After our five day trip to New York City and a week of Band Camp with the Mountaineer Marching Band, I have finally gotten the opportunity to reflect on my experience at the convention.

The students of the College of Creative Arts at West Virginia University are so lucky to have the support of such wonderful administration and staff. The opportunities we have are immeasurable. The WVU Flute Choir is about three years old. In that short amount of time, thanks to the work of Dr. Francesca Arnone, we’ve made a trip that most only dream of. My personal growth as a musician and the ensemble as a whole have come so far. I am proud to have represented the state of West Virginia, the university, and the flute studio in New York City. How many people can say they met and played beside world famous flutists and did two world premieres in the Big Apple? I know I can!

Blog Written By: Leslie Matthews

On Friday, August 14th, the WVU Flute Choir performed a shared concert with the Dana Flute Ensemble from Youngstown, OH. The repertoire for our portion concert included a variety of enjoyable works. Our first piece, Huapango, was written by Jose Pable Moncayo. The arrangement we performed was done by our very own Dr. Francesca Arnone. A “huapango” is a festive Mexican dance.

Streaming Green by Nancy Galbraith is a piece that was premiered by the WVU Flute Choir at the convention. Nancy Galbraith is an alumna of West Virginia University. When asked about her inspiration behind the work, she replied, “There are so many pieces written for flute choir that are flowing and lyrical. That’s wonderful? but I was going for the complete opposite when I wrote Streaming Green. I wanted to write something rhythmic and upbeat.”

Our final piece, Scareso by Mike Mower, is an energetic, contemporary piece that the WVU Flute Choir performed in collaboration with the renowned flutist Keith Underwood. Mr. Underwood’s diverse career has consisted of teaching master classes, performing in many ensembles including the New York Philharmonic, and recording for numerous labels, movies, and television all across the United States. His resume as a flutist is absolutely phenomenal.

The choir played beautifully and the crowd’s response to our performance was amazing. A couple of flute choir directors asked where they could purchase Streaming Green. I’m so proud of the Flute Choir and what we’ve achieved!

A Lifetime Achievement Award Reception and Banquet was held on the evening of Saturday August 15th to honor Sir James Galway. Terry Herald was commissioned by Barbara Ogar to arrange a piece to commemorate this momentous occasion. Fantasie on Danny Boy was performed by an estimated 170 flutists with instrumentation ranging from C flute all the way down to the Contrabass Flute. Imagine a flute that is so large that you have to stand to play it. The Contrabass Flute is taller than I am! The performing ensemble included the WVU Flute Choir as well as performers from all over the world. It was an honor to perform beside so many wonderful flutists.

The choir was set up spread throughout the whole dining area so that those attending the reception were surrounded by flutists. I could see the appreciation on the faces of those listening to us. I saw a woman wipe a tear from her eye. That is one of my favorite things about music? it evokes so much emotion.

At 10:00am on Friday August 14th, 2009, world renown flutist Sir James Galway organized an event to challenge the World Record for Largest Flute Ensemble. As it stood, the old world record was set late in July of this year in China with 1,975 participants in the ensemble. An informal count of players was taken in NYC that morning and the total was at least 2,000 flutists.

My first thought when I walked into the ballroom full of bustling flute players was, “How are we going to keep a group this large together?” The answer to my first question became apparent. At least five, if not more, conductors were stationed throughout the room. The piece we performed was an arrangement of “Danny Boy” and other melodies by David Overton. Sir Galway commissioned the work specifically for the event.

In order for this event to truly be record breaking, a form had to be filled out by each participant. Until those forms are counted, the record is not official. In the event that the record is officially broken, a list of all of those involved and photos will be published in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Participating in this event was a terrific opportunity to be a part of something larger than myself; to make world and flute history. Flute players from all over the world and of all levels of ability came together and performed something truly beautiful. The girl playing at my left was a college student studying abroad in New York from France; the woman at my right, a studio teacher from South Carolina; in front of me, two girls in middle school. For the hour we rehearsed and performed, we were one great ensemble. This experience is surely one I will remember for the rest of my life.

In a showcase of music from around the world, Dr. Francesca Arnone performed two beautiful pieces composed by Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina. The pieces, titled Sounds of the Forest and Allegro Rustico, were composed many years apart but published as a set. Dr. Arnone’s performance was made in collaboration with the wonderful pianist, Dianne Frazer, who served as piano faculty for the 2009 Trevor Wye Seminar at WVU.

On the Monday and Tuesday leading up to the convention, our choir had a sort of “Flute Boot Camp” to get our pieces ready for the convention. The WVU Flute Studio commissioned Dr. Nancy Galbraith to write one of the works we would perform in New York. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with her during Boot Camp. It was an honor to work with her and bring her music to life!

On Wednesday August 12th, West Virginia University’s Flute Choir will be making a trip to the Big Apple for one of the biggest flute events of the year.