The“Runnin’ fl’UTES,” the campus flute choir, hit a slam dunk at their spring recital last Friday.
Directed by Tiffany Sedgley, the group performed a series of pieces showcasing soloists, small ensembles and impressive ensemble pieces to show off their flute skills.
Their first piece, “Ave Maria,” by Franz Bieble, was a great introduction to the overall sound of a flute choir, which is a nice contrast to a typical classical symphony where the blaring brass sounds overpower the sweet wind instruments. Here, the brass flutes provided a solid foundation of harmonies to compliment the resonant, high piccolo notes, creating a clear, airy sound.
The next song, a Rondo by Mozart, featured a soloist, Chloe Bolton. Bolton showed mastery of her instrument, with a full sound and managed to keep power all the way through notes. Bolton’s rapid trills and flawless runs were complemented by smooth harmonies from the rest of the ensemble.
“Nymphs” by Schocker followed, featuring a small group of female players. They played this piece without a conductor, in order to “gain a true chamber experience,” according to Sedgley. The piece was written quite imaginatively, and the women did a fantastic job of conveying the springing image of nymphs throughout their set. The harmonies weaved in and out of each other, and the dynamics were superbly balanced to showcase those duets.
Another soloist, Mikala Mortensen took the stage following, playing themes from the Spanish dance opera “Carmen Fantasie.” Mortensen played with great energy and emotion, which assisted in keeping the intensity of the piece. As for the rest of the group, if Disney ever wrote a Spanish princess story, this choir played so well they could easily provide the soundtrack. Each player truly felt and portrayed classic sultry salsa vibes, and kept that energetic beat without the help of typical percussion instruments.
Sedgley announced that the next piece would represent Ireland.
“I always try to put in an Irish piece at concerts, because that’s my homeland,” Sedgley said. “But it is especially fitting for this season with St. Patrick’s Day on the way.”
This next piece did perfectly capture a traditional Irish sound. “Reels” by Sir Howard, was the perfect ending, a speedy foot-tapping classic jig.
Their final song, “Monochrome V” by Peter Schickele, was by far the most interesting piece of the night. Full of dangerously close harmonies, the listener was always on edge. However, the ensemble played through the piece flawlessly, their dynamic balance keeping the wavering dissonance from being too overpowering.
If basketball isn’t for you, the other runnin’ Utes on campus will be playing again on Sunday, April 24, in concert with the Crimson Harps.