Flutewise at Kent College Canterbury

Last Sunday, 14 January, we held our first Flutewise event of the year at the wonderful Kent College, Canterbury with Abbie Burrows, Gareth McLearnon and myself. Enormous thanks goes to Jane O'Neill (flute teacher) and Julian Ross (head of music) for making it possible to happen. Below is a write up of the event by Julian.

A wonderful day of music making at Kent College, when as well as many of our own pupils, we also welcomed young flautists from all around the Canterbury area to participate in ‘The Really Flutewise’ event. Workshops took place throughout the day with internationally renowned flautist Abby Burrows and multi-award winning flautist, composer and arranger Gareth McLearnon. Through fun group activities, the children learnt new techniques, skills for practising, and enjoyed putting together a variety of ensemble music, including well-known tunes from musicals. The children all got a chance to try out new instruments of all sizes, including a mighty contra-bass flute brought along by Patrick Onn from ‘Top Wind’. Along with a delicious roast lunch, provided by Kent College’s catering team, and an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends, this was a really exciting and most productive day. Thank you to Liz Goodwin from ‘Flutewise’, now in her 30th Year of running such splendid opportunities for young flute players, for putting on such a terrific event. Also thanks to our own flute teacher Jane O’Neill for her vision, encouragement and support in bringing this amazing day to Kent College. Well done all!

So many happy Flutewise players

Gareth Davies Competition Time!

Every flute player I know loves our Flutewise friend, Gareth Davies. Gareth is principal flute of the London Symphony Orchestra and as well as an exceptional musician he is an extra exceptional person.

I was very excited when I heard he had recorded a brand new flute concerto. As flute players, we really do need new repertoire, so a new flute concerto is always welcomed. Douglas Knehans is the composer of tis exciting work, it’s wonderful to listen to, but if you want to play it, you are going to have to work hard! Did I say listen to and play it? I’m one of the lucky few who has heard it. The recording won’t be released until April, but you could win a copy and/or a copy of the music now! Between Gareth, Douglas and myself we’ve come up with 2 competitions - one a very, very easy one and one a little bit harder. See below.

The Album is entitled ‘Unfinished Earth’ and has two works, the flute concerto, ‘Tempest’ and an orchestral work, ‘Unfinished Earth’. The works are performed by the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Mikel Toms. 

This is what the composer, Douglas Knehans (read more about him here http://www.douglasknehans.com/biography) says about his works:

“Tempest, my flute concerto, was shaped by the thought of wind—such an essential element to the flute and flute playing—and how, in the natural world, this courses across the planet in different ways from benign to hostile. The three movements reflect different wind patterns found around the globe and served as a departure point for a three movement work cast in a quasi-classical frame of fast-slow-fast structure. Each movement engages a message, I hope, beyond mere tone painting, to reflect deeper aspects of the human condition, the human experience, thought, reflection, psychology and emotion. The highly virtuosic solo part is played Gareth Davies, the principal flute of the London Symphony Orchestra, and he is spectacular.

Unfinished Earth is a longer and deeper work, again cast in three movements, and delving into the constant degradation and reformation of earth and sea. Just as the earth slowly changes and evolves, we ourselves are constantly evolving through the deepening of our life experience, the processing of life’s joys and tragedies, and the inner passage of our turmoils and triumphs. Tempering, the first movement, is about the formation of earth and the molten rock that is risen from the subterranean earthen smelter to become land. For me, this is a movement about becoming, and through such becoming, firming in our senses of self, just as earth does as it becomes land. Eternal Ocean, the second movement, evokes the shifting currents of deep ocean, again, as a metaphor for the unfocussed and at times even conflicting currents of the inner emotional worlds of the human experience. The final movement Tearing Drift is again a work with multivalent meanings: some referring to the ripping apart or fractures in the earth’s surface as might happen in an earthquake perhaps; to the alternative meaning of the first word of the title not as being torn but as crying. This notion of an earth cry or deep subterranean swell of grief was a central image and intent of this movement. The strident wind and brass microtonal peals and screams against the strong percussive thrust of this movement was intended to reflect such an earth cry—or even the Munchian silent scream of isolated man.    

