and participate in one whenever possible.
2. I currently play in our university flute choir. Usually we only use concert flutes, but every now and then we will pull out the bigger flutes, or Eb or piccolo to add color to things.
3. I dont really know if there is exactly a way to rank them because they are few and far between.
4. YES! http://www.lexingtonflutes.com this is the link to the LExington Flute Philharmonic in Lexington Kentucky. They are quite good. they are the largest flute choir I have ever seen [I saw them in concert in January and they had about 30 people on stage, and I spoke with the conductor, and it turns out that the youngest members werent in the concert because the music was above their skill level]. They played at the Flute Society of Kentucky's annual Flute Fair, in which they were the 'orchestra' for the Concerto Competition winner to perform with [Mozart Concerto in D major].

So, they are quite neat. Their instrumentation goes from Contrabass flute, all the way up to piccolo. Check them out!

[auwon]

i am currently in the flute choir (or ensemble as we call it) at my university and we have 14 members i think? this is my first semester and experience with a flute choir and i am ashamed to say that i was not aware of the different flute instruments there are! i would love to play alto or bass flute next semester, as we seem to be lacking members that own those instruments. i know that there are some choirs that have 50 or more members! i could only imagine what that would sound like.

[Buttercup]

http://flute-choir-resources.com/ is the best website I've seen for finding out about flute choirs. I'm in the UK so I wouldnt know which particular flute choir is best for you, sorry.

Our local wind band's flute section formed a flute ensemble- we aren't quite a choir, but we have four flutes, picc and alto when we have full attendance. It's fun and rewarding, and it means we're a kick-ass flute team when we play in band

My favourite flute "ensemble" recording (sorry not flute choir) is Flute Force's "Pastorale" CD. So absorbing and inspiring!

[TheScarecrow]

I don't know the composer off hand, but I absolutely love The Comedian's Gallop. When I did it, we had a bass flute, and alto flute, three regular C flutes and a piccolo which is what it calls for if you don't double any parts. However for a group that isn't as fortunate, you can just as easily play it with 6 flutes and still have it sound awesome. The peice is a lot of fun if you have two (or more) confident double tonguers (sp?) for the pic and first flute.

[flutepicc06]

I don't know the composer off hand, but I absolutely love The Comedian's Gallop.

Offhand I want to say that it was written by Kabelevsky...

[TheScarecrow]

You're correct. I was trying to think of it, and it was on the tip of my tongue. I posted and I swear a couple seconds later I thought of it, but I had already shut my laptop so it seemed pointless to re-login.