Special Events:

WILLIAMSBURG FLUTE CHOIR WEEKEND - March 26, 27, 28, 2010

Boxwood presents its second annual Flute Choir Weekend, taking place this year in Historic Williamsburg, VA. If you love flute playing, ensemble music and have an interest in traditional and early music, this is an event for you. Participants will explore a variety of folk and baroque inspired arrangements and compositions specifically designed to introduce players to the world of flute playing in the traditional, renaissance and baroque styles - music that all comes from oral traditions (learned by ear) and encourages a sense of improvisation and creativity in sound and form.

The weekend will be comprised of three 2 1/2 hour sessions that will be:

Part workshop; learning the basics of these traditional styles by incorporating ideas about phrasing, breathing, improvisation and ornamentation.
part rehearsal as we put together our skills to bring to life ensemble music inspired from the 16th - 20th century musical traditions of Scotland, Cape Breton, Acadia, Ireland, England and France.

FRIDAY MARCH 26:
afternoon - private lessons with Chris Norman available
7-9:30 PM - workshop/rehearsal, College of William & Mary, Department of Music, room 151

SATURDAY MARCH 27:
9:30AM - NOON - workshop/rehearsal, College of William & Mary, Department of Music, room 151
1:30PM - 4PM - workshop/rehearsal, College of William & Mary, Department of Music, room 151

SUNDAY MARCH 28:
2PM performance @ the Kimball Theatre in Historic Williamsburg
with Chris Norman and Bill Gurley (guitar, etc).

The workshop will be led by Chris Norman, whose teaching has inspired thousands of musicians wordwide through Boxwood's workshops, and whose brilliant and imaginative flute playing has been heard in Hollywood films (Titanic, Soldier and Stone of Destiny et. al.), and in groups as varied as The Baltimore Consort, Skyedance, Concerto Caledonia, and the Chris Norman Ensemble.

Registration

Registration includes all music and materials for the workshop, rehearsals and performance. Space will be limited, so please register early.

ADULTS: $120

STUDENTS: $90

Accommodations, if needed, can be found by visiting :
Go Williamsburg website.

Participant Info:

Please be sure to bring along a music stand, a pencil, and any and all flutes you might play or share. A tape recorder is recommended, but is not essential.

Please watch these YouTube clips very carefully before next weekend. Try to determine the direction of the dancers (up or down) on the important beats, and think about how they're subdividing the rhythm:

An example of renaissance dance

An example of baroque dance

An example of Cape Breton Scottish stepdance

Some of the music for our weekend is available here in PDF format. Please print out and have a look at a number of different parts for each piece, and come with a preference for what part you'd like to play. We'll sort out and assign parts during our rehearsal time. If you'd like to try an alto or bass flute, there will some available to borrow.

HEARTS UPON THE HIGH ROAD
Three 18th century tunes of the Old Scots Gypsies arranged for flute choir: Johnny Faa, My Wife Has Scolded Me, Clout the Cauldron
piccolo
flute I
flute II
flute III
alto flute
bass flute

THE KELLYS
Four Irish tunes from the 18th century arranged for flute choir: Mild Mabel Kelly, Daniel Kelly, Castle Kelly, Captain Kelly.
flute I
flute II
flute III
alto flute I
alto flute II
bass flute

FLOWER OF PORT WILLIAMS
flute I
flute II
alto flute I
alto flute II
bass flute

BRANLE PINAGAY
from Orchésographie

MINUET DE LA REINE
18th century France

Boxwood would like to thank Margaret Carlson, the Flute Frenzy flute choir and the College of William & Mary for their generous support in making the Williamsburg Flute Choir Weekend possible.