About WFE

The Willow Flute Ensemble grew out of a group of eight flutists who had played in the flute choir at Powers Music School in Belmont, MA. When conductor Mary Neumann moved out of state, these musicians regrouped in the newly independent form of the Willow Flute Ensemble.

 

Under the guidance of General Manager Sue Blessing and Music Director Rebecca Carson Rogers, this ensemble began to delve deeper into the capabilities of the multiple flute ensemble. Willow sought to expand beyond the standard repertoire of orchestral transcriptions and the small amount of well-known flute choir literature, and to demonstrate (and increase) the possibilities of a medium-sized (10-16 member) ensemble that believes in featuring low flutes. One of Willow’s first goals was to perform all six of the Boismortier flute quintets, the earliest known works written specifically for flutes. Over the course of four and a half years, Willow accomplished this goal, experimenting with employing different combinations of alto and bass flutes.

 

Under the direction of Rebecca Carson Rogers, Willow began performing in situations as diverse as the Boston Symphony Café, the Lexington Historical Society, the Longy School of Music Bach’s Lunch series, and the winter foodbank fundraiser at Russell’s Garden Center. In addition,  WFE holds regular full-length concerts of increasing variety and complexity, often with guest artists. In the summer of 1998 Willow performed on the “Flutes d’Ete” concerts with three other groups, including the Ensemble de Flutes ad Libitum from Dijon, France. At Willow’s December 1999 “Holiday Flute Fantasy” concert, WCRB’s Ray Brown was featured as the narrator for Sonny Burnette’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.  In 2005, WFE enjoyed collaborating with vocalist/fiddler Sarah Nagell, a specialist in Scandinavian folk music and dance. 

 

In only Willow’s second season, the ensemble was invited to premiere Stone Suite, the newest work by Sonny Burnette, three-time winner of the James Madison University Flute Choir Competition. Commissioned by renowned low flute specialist Chris Potter of Boulder, CO, each movement of Stone Suite showcases a solo by bass flute, alto flute, C-flute, or E-flat flute. When Stone Suite was awarded a spot at the 1999 National Flute Association Convention on the “Inspirations from a Small Planet: newly-composed works” concert, Willow was thrilled to be invited by Dr. Potter to perform with her there. Willow also earned its own solo concert at the NFA Convention in Atlanta that summer, a debut which earned praise from flutists and flute choir specialists around the country.Willow’s performance of Keith Amos’ Sudeley Castle at the Convention so impressed the composer that he asked the ensemble to premiere his newest flute choir composition, Hampton Court.  Willow enjoys premiering new works, having also premiered a jazzy arrangement of the Thad Jones tune A Child is Born by Michael Annicchiarico of the University of New Hampshire, and in the summer of 2002, Eun Jung Choi’s “Sai”.

 

1999 brought new challenges and excitement to WFE as the ensemble recorded its first full-length CD. Containing works by Ryohei Hirose, Mozart, Samantha Cooke, and others, this recording is an excellent selection of some of the best works available today for multiple flutes.  Phyllis Louke, composer and director of the Rose City Flute Choir in Portland, OR, said "This is a fabulous CD! My favorite piece on it is Divertimento-Jazz by Guiot. Willow sounds wonderful, and the variety of music on this CD will make you want to listen to it again and again." 

 

In 2001, WFE announced the arrival of new Music Director Orlando Cela.  At that season's Greater Boston Flute Association Flute Fair  --an event at which Willow is regularly featured--  Willow performed Mosaics by New England Conservatory faculty member John Heiss. Mr. Heiss called Willow  “a great asset to the Boston musical community”, and continued, “Their esprit-de-corps, superior organizational skills and marvelous programming are most impressive!”  Willow invited more than 30 friends to help perform Mosaics again in January 2006.  Mr. Heiss declared this performance a record-setter, as it involved the largest number of players (46) he had ever had for this piece.

 

In an ongoing effort to expand the flute ensemble repertoire, Willow continues to arrange music written for other instruments.  Some arrangements come from classical repertoire, such as J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, Camille Saint-Saëns’ "La Danse Macabre,” and several Telemann Fantasias.  Many others come from folk music from widely varying cultures, including Romania, Venezuela, and Sweden.

 

In January 2006, Willow made headlines (see the Arlington Advocate, January 12, 2006) with its innovative “What do you do with forty flutes?” concert.  Willow expanded to comprise 48 flutists in order to perform large-scale works that a small group would be unable to staff.   In addition to “Mosaics”, described above, Willow premiered arrangements of both Iannis Xenakis’s “Sea Nymphs” and Thomas Tallis’s “Spem in Allium”, a choral work requiring 40 singers on 40 distinctly independent parts.   Both players and audience delighted in the sonic possibilities afforded by having so many more flutists than usual.

 

WFE was chosen as the only Boston-based flute choir to perform at the 2002 National Flute Association Convention in Washington, DC. Willow is also frequently invited to perform at selected locations such as Jordan Hall (New England Conservatory), Payne Hall (Harvard University), the Zeitgeist Gallery (Cambridge), the Brickbottom Artists Association (Somerville), and various concert series including Newton, Waltham, Somerville, Sudbury and Middletown, CT.