These two works represent different views of how the external metaphors of wind and earth may be shaped to reflect the more intimate internal worlds of the human heart and mind.”

I’m sure you would love to be one of the first people to have a copy of this CD or a copy of the music. So here are the two competitions. You can enter one or both. The closing date will be 14 February when all correct answers will be put into a hat or box or flute case. The lucky winners will be informed by email and announced on our website.

Competition 1 - to win a CD recording Unfinished Earth

Gareth Davies is Principal Flute in the LSO. What does LSO stand for?  

a) Luscious Slovenian Octet

b) London Street Operational 

c) London Saxophone Organisation

d) London Symphony Orchestra

Competition 2 - to win a copy of the music ‘Tempest’ by Douglas KnehanS

Answer both questions

1. The LSO is 113 years old. Gareth has been Principal flute since 2000. Daniel Wood was the 1st ever principal flute. What number do you think Gareth is?

3rd, 9th or 20th?

2. In an average year, how many concerts does the LSO perform around the world?

25, 99 or 140

To enter use this link

Good luck!

Busy December

If you are lucky enough to live in or near enough to London, I'd really encourage you to get along to these events.

Tempest Flute Trio

The Tempest Flute Trio is amazing! I remember them performing so brilliantly with Gareth Davies a few years ago at our LSO St. Luke's event and I'm disappointed that I haven't heard them since. But we've all got the opportunity to do just that on Sunday 10 December 2017 at Rosemary Branch Theatre, 2 Shepperton Road, London N1 3DT.

The performance starts at 7.00 pm and won't last too long if you need to get to bed to get up for school or work the next day. It is an informal concert and there is a pub downstairs that serves excellent food I am told. 

You can find out more about the Rosemary Branch Theatre and event here and about the Tempest Flute Trio here

The Really Christmassy Flute Day!!

SUNDAY 17TH OF DECEMBER 2017
11am - 4pm

Come and join Abbie and Gareth for another fun, flute-filled Christmas Spectacular in the heart of London!

With warm-ups, workshops, flute choir, mince pies, arts and crafts, flute shopping, carol arrangements and a flutey Christmas PRESENT for all attendees!

Please spread the word to any flute students/friends

Come and celebrate Flute Christmas!
Suitable for ALL ages and standards

Great location in South Kensington
Limited Tickets Available

EARLYBIRD DISCOUNT if you book by 11:59pm on December 10th
£30 instead of £35!

Tickets via the website: www.bit.do/CoventGardenFlutes

Enquiries: coventgardenflutes@gmail.com

Sponsored by JUST FLUTES

November Newsletter

Are you getting ready for Christmas? Are you stuck for presents? How about asking someone to book you a place on one of our events or courses?

2018 will soon be with us and we've got some great activities that will help us start celebrating 30 years of Flutewise. I hope you will be able to come along and join in some of them. They are guaranteed to help improve your flute playing skills, inspire you and be great fun.

Full details of our events are on the website and there will be more events added soon. If you would like to add one of these events as a Christmas present for someone, let me know and I can send a special Flutewise Christmas card to the recipient.

We start the year at Kent College, Canterbury on Sunday 14 January with Abbie Burrows and Gareth McLearnon. As well as warm up, workshops on technique and ensemble playing we will be exploring 'Music from the Shows'. Lunch is provided at this event, so to help with catering, please book early.

On 3 and 4 February we will be having a Really Flutewise Weekend in Jersey with Mike Mower and Cathy Hare. This is very exciting. If you would like to come for the weekend please get in touch as soon as possible as I can give you a list of recommended places to stay or investigate staying with host families for you. This event is open to players of all ages. Some families from the mainland are already booked to come along. It's a great place for a family weekend break.

