DEEP DISH

DEEP DISH is a bold, theatrical and technically demanding work for advanced flute ensemble, written for the NFA Collegiate Flute Choir and premiered at the 50th Annual National Flute Association Convention in Chicago in 2022.

And yes, the title is absolutely about the pizza.

This is probably the most technically demanding flute ensemble work I have written. Unlike much of my mixed-ability repertoire, where the difficulty is deliberately distributed between stronger and more accessible parts, DEEP DISH is a workout for pretty much everyone. The entire ensemble needs to be rhythmically secure, technically confident and willing to commit completely to the theatrical personality of the piece.

My original description was:

“It begins outrageously, gets groovy, gets epic, then finishes with a BANG!”

That remains surprisingly accurate.

The piece is very much a game of two halves. The first is spiky, theatrical and deliberately obnoxious. The second turns towards a much deeper rhythmic groove, drawing heavily on the character and syncopation of the famous Amen break.

Quick details

• Advanced flute ensemble / flute orchestra

• Duration: approximately 5½ minutes

• Written for the NFA Collegiate Flute Choir

• Premiered at the 50th Annual NFA Convention in Chicago, 2022

• Four advanced concert flute parts

• Two Alto Flute parts

• Two Bass Flute parts

• Optional Contrabass Flute

• Technically and rhythmically demanding throughout

• Strong theatrical and physical performance elements

• A deliberately obnoxious opening

• Second half influenced by the rhythmic language of the Amen break

• Big ensemble gestures, groove and a seriously energetic finish

• Best suited to advanced high-school, pre-college, university, conservatoire and strong community flute ensembles

• Printed score purchasers can request complimentary PDF individual flute parts

Instrumentation & player level

• Flute 1
  Advanced – Advanced High School / Pre-College / Collegiate

• Flute 2
  Advanced – Advanced High School / Pre-College / Collegiate

• Flute 3
  Advanced – Advanced High School / Pre-College / Collegiate

• Flute 4
  Advanced – Advanced High School / Pre-College / Collegiate

• Alto Flutes × 2
  Advanced

• Bass Flutes × 2
  Advanced

• Contrabass Flute, optional
  Advanced

This is not one of my mixed-ability flute ensemble pieces. There is no deliberately easy part hiding at the bottom of the score!

It was written for a collegiate-level ensemble and assumes confident players across the entire instrumentation. The challenge is not simply a matter of individual technique: rhythmic precision, ensemble awareness, character and total commitment to the performance are equally important.

In short, everyone gets roasted a little bit.

It begins “Obnoxious”

“Obnoxious” is literally the marking at the beginning of the score.

From the opening bars, I wanted DEEP DISH to behave differently from a conventional flute ensemble piece. There are four opportunities near the beginning for the entire ensemble to physically act and become characters together on stage.

These moments are carefully built into the piece. They are there partly to engage the players theatrically and encourage them to commit to a collective artistic character, but also to unsettle the audience just enough to make them wonder:

“What on earth is happening?”

That sense of controlled misbehaviour is an important part of the first half of the work. The music is spiky, exaggerated and intentionally larger than life, and the visual element allows the whole ensemble to participate in that character rather than simply playing the notes.

A game of two halves

After all that obnoxiousness, the piece changes direction quite dramatically.

The second half becomes much more groove-driven, and its rhythmic DNA comes from the Amen break and particularly that characteristic pushed sixteenth-note energy.

Rather than simply quoting a drum pattern, I wanted to take that rhythmic feel and allow it to infect the flute ensemble. The groove gradually becomes the reason for the second half of the piece to exist, pulling the ensemble away from the spiky theatrical world of the opening and into something much more propulsive.

So the overall trajectory really is:

OBNOXIOUS → GROOVY → EPIC → BANG!

Which, as it turns out, was a considerably better description of the piece than I gave it credit for.

Why DEEP DISH?

The piece was written for the 2022 NFA Convention in Chicago, so the title is a fairly shameless reference to Chicago deep-dish pizza.

There is also something appropriate about the comparison.

Neither the food nor the music is particularly interested in restraint.

DEEP DISH is deliberately big, excessive, densely packed and unapologetic. It asks a lot of the performers, but the difficulty is there in service of the energy, character and sheer fun of performing it.

Printed score + complimentary PDF parts

If you purchase the printed score, you can also request a complimentary PDF set of the individual flute parts during checkout.

These are provided to save conductors and ensemble directors the need to photocopy individual parts from the printed score.

Frequently asked questions

What level is DEEP DISH?
Advanced. This is one of my most technically demanding flute ensemble works and was written specifically for the NFA Collegiate Flute Choir. All of the parts require confident players.

Are Flutes 3 and 4 easier than Flutes 1 and 2?
Not in the way they are in several of my other flute ensemble works. DEEP DISH was conceived for an advanced collegiate ensemble, and there is no intentionally easy or intermediate concert-flute part.

Is DEEP DISH suitable for a mixed-ability flute choir?
Generally, no. A very strong ensemble could certainly distribute the parts according to individual strengths, but this piece assumes a comparatively high technical and rhythmic level throughout.

Why does the score begin with the marking “Obnoxious”?
Because that is genuinely how I want it performed! The first half is deliberately exaggerated, spiky and theatrical, and includes four moments where the ensemble physically becomes part of the performance.

Does the piece involve acting?
Yes. Near the beginning there are four opportunities for the ensemble to perform physical, theatrical actions together. They are intended both to engage the musicians as characters and to create a slightly bewildering “what on earth is happening?” moment for the audience.

What happens in the second half?
The musical language changes substantially and becomes much more groove-driven. The rhythmic character is strongly influenced by the Amen break, particularly its characteristic syncopated, pushed-sixteenth-note feel.

Do I need a Contrabass Flute?
No. Contrabass Flute is optional. The core scoring is four concert-flute parts, two Alto Flutes and two Bass Flutes.

How long is DEEP DISH?
Approximately 5½ minutes.

Are individual PDF parts available with the printed score?
Yes. Purchasers of the printed score can request complimentary PDF individual flute parts when ordering.