Flute choir organization starts with determining the number of players, the level of your players and the type of performances or venues you will take on. Music available for this group will also be a big factor. Check the flute choir library section on this site for some more helpful information. Let’s talk about music distribution and physical set-up of the choir.
Begin thinking about choir size and parts assignment. A dream flute choir would include four people on 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th flute. Then two + people on bass and two + on alto and one person may need to play piccolo. If your community, organization or school can field that type of flute ensemble you are indeed lucky. When you have your players identified, get an idea of their level of playing and who can play – and owns – an alto or bass or piccolo. Choose music and assign parts accordingly, and be flexible about moving people around or assigning more people to lower parts for the best sound. Do try to have at least two players on each C flute part – first, because it will sound better and second, because some performers like having the support of another player on their part. Sit the strongest player to the left so they can be heard by the others on that part.
It is important to know that even with the best planning there have been concerts where there should have been three third flutists but we ended up with one, and I have played music scored for flute choir realizing that I had no fourth flutes that night. Someone is always likely to get sick or not be able to show up at the last minute. Be prepared for that. The music still comes off OK and the audience will enjoy it so don’t panic.
That said, I have outlined a choir of 20 + players. Well, who would not like to have 20 players! So when organizing your flute choir and assigning music, think about the number of players you have carefully and only program music so that the parts can be covered. Be flexible with your music choices. Four C flutes and a bass sound great with one on a part and the bass on 4th flute. Duets, trios, and quartets can be used very successfully on programs, so be open to this as you gather performers, create your library and plan for you performances.
Flute Choir Set-Up
Next, how should players be arranged ? I have successfully used a two row, horse shoe set-up. I seat the firsts on the right side of the front row and the seconds on the left. The third flutes start on the right end of the back row, then the fourth flutes, altos and basses curving around to the left. Some venues have necessitated an alternate set-up and have sounded pretty good anyway. Especially on one occasion when the first and seconds were in two rows on a raised small stage and the usual back row – thirds, fourths, altos and basses were on the floor in front of them. That concert sounded surprisingly amazing!
Music by person or by part
I have struggled with assigning music by person or by part for a couple of years, but after some conversations with choir members I was able to find out what works best for our choir.
Assigning music by part: We do have members who only want to play third part, which is usually the easiest part. As we improve and grow our library, they are now required to play harder third parts however. Guess what? They are stepping up and finding out how to manage these parts. they are creative. Sometimes they play an octave lower or might not play all the notes in the measure. Yes, these options are ok. We are a community choir with no audition requirement. Only a commitment to participation.
Assigning music by person: Then we have those that have and play alto but do not want to play alto on every piece. Their music will need to include different parts. This is easy when pieces are programmed that do not all have an alto part or when we are able to let different people play alto.
This brings up another issue. Do you move around in the choir set-up when you change parts. If you don’t, then you will end up with people on the same part but sitting in different parts of the choir, unable to hear or to tune to each other. I have tried this it does not work well.
One of our members has played in a choir where they did move around. To avoid moving instrument stands, they set altos and basses on a table near the choir set-up, stood up, moed out of the choir set-up and changed instruments and then reseated themselves in a different place for the next piece. She said it worked well for them.
I have come up with a way to handle this which has worked for us. I seat performers in blocks. So the three alto players who sit next to each other and will all play the same part, say 1st flute on the next piece. The person does not move but from the director’s stand point the parts move. Your first flutes are not always in the same place. This was more successful than you might think. Since our choir includes six people who can play piccolo, seven who can play alto and two who can play bass, this solved the problem of moving instruments and instrument stands. You do not have to stand up and move out of the set-up with your instrument and music.
Deciding to accept a gig
So now a possible performance opportunity has come up. How do you know whether you can accept this gig? You just need to find out who is available on the dates and times to play a particular gig, and the rehearsals. Be sure that there are enough people to cover the parts or that you could put together a program with a smaller group for that event. A great reason to include music for various size ensembles in your repertoire. As I have already said, you can plan but be prepared for absences. Someone will get sick or end up with a last minute important commitment. Our choir is lucky enough to have a number of members who could sight read a different part on the spot if needed. Be sure to take extra parts so they are on hand.
Most people do know that flutists take up a lot of space, but it is not a bad thing to cover in your planning conversations with a venue. Also find out where to park, what door to use and where exactly you will be performing at the site. I have visited sites ahead of performances to make sure there is room for us and to be able to describe to players where to meet.
As a side note, there is only one performance we do that is at a shopping mall for which we have to sign a contract. Otherwise it has been easy to confirm dates, times, length of performance, type of music, number of chairs needed and if we need a microphone, all by e-mail. Of course this needs to be checked on and reconfirmed a couple times before the actual performance.
e-mails, e-mails, e-mails
Just when you think you have sent and resent e-mails to your choir regarding dates, times, locations what to wear and bring a music stand, etc. send this information again. Even the best players forget a rehearsal now and then or show up at a gig without a music stand. Although we use Manhasset stands I always bring a couple folding stands with me just in case. Oh, and I always bring extra music as well. If they wear the “wrong” thing, that is pretty minor, but music and a stand may be hard to run home to get.
What to wear for concerts
After looking on line at other flute choirs I liked the effect of just suggesting a color combination and letting the choir members wear what they have. The suggestions that worked best were black and white and then, for the Holiday concerts, black slacks or skirt and anything red on top. Even when the reds were varying shades it looks great.
Are there any expenses to members?
It is totally up to you whether you charge or not. The fee can be small but would help pay for music and folders or binders. The fee can be once a year or for each concert session. The fee can also be for the director’s time.
MC- ing the Performances
If possible, talk some during your show. Do use a microphone if available. Announce the pieces, point out and demonstrate the different size instruments, talk about the occupations of the members and thank people for coming. At the end of the performance I invite people to come up and talk to the musicians and look at the different instruments.
In a small community like ours, many of the audience members know the performers. It is however fun to see the look on their faces if they did not know their friend played the flute let alone played in this type of performing group.
Here are two suggestions for talking to the audience:
- During the performance take some time to announce the names of the performers and what they do for work now or did and what they are doing now. i.e. Medical field, now singing in their church choir. In 2019-20 our flute choir included: public school music teachers, continuing education instructors, church music director, church music musicians, naturalist, accountant, mathematician, private music instructors, academic tutors, business owners, public school non-music employee, retired public and international school band director, and medical field personnel. What a huge spectrum of businesses and each person involved in multiple things in our community.
- During the Holiday season I have announced the performances of other music ensembles in which flute choir members are involved, like hand bell concerts or Messiah sing -a-longs, and I have those involved stand up. It is amazing to see how many people are not just involved in flute choir. In 2018 involvement included: Christmas church music, community choir performances, Festival of Trees ensembles, hand bell choir, ukulele choir, community Messiah sing-a-ling and of course the Nutcracker orchestra.