We'll be back at one of our favourite venues on Sunday 4 March, the Schools at Somerhill, Tonbridge with Abbie Burrows and Gareth McLearnon. The morning session is for adult players and the afternoon is aimed at players up to the age of 18. 

Our Easter course at Woldingham 3-6 April promises to be very special. The staff will include Jerry Randalls, Chris Baxter and Abbie Burrows. One activity everyone will have the opportunity to be involved in is composing a flute choir piece to celebrate 30 years of Flutewise. Jerry Randalls will be working with Flutewise Apprentice Jess Cooling who is studying composition at university and all of our course members. Just think, your name could be included on a published work! Woldingham is an exceptional venue and the staff are always impressed to see young players gain so much in confidence working in the amazing theatre.

Over the weekend of 19 - 20 May the Slovenian Flute Festival takes place. This is always a very special event and everyone who attends loves it. I'll be putting some information about it on our website soon, but if you and your family like the idea to visit Slovenia in May please let me know.

The other place you might well be interested in is Flutewise In Croatia during August. It is the most beautiful place and everyone who has been with me over the many years has always expressed the desire to come back (and many have). it is a lovely place to have a family summer holiday added to a very special flute course with Croatian young flute players. I asked the owners of Villa Soulavy to reserve all 7 of their apartments just for Flutewise families and already 4 of them are booked - so if you want to come, hurry! Don't worry if you miss an apartment at the the Villa, there are plenty of other places nearby.

I hope that gives you some food for thought. I'll get back to planning a few more events.
Happy flute playing
Liz

Exciting, busy times

I'm really happily busy at the moment. I'm mostly busy with planning stuff for Flutewise. Next year will be our 30th anniversary. It doesn't seem possible that I've been running Flutewise for 30 years. It's been a fantastic 30 years and I'm hoping the next few years will be as good or even better! The main plan for celebrating 30 years is ENORMOUS and I'm not sure it will happen in 2018 0r 2019 or even later, but it will be worth waiting for. I'll write more about it when I can.

But other, smaller events are all being booking in. They are really, really exciting. I'll do my very best to update the website on Monday or Tuesday of next week and hopefully you will reserve your place at one or more of these events.

On January 14 we will be holding a Flutewise event at Kent College in Canterbury with Abbie Burrows and Gareth McLearnon.

During the weekend of 3-4 February we will be having a Flutewise weekend in Jersey with Mike Mower and Cathy Hare (this is waiting to be confirmed but I'm really hoping it will happen). It would seem a lovely excuse for families to have a weekend in Jersey and send their young flute player along while they explored the island or just relaxed.

On 4 March we are going to be back in Tonbridge for our annual event at the Schools at Somerhill. This time it will be with Abbie Burrows and Gareth McLearnon.

Just after Easter, 3-6 April, it will be our residential course at Woldingham. This is really exciting as Jerry Randalls will be one of our resident teaching staff and he will be working alongside Flutewise Apprentice Jess Cooling to compose a flute choir piece to celebrate our anniversary. Course members will also be involved in this composition. I'm also thrilled that pianist, Chris Baxter will be with us.

Dates for our course in Croatia next summer are also firmly in the diary. Get in touch if you want to come. I've asked my friends at Villa Soulavy to reserve all 7 apartments they have available for only any Flutewise families as it is so much fun for us all to be together. Hurry if you want one, at least 3 have been booked already.

I'm busy this weekend. I'm off to London, tomorrow for the ABRSM conference where I'm really looking forward to seeing Ana and Blaz Pucihar who are visiting from Slovenia and on Sunday I'm off to the Barbican to hear Adam Walker and the amazing LSO. Maybe I'll see you at one of them.

