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Silver Winds Flute Choir performs ‘Joyful Noise!’

Photo submitted to Times Observer Silver Winds Flute Choir prepares for the Joyful Noise! December 2 concert to be held at Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church. From left, in front, are Patty Carrington, Emily Rose, and Laura Whitten and, in back, Becky Darbee, Penny Chaffee, and Nancy Scott.

The Silver Winds Flute Choir presents the free winter concert Joyful Noise! at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, at the Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church, 444 PA Ave West in Warren.

Highlights for this concert include Magnum Mysterium, a Renaissance Christmas Motet and Overture, and Pastorale from Handel’s Messiah, and two selections by Edvard Grieg — Wedding Day at Troldhaugen and Solveg’s Song.

The first selection, originally a piano piece, evokes a wedding ceremony. The listener can hear the joyful processional march, the solemn central ceremonial tune as the wedding vows are made and the triumphant recessional. The second Grieg piece is a selection for the opera Peer Gynt, arranged for flute quartet or choir.

The Boismortier Concerto No. 3 is unique in this program since it was written specifically for five flutes. The three movements, Allegro, Adagio and a final Allegro, interweave the independent parts, passing the leading part from one player to another. Each player’s voice is clearly heard in this baroque piece.

As usual, there are seasonal favorites including traditional carols by Catherine McMichaels, such as Lo How a Rose ere Blooming, Good King Wenceslas, Pat a Pan, What Child is This (and more), as well as popular seasonal selections. The closing selection, Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on and Open Fire), will leave the audience humming as they travel home.

Silver Winds Flute Choir has been presenting two concerts per year since 2007. The choir also performs for nursing homes, fairs, and hospital residents, and at other venues.

Six members of the choir will be performing Dec. 2 in Joyful Noise!, including Patty Carrington, Penny Chaffee, Becky Darbee, Emily Frederick Rose, Nancy Scott, and Laura Whitten.

The flute choir uses C flutes, piccolo, alto and bass flutes to create a unique sound.

The members share responsibility for playing these different instruments with at least half of the players performing on more than one instrument. Incorporating these lower voices gives the choir more depth than one would hear with a group composed of only C flutes, while the piccolo (played by Scott) provides an accent that enhances and emphasizes elements in many of these selections. The Silver Winds Flute Choir will also present Joyful Noise! on December 5 for the Warren State Hospital residents and staff.

The choir has plans for a spring concert in late April or early May. Rehearsals for the spring season will begin in late January. Rehearsals and performances are held at churches throughout Warren County.

The choir will accept donations at the door to help cover costs and support the programs of the facilities that generously allow use of their space for rehearsals and performance. This season, donations will support Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church (which offers a food program for local residents among other missions), and the Warren State Hospital Interfaith Chapel (which provides spiritual service to hospital residents).

If you are a flutist interested in playing in an ensemble, contact Becky Darbee at 688-2054 for more information.

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