Flute Choir

  • Spring Quarter music will be available via PDF download by Thursday, March 21. Instructions on how to download music will be sent via email to all enrolled BYSO students.
  • Click here for Conductor’s Messages

Rehearsals will be held on Monday evenings from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Musicians are expected to arrive and be prepared to rehearse 15 minutes prior to start time.

SPRING QUARTER 2024 DETAILS

Rehearsals Spring Quarter Dates
Mondays from 6:30 – 8:30 pm Rehearsals begin on Monday, March 25
No Rehearsal on Monday, April 8 (Spring Break)
Rehearsal Location Drop Off/ Pick Up
Odle Middle School Parking in the school parking lot is available.
502 143 Ave NE Plan on prompt drop off and pick up to avoid
Bellevue, WA 98007 congestion.
Saturday Rehearsal Saturday Rehearsal Location
Saturday, April 20 Lake Washington High School
9:30am -11:30am 12033 NE 80th St
Kirkland, WA 98033
Spring Concert Time & Date
Benaroya Concert Hall Saturday, May 11 @ 3:00pm
200 University St. Arrive by 9:45am
Seattle, WA 98101 BYSO will be providing lunch.
Students will not be permitted to leave Benaroya
until after concert has finished.
Garden Party Community Concert
Bellevue Botanical Garden
Saturday, May 18, 3:00pm
Arrive by 2:00pmRehearsal: Monday, May 13 from 6:30pm- 7:45pm
at Bellevue Children’s Academy

Student Checklist

  • Bring a music stand
  • Bring a pencil
  • Print your sheet music prior to first rehearsal (using link at top of this page) and bring with you to rehearsal
  • Arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of rehearsal to ensure you are in your chair and ready to play at the start of rehearsal
  • Have fun!

BENAROYA CONCERT DETAILS FOR SATURDAY, MAY 11 AT 3:00 PM

CALL TIME | 9:45 am
All musicians should arrive promptly 9:45 am. Please account for possible traffic delays.

DROP OFF
All musicians should be dropped off in the Benaroya Hall parking garage on 2nd Avenue near Union Street. DO NOT drop off musicians on the street, as this will cause severe traffic. The parking garage has free parking for 30 minutes. Volunteers will direct students towards the Artist Entrance inside the parking garage. Only BYSO musicians, staff, and volunteers are allowed backstage.

CHECK IN
All students will check in with BYSO Staff upon arrival at the Artist’s Entrance, accessed through the parking garage.

PICK UP
Students will not be permitted to leave Benaroya until the concert is complete. Pick up will be in the Grand Lobby.

CONCERT ATTIRE
Be sure to check your ensemble’s concert attire requirements. Students must arrive wearing their concert clothing. They will not have a place to change later.

PREPARE FOR A LONG DAY
Students will stay in Benaroya’s back stage facility the entire time from check in to end of concert. Be sure to send your student with a water bottle, snack, and a book (or similar activity) for breaks between rehearsals and concert.

MUSICIAN LUNCH AT BENAROYA
Students will stay in Benaroya’s back stage facility the entire time from check in to end of concert. BYSO will be providing lunch for musicians. Students may bring their own lunch but there will be no refrigerator available for food storage.

VOLUNTEERS – WE NEED YOU!
Volunteers will be a vital part of a successful day at Benaroya for all of our students. We need volunteers to help the check in process and supporting ensembles during their dress rehearsals.  You will be able to get to know the students, see their dress rehearsal process, see the incredible Benaroya Hall from a musician’s perspective, and get a free concert ticket! Click here to sign up now! 

CONCERT TICKETS
Concert tickets are available on Benaroya’s website here: Benaroya Concert Tickets. Reminder: BYSO musicians performing in the concert do not need their own ticket.


About

Flute Choir is an advanced intermediate ensemble for flutes. This BYSO ensemble consists of flutists who were placed at the Sinfonia level after auditioning. Because orchestras need only a few flutes at a time, some of these students may take turns playing in Sinfonia during the year while also practicing and performing in the Flute Choir ensemble. The typical Flute Choir student has had some private instruction and school ensemble experience and is developing solid technical skills and musical understanding.

Flute Choir students develop orchestral playing skills in an enriching and unique chamber group setting, learning to produce rhythmic accuracy and clear dynamic contrasts while maintaining appropriate blend, balance and intonation. Since there are usually only one or two players per part in Flute Choir, these flutists gain valuable independence in playing. Past works performed include Castérède’s Flûtes Joyeuses, Adler’s Madrigals for Six Flutes, and the folksong Scarborough Fair.

Recent Flute Choir Performance

Conductor: Dr. Merrie Siegel Parmley

Dr. Merrie Siegel Parmley holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music and Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Rice University. She won the New York Flute Club’s Young Artist Competition at age 19 and since then has performed with the Houston Symphony, Charleston Symphony, Spokane Symphony, and Mozart Society of Philadelphia, among others. Learn more.

Contact Dr. Merrie Siegel Parmley at flutechoir@byso.org

Messages from the Conductor

Good Afternoon, Amazing Flute Choir Flutists and Families!

Thank you for all your hard work, dedication and for continuing to grow and improve!

Please make note of where you are (both row and column) on your music:

A B C D E F G H I J K L
Row 3 (back) Kaylyn Hannah Coco Noah Arnav Matthew Crystal Jeri Medha Pia Elizabeth Julinna
Row 2 Shiho Ada Isabelle Kaylee Gwen Marcus Samuel Shachar Chloe C Chloe K Rio
Row 1 (front)
Kayla Jackie Leo Carrie Karthik Hannes Suah Alice Stella Ember Siyu

April 29 Rehearsal Planplease come prepared by practicing lots this week!

BRING YOUR OWN MUSIC STAND, all music (with no page turns), a pencil, and all instruments needed. When you enter, be very careful of the audio equipment!  Do not put your music stand together until break time. 

All Benaroya music should be “performance-ready” by this rehearsal.

  • 6:30 – 7:30 PM  Dance with Me
    • A recording engineer will be present to video record each row performing for the rest of the group.  Bring paper to rehearsal to write down your feedback and impressions of what you saw and heard.  The recording engineer (Ron Haight) will also record a full-group performance – a dress rehearsal for us to view and analyze during the week.
    • Then, each person will watch the video recordings of each row and the full group and must submit an email self-critique (both to Dr. Merrie: flutechoir@byso.org and Dr. Sandy: flutes@byso.org) as well as a full group evaluation, noting what went well and what can be improved. We would like to receive these by Friday, May 3rd so we have time to create an appropriate rehearsal plan for Monday.
  • 7:30 – 7:40 PM – BREAK
  • 7:40 PM – 7:55 PM – Dance with Me – tutti (everyone together)
  • 7:55 PM – LOBBY / Garden Party Music – with Philharmonia flutists

Please feel free to check the Flute Orchestra Conductor’s Messages for comments regarding each piece as well as practice tips.

Thank you and keep on flutin’!

~Dr. Merrie

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