Adam Walker, Barbican on Sunday

On Sunday, 5 November, Adam Walker will be performing Bernsteins Halil with the LSO at the Barbican. It starts at 7.00 pm until 9.00 pm with a pre-concert talk beforehand. Anyone fancy going?

https://lso.co.uk/more/blog/761-interview-with-lso-principal-flute-adam-walker.html

A new academic year

Did you have a fantastic summer? I did. The highlight had to be our course in Croatia. It was magical.

Now it's the start of the new academic year and, as far as my work with Flutewise goes, a time for lots of planning. I'm very excited about the next year and beyond because it will be 

the 30th anniversary of Flutewise

Can you believe I've been running Flutewise for 30 years?! I can't, but it's true. It has been such a pleasure and so much fun over all of these years and I'm hoping I can make the next year a real 'party' year with lots of events to celebrate this achievement. There are a number of possibilities for events we are researching and, even if I manage to pull just a tiny few of the ideas off, it will all be good fun and very educational and inspirational for flute players.

A few dates are already confirmed - we've got a day at Kent College, Canterbury on Sunday 14 January; our residential course at Woldingham will be from 3 - 6 April; Croatia dates are fixed for August next year and there are more in the pipeline. 

Do keep an eye on our website for more dates and if you have an idea for an event, and/or would like one in your area to help celebrate 30 years of Flutewise, please let me know and we'll see what we can do.

Flute Roots Day

Very exciting news!

Flute Roots are hosting a fundraising concert for Robin Soldan to help him raise money for Pancreatic Cancer UK on September 24th.

If you know Robin and would like to catch up with him, he will be there!

Calling all ex-pupils of Robin - come along and either play in the flute choirs or perhaps play in Erithacus 2.

If you are an enthusiastic flautist of grade 2 or above, come and join us in a flute choir.

Or even just come along to the concert at 3pm to be entertained!

This is going to be a brilliant afternoon of fluting, together with friends, old and new.

Please book your players/concert tickets in advance.

www.fluteday.co.uk

Fantastic Day

Every flute choir member in our competition won a goody bag with a Haynes pencil, a Beaumont cleaning cloth and this adorable Azumi bear

I think it is fair to say that everyone involved in our Flutewise Live! 2017 on Sunday 16 July really enjoyed themselves. I'm still recovering! It was quite a lot of hard work, but well worth it.

During the morning of the event we held the final of the Flutewise/ABRSM Flute Choir Competition. It was the very first time of doing this and I learnt a great deal. There were 4 groups performing in the two classes, Open Class and School Age Class. They all performed amazingly and I know they all worked extremely hard to be there, not just with their playing but also, for some of them, raising the funds to get there. Groups came from all over the country, which was amazing. The Open Class ensembles performed first to our judges, Gareth McLearnon, Ana Kavcic Pucihar and Blaz Pucihar. They had to play Gareth McLearnon's Flutewise Theme and then a piece of their own choice lasting no more than 4 minutes. We heard the following groups:

    •    Chichester Flute Choir directed by Julie Twite

    •    Glasgow University Flute Club directed by Frances Barnett

    •    Bedfordshire Woodwind Academy Flute Ensemble directed by Liz Childs

    •    Classic Flutes, East Sussex directed by Sue Gregg

For the School Age Class we heard:

    •    Les Six, Yorkshire directed by Nikki Warrington

    •    Hampshire Flute Choir directed by Carrie Hensel

    •    Funky Flutes, Hampshire directed by Sarah Finch

    •    Loughborough Flute Choir directed by Jo Kirkwood

The School Age Class performed The Dolphin from Luna's Magic Flute by Blaz Pucihar and Walk Like This by Ian Clarke.

After the performances the judges put their heads together to work out the winners. They had given each group marks out of 20 for 6 different categories - Ensemble, Intonation, Dynamics, Tone Production, Accuracy/Interpretation and General, meaning each group could score a maximum of 300 marks. They also each gave written feedback on each category. It was a relief  for them to agree on everything!

We didn't announce the results until later in the afternoon, so you need to read on about what happened next before I tell you!

