Concerts – Edmonton Suzuki Flute & Recorder Society

Spring Recital

Posted on June 1, 2020 by esfrs — Leave a reply

The first week of June, all of our students perform solo pieces, showing the culmination of their year’s work. It is always so much fun to see the improvement since their first performance in the fall.

This year we are doing a fascinating experiment – since there are public health restrictions in place on public gatherings due to the current pandemic, we are moving our recital on line!

We will host the recital as a Zoom meeting.

Here is the note that went out to everyone, with the link to join the meeting and all the tech requirements and protocols:

https://suzuki-flute-recorder.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Gmail-ESFRS-link-to-online-RECITAL-Thursday-June-4-edit.pdf

Looking forward to this!

And here are some snippets from last year’s recitals:

and dress rehearsals:

Bach in the Subways, March 21 2019

Posted on February 25, 2019 by esfrs — 1 Comment ↓

On J.S. Bach’s birthday (March 21 and into the weekend) musicians all over the world unite to perform free Bach in subways & public spaces, all day & all night, to share our love for our art form and sow the seeds for future generations of classical music lovers.

https://bachinthesubways.org

ALREADY PLANNING FOR 2021:

Hi all, due to the new recommended protocols for social isolation to prevent spread of infectious disease, our Bach in the Subways event at Bonnie Doon has been cancelled by our host venue. Please celebrate Bach’s birthday at home, by playing his music, and stay healthy! We’ll be bach in 2021!

Still planning to play at Bonnie Doon LRT station and shopping centre. Watch this space for details as things are finalized!

Bach in the Subways, March 2019:

Our 2019 event was at City Hall on March 21, the actual day of Bach’s birthday! So we threw him a party complete with cards, hats, and noisemakers. The music was a “lottery concert” (selections drawn at random) of pieces by Bach and his family from Suzuki books 1 through 6 for recorder and flute.

Bach in the Subways, March 2015:

In Edmonton,we were at the City Market in City Hall, and at the Churchill LRT station We started at noon and stopped when we ran out of Bach.

The flutes, recorders, violins, violas, and cellos played everything from the Anna Magdelena Bach notebook to the Double Concerto for two violins.

The students were from the Suzuki organizations for both string and wind instruments:

Society for Talent Education
https://ste-suzukistrings.org
Edmonton Suzuki Flute & Recorder Society
https://suzuki-flute-recorder.ca

Here’s a short video taken by one of our parents: Post.

Celebrate the Season at the Alberta Legislature

Posted on December 15, 2018 by esfrs — Leave a reply

photo: Kelly Komm, 2018

Our groups often perform in the Alberta Legislature building during the holiday season. We perform under the rotunda in the main entrance before the grand staircase – a beautiful setting! This is part of the Celebrate the Season event hosted by the Legislative Assembly Visitor Services.

In 2016 we were joined by members of the Edmonton Recorder Society for some of the pieces. Here are some highlights from that performance:

Here’s some highlights from the 2015 performances. The Silverwinds senior trio playing the Healey Willan setting of the Huron Carol:

A collection of highlights featuring many of our different flute and recorder group combinations:

And from 2012, the senior trio playing Joy to the World:

and a Gavotte by Boismortier:

November Group Concert

Posted on November 23, 2018 by esfrs — Leave a reply

At the end of November, our students perform duets, trios, quartets, and other ensemble music that they learn in their group lessons. The group lessons are an important community building part of our program, and it is in the group lessons where the students learn the skills that will keep them able to play music with their friends throughout their adult lives.

We welcome families who are interested in having lessons with their children. Come to the concert and see what we do! Registration in our program is open year-round. Click here for registration information.

In 2018 and 2017, the concert was at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, where we also have our regular weekly group lessons. Here are some highlights from the 2018 concert:

And highlights from the 2017 concert:

Here is the link to the rest of the playlist, if you want to see the whole concert:

In 2016, the concert was at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church. Here is a short selection featuring the Silverwinds playing in 7/8 with a bass flute:

And another selection from 2016, featuring our beginners playing their very first ensemble piece:

In 2015, the concert was at the Strathearn United Church. Here are some highlights from that performance:

SAMSUNG DIGIMAX A503 In 2013 and 2014, the concert was in the Expressionz Cafe. There were many favourable comments about the coffeehouse setting. Many parents enjoyed being able to sit back with a latte while enjoying the concert. Unfortunately, Expressionz had to close, so in November 2015 we found a new venue. Thank you Expressionz, for hosting us!

Flûte Alors!

Posted on January 30, 2018 by esfrs — Leave a reply

Flûte Alors! is a dynamic recorder quartet from Montréal. They passed through Edmonton on Wednesday, February 21, and we are grabbed them as they went by for an amazing evening of concerts and classes!

5:00 – 6:00 pm: Masterclass / Workshop for young recorder players

6:30 pm – 7:30 pm CONCERT! Bach ’n’ Jazz

8:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Masterclass / Workshop for adult recorder players

All events were at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 9155 79 Ave, Edmonton

Many thanks to Edmonton Recorder Society for co-sponsoring the concert, and to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church for the use of their facility.

