Well this year is off and running! I’ve had my first orchestra rehearsal and conducted the first flute choir rehearsal of the year. We’ve got new programs to learn for both groups, oh boy! I’ve submitted my intonation practice book for publication as an eBook for people with Nooks, Kindles, iPads, etc and soon it will be out on the eShelves, woohoo! (It will remain available as a PDF from this site.) Lots of challenges and hopefully lots of rewards from all these things.
Our flute choir has expanded by about half from the fall season, so balance will be an even bigger challenge. Our winter/holiday program went very well, so standards have been raised for the next performance. Here is the whole performance, if you are curious. My administrative partner will be breaking this down into separate tracks later. Feel free to ignore the overly talkative conductor.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVwXBnksXhY
Wrangling a group of flutists with widely varying skills and experience is quite an experience. Players who have never played in any kind of chamber ensemble, one where each part is independent and important, can be freaked out at first. There is no place to hide. Because the timbres of all the parts is so similar, if someone has an off day they will stick out like a sore thumb. The similarity of timbres also makes it ultra-important to balance the melodic lines so every significant gesture is heard. Players have to be made aware of when to sing out and when to blend into the background. When there are multiple players on the same part, they all have to do this together, as one.
Then figure in all the ‘flute’ challenges. Articulation, intonation, tone, technique, no surprises here. So many flute choirs sound ‘floofy’ to me. In other words, the overall articulation and interplay of lines is undefined, imprecise, not artful. They are groups of flutists playing the same piece at the same time. That’s just not good enough. There is so much magic possible in a piece of music that is performed well, with intention, thoughtfulness, attention to detail. Why not reach for as much of that as possible? I guess that is my job as the conductor. If I fail to make these things understood and to inspire my players to greater musical heights, we’re all going down in flames. Well, not really, but it would be disappointing. So I guess I’d better go study my new scores!