We had a lunch break and then the afternoon event started with a sublime performance from Blaz Pucihar (pianist and composer) and his flute playing wife, Ana Kavcic Pucihar. They played three pieces from Blaz's Flute at Play collection; Flute at Play, Dreamy Flute and Erica at the Playground. Then they played two pieces from their flute tutor book, Fluting Stars, they were If I met a Martian and Idaho Cowboy. They finished their recital with a new piece that is on the new Grade 7 syllabus, Moonlit Blue.

After this Louise Matthew led everyone in a huge warm up. It was great to hear everyone playing together. Then it was Gareth McLearnon's turn to teach everyone his Fanfare which he wrote for a Flutewise event in 2013. We had experienced huge problems during the morning with the projector but I was so relieved that thanks to the hard work of Joleigh and an emergency dash to the shops, the projector was working for the afternoon and everyone managed to read the dots!

John Holmes, the chief ABRSM examiner then gave a fascinating talk entitled Hallmarks of Distinction! Helping you do the best in your next exam.

Sight reading is an essential skill we all need, not only to get through those exams but to make us into a really good musician and to help us develop these skills, Abbie Burrows and Clare Jefferis gave an entertaining, interactive presentation.

We then had a break and everyone had the chance to explore the travelling flute shops. We had huge displays from Just Flutes, Top Wind and Wonderful Winds. We were really grateful for their support.

One of the highlights of the event for me happened next. It gave me that wonderful 'tingly spine' sensation. Gareth Davies welcomed all the flute players onto stage to take part in a Star Wars Playalong. It really was quite magic. Gareth had arranged the main theme, Cantina Band and the Imperial March for us with the backing of the LSO none the less!

The Wrong Grade Exam was next. You really needed to be there to understand the genius and hilarity of this. Abbie Burrows put it together and not only was it brilliant and funny but it was very educational. Some professional players took Grade exams and got things terribly wrong!

There was the very naughty boy who hadn't done any practice played by Gareth McLearnon. He took Grade 4 and even tried to bribe the examiner (John Holmes) with sweeties! It didn't work.

Gareth Davies was the next candidate attempting Grade 1 but he was so very, very nervous.

Clare Jefferris had entered Grade 7, after proudly announcing she'd taken a grade exam every term. She was very badly prepared as you'd expect.

Ana from Slovenia then arrived late to take her Grade 3 and she played a very lovely piece composed by her husband, Blaz who was the exam pianist for the event. It hadn't occurred to her to check the syllabus as the piece wasn't on it! However it was reassuring to know even if you do play something not on the list, you won't necessarily fail, although it isn't a very good idea.

The highlight had to be the next candidate, taking Grade 2 and playing Wouldn't it be Loverly?, it was Darth Vader! The piece was hilarious but problems occurred when the examiner asked for scales and Darth Vader got a bit cross. So cross that he MURDERED the chief examiner! There is a video, I will try and work out how to post it.

During the afternoon there had been some separate workshops for parents and for flute teachers. Parents enjoyed exploring the beginnings of learning an instrument with Abbie and Clare and how to help their child prepare for an exam with John and Ana gave a workshop for teachers about sound production followed by Louise exploring the new music on the syllabus with them.

We ended the day with a lovely concert. The two winning flute choirs performed after everyone played Gareth's Fanfare. We then had a selection of favourite pieces from the new syllabus. There is some gorgeous music and we experienced divine playing:

GRADE 1 - Brahms - Cradle Song (A2) - Gareth Davies  

GRADE 2 - Trad - Loch Lomond (C3) - Abbie Burrows             

GRADE 2 - Offenbach - Can-Can (A1) - Simon Williams

GRADE 3 - Trad - Irish Washerwoman (A2) - Gareth McLearnon  

GRADE 4 - Handel - Allegro (A2) - Abbie Burrows

GRADE 4 - Trad - Mexican Hat Dance (C3) - Clare Jefferis

GRADE 5 - Verdi - Violetta's Aria (A3) - Gareth McLearnon 

GRADE 6 - Gaubert - Madrigal - ClareJefferis

GRADE 7 - Poulenc - Cantilena - SimonWilliams

GRADE 8 - Faure: Fantasie - Gareth Davies

If you play like any of our performers in your next exam you will do exceedingly well.