Kiwanis Music Festival

Posted on January 23, 2018 by esfrs — Leave a reply

ESFRS Students are encouraged to participate in the Edmonton Kiwanis Music Festival when their teachers feel that they are ready to benefit from this experience. What is the Kiwanis Festival? Its an opportunity to play in a concert AND have a lesson at the same time. Here’s how it works:

Students who enter the festival choose to enrol in a class, which is sorted by age, instrument, or playing level. Once the Festival organizers have received all the participants, they schedule the classes to perform in short concerts at various times throughout the day. (Yes, you may have to miss school to participate – but its more fun than a dentist appointment 🙂 ) After each class performs, the adjudicating teacher will them give each performer comments related to their performance, identifying strengths and challenges. Sometimes these comments are verbal, sometimes they take the form of a short lesson. It depends on the adjudicator. The adjudicators are very fine artist teachers who are brought in from out of town. For the 2018 Festival, we will get to perform for the famous Canadian clarinetist James Campbell. This is a wonderful opportunity to get feedback from an excellent musician.

If you want to participate in the Festival, check with your teacher first to see what piece you should prepare to play if it is appropriate for you to participate. Then you go to the Festival website to register on-line or print out the registration form to mail (or scan and e-mail): http://www.edmontonkiwanis.com/musicfest/registration.html#regforms There are links on this site to pay your entry fees as well.

Here are the class numbers that our students will often enter. This is not all of them! Check with your teacher for more possibilities. The Suzuki Flute classes are not part of the provincial festival syllabus, they are special classes for our youngest students that we added at the local level a few years ago when we had Dr. David Gerry come to be the adjudicator :

Suzuki Flute 5 + under: K41900
Suzuki Flute 6 + under: K41910
Suzuki Flute 7 + under: K41920
Suzuki Flute 8 + under: K41930
Suzuki Flute 9 + under: K41940
Suzuki Flute 10 + under: K41950
Suzuki Flute 12 + under: K41970
Suzuki Flute 14 + under: K41990
Recorder Solo Pre Grade 1 standard: 47310
Recorder Solo Grade 1-2 standard: 47320
Recorder Solo Grade 3-4 standard: 47330
Recorder Solo Grade 5-6 standard: 47340
Recorder Solo Grade 7-8 standard: 47350
Woodwind Solo 12 + under: 48000
Woodwind Solo 14 + under: 48010
Woodwind Solo 16 + under: 48020
Woodwind Solo 18 + under: 48030
Flute Solo Pre Grade 1 standard: 41310
Flute Solo Grade 1-2 standard: 41320
Flute Solo Grade 3-4 standard: 41330
Flute Solo Grade 5-6 standard: 41340
Flute Solo Grade 7-8 standard: 41350
There are other classes for concertos, sonatas, and modern music, as well as special scholarship classes. Consult with your teacher to find out more possibilities. Your group may also participate in a chamber music class.

The grade standards are not the grade you are in at school! They represent the grade level of your chosen piece according to the Royal Conservatory of Music syllabus. Check with your teacher to find out what the grade of your piece is.

Some of the classes have a competitive element. The adjudicator will give a percentage mark and declare and first and second place in the class. Others are non-competitive. In non-competitive classes they give ratings such as S (superior) and D (distinction). In this case D is an excellent mark!! (not like on your school report card.)

Student performances from the Edmonton Kiwanis Music Festival – April 2015

Winter Recital

Posted on January 8, 2018 by esfrs — Leave a reply

Our Winter Recital is held at the end of January. Instead of trying to have a concert in December when everyone is so busy, we save our winter concert for a special January project to get everyone going again after the holiday. Students choose their performance pieces before the holiday, and rehearsals with the pianist are organized during group time the week before the concert. This concert is open to the public. Admission is by donation.

Every student will has an opportunity to play twice – once as a solo and once as part of a unison group. This gives everyone an opportunity to experience going on stage two times.

Mid Term Mini Concerts

Posted on October 25, 2017 by esfrs — Leave a reply

Something new we are trying for the 2017-2018 season: we take the group night in the middle of the term and turn it into a small concert, where we all play for each other instead of having our regular classes.

This is very informal. There is no dress code. Unlike our large recitals that we have in January and June, not everyone will play solos, only those who are recommended by their teacher as having something ready. Each group will play something they have been working on, so every student will have an opportunity perform in their groups.

Since not everyone will be playing a solo, there is no set rehearsal time with a pianist before the concert. Each student is responsible for their own accompaniment. This can be playing as a duet with a teacher, or teachers can play the piano parts. If you are playing a more complex piece that requires a piano specialist to accompany you, you are responsible for arranging a pianist and rehearsing in advance. So even though the concert is more informal, individual students have to take more responsibility for their preparation.

This event is open to the public. Students can invite friends and family. Anyone who is interested in seeing what we do in the ESFRS program is welcome to drop in.