The Flutewise Theme!

The Flutewise Theme! is an upbeat, groove-driven piece for graded, mixed-ability flute choir, written to bring the exciting world of contemporary and extended flute techniques to players of all ages and abilities.

The individual parts are deliberately written at different levels, so relative beginners can perform alongside advanced and pre-college players in the same ensemble. This makes the piece particularly well suited to flute days, schools, youth ensembles, community flute choirs and workshops where there may be a wide range of experience within one group.

I wrote The Flutewise Theme! in 2010 after many years of arranging other people’s music for flute ensembles. It was my first original flute choir composition, and received its premiere at the Flutewise Academy at the Purcell School that year.

The idea behind the piece was simple: contemporary flute techniques shouldn’t only be the preserve of advanced players. The Flutewise Theme! introduces these sounds in an accessible, rhythmic and fun way, while still giving the more experienced players plenty to get their teeth into.

Quick details

• Mixed-ability flute choir / flute ensemble

• Suitable for players from Beginner to Advanced

• Parts specifically designed at different technical levels

• Optional Alto Flute and Bass Flute

• Contemporary and extended flute techniques

• Particularly suited to flute days, schools, youth ensembles and community flute choirs

• An additional Beginner flute part is available for first-year players

• Printed score purchasers can request complimentary PDF individual flute parts

Instrumentation & player levels

• Part 1: Flute doubling Piccolo
  Advanced – Advanced High School / Pre-College

• Part 2: Flute
  Upper Intermediate to Advanced – Strong High School

• Part 3: Flute
  Upper Intermediate – Advanced Middle School

• Part 4: Flute
  Intermediate – Strong Middle School

• Part 5: Flute
  Developing Intermediate – Average Middle School

• Part 6: Flute
  Developing – typically suitable for players with around 18 months or more of playing experience

• Part 7: Alto Flute, optional
  Upper Intermediate to Advanced

• Part 8: Bass Flute, optional
  Upper Intermediate to Advanced

There is also an additional Beginner flute part, intended for first-year / débutant-level players, making it possible to involve even very new flutists in the ensemble.

Listen & learn

Below you can hear a performance of The Flutewise Theme! by the Flutewise Apprentices at the 2012 Flutewise Cadogan Hall event.

You’ll also find my tutorial video introducing and demonstrating some of the extended flute techniques used in the piece, which can be particularly useful when preparing the work with younger or less experienced players.

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

Do I need alto and bass flutes?
No. The Alto Flute and Bass Flute parts are optional, so the piece can be performed using concert flutes alone.

Can beginner players take part?
Yes. The piece was specifically designed for mixed-ability ensembles. The main parts range from Developing through to Advanced, and an additional Beginner part is available for first-year players.

Does the piece use extended techniques?
Yes. The Flutewise Theme! was written specifically to introduce contemporary and extended flute techniques in an accessible ensemble setting. A tutorial video demonstrating the techniques is included on this page.

Is this suitable for a school or youth flute choir?
Very much so. Because the parts are written at deliberately different levels, the piece works especially well when an ensemble includes players of different ages and experience.

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

Below is a performance of the piece by Flutewise Apprentices at the Flutewise Cadogan Hall event from 2012, and  the video at the bottom of the page is a tutorial on the extended techniques used in the piece!