It was a really lovely event and I'm grateful to all the performers mentioned and all of the people behind the scenes who made it possible - Lorna Brown, Joleigh Saunders, Elisabeth Saunders, Tomoko and Peter Watson, Sue Burrows, Pat Daniels, Lizzie Sinnett, Mark Goodwin, Jane Dennison (and anyone else I've forgotten!) Also enormous thanks go to the staff from the travelling shops and everyone who gave prizes for the competition. Oh yes, the competition! The winners? Well they were all winners in my opinion. I really do hate competitions as I like to encourage everyone just to take part and do their best - and have fun. I think we all did and everyone taking part in the competition won a goody bag containing a booklet from Flutewise, a Haynes pencil, a lovely cleaning cloth from Beaumont Music and an amazing teddy bear from Azumi! But there were other prizes. The results were:
Open Class

1st Prize Bedfordshire Woodwind Academy Flute Ensemble directed by Liz Childs. Mark 277/300 Prize Guo G treble flute

2nd Prize Classic Flutes, East Sussex directed by Sue Gregg. Mark 269/300 Prize £150 Gift Voucher from Top Wind

3rd Prize Glasgow University Flute Club directed by Frances Barnett. Mark 254/300 Prize £30 Gift Voucher from Wonderful Winds

4th Prize Chichester Flute Choir director Julie Twite. Mark 244/300 Prize Chocolates

School Age Class

1st Prize Hampshire Flute Choir director Carrie Hensel. Mark 267/300 Prize £300 Gift Voucher from The Vibe towards a low flute

2nd Prize Loughborough Flute Ensemble director Jo Kirkwood. Mark 262/300 Prize £150 Gist Voucher from Just Flutes

3rd Prize Les Six, Yorkshire directed by Nikki Warrington. Mark 256/300 Prize £30 Gift Voucher from Wonderful Winds

4th Prize Funky Flutes, Hampshire director Sarah Finch. Mark 242/300 Prize Chocolates

Congratulations to all. Everyone was a winner! 

Now I'm having a bit of a rest before I put my mind to planning rather a lot of events for the 12 months coming. Watch this space.

A week to go!

It's a beautiful sunny day and I'm sitting in my very stuffy office working on stuff for the event next Sunday, 16 July. Do I mind not being out in the sun? Not at all! I'm so honoured to be able to use my time and my various skills to be able to bring this fantastic event together. I feel very, very lucky. Lucky I have the support of so many amazing people.

As usual, Abbie and Gareth McLearnon are being key people along with the folks from the ABRSM, including the Chief Examiner, John Holmes and Louise Matthew. Abbie has encouraged Clare Jefferis to be involved (not that I think she took any persuading). We are also very lucky to have the wonderful composer/pianist, Blaz Pucihar and his wife, flute player, Ana Kavcic Pucihar coming all the way from Slovenia. Simon Williams, Lorna Brown and Joleigh Saunders are also involved and I really don't think I could do without them.

But today I've just had some news that has put the icing on the cake so to speak - Gareth Davies (principal flute London Symphony Orchestra) has offered to come and play! Can you believe that?! It makes a totally amazing line up.

It is going to be a very special event. I know all the players in the flute choirs in the final of our competition are really excited. If you haven't booked your tickets yet, hurry up, you don't want to miss this one.

Photos below from left Clare Jefferis, Abbie Burrows, Blaz Pucihar, Gareth McLearnon

Ana Kavcic Pucihar, Gareth Davies, John Holmes, Louise Matthew