Fondant Forward

Fondant Forward is a rich, colourful work for advanced low flute ensemble, commissioned by Sandy Hay and the Birmingham Flute Choir.

The title came directly from Birmingham itself. The city has a long association with chocolate making, giving me the FONDANT, while Birmingham’s official motto is FORWARD.

That combination provided not just the title, but the entire musical idea for the piece.

The first half is all FONDANT: dark, heavy, gooey and luxurious. Chords melt slowly from one to another while an easy-going melody first appears deep in the Contrabass Flutes, then moves upwards into the Altos, becoming gradually richer and more intense.

Then comes FORWARD.

Percussive effects suddenly change the character of the music and an energetic, swashbuckling theme appears in Alto Flute 1. That material is passed around, deconstructed, played with and subverted before the original FONDANT melody returns, transformed from something lazy and luxuriant into something much more noble, heroic and yearning.

Eventually the FORWARD theme emerges in the Contrabass Flutes while the rest of the ensemble riffs on dotted rhythms, driving everything towards a final emphatic BAM!

Quick details

• Advanced low flute ensemble

• Written entirely for Alto, Bass and Contrabass Flutes

• Commissioned by Sandy Hay and the Birmingham Flute Choir

• Three Alto Flute parts

• Two Bass Flute parts

• Two Contrabass Flute parts

• Rich, dark and luxurious opening

• Heroic and rhythmically driven second half

• Contemporary and extended flute techniques

• Includes Explosive Articulation, Residual Tone and a flutter-tongued snare-drum effect

• Particularly suited to established low flute choirs, festivals, university ensembles and specialist low-flute groups

• Printed score purchasers can request complimentary PDF individual flute parts

Instrumentation & player levels

• Alto Flute 1
  Advanced

• Alto Flute 2
  Advanced

• Alto Flute 3
  Advanced

• Bass Flute 1
  Advanced

• Bass Flute 2
  Advanced

• Contrabass Flute 1
  Advanced

• Contrabass Flute 2
  Advanced

For the full intended ensemble sound, I recommend at least two players on each Alto Flute part and at least two on each Bass Flute part.

As with most repertoire written exclusively for low flutes, this is best approached by confident players who are already comfortable with the particular demands of Alto, Bass and Contrabass Flute.

FONDANT

The opening half of the piece is deliberately indulgent.

Think melted chocolate.

The music begins deep in the low flutes with dark, heavy, slowly shifting chords and a melody that seems almost to melt from one instrument into another.

The Contrabass Flutes introduce the melodic material before it begins to rise through the ensemble into the Altos, becoming progressively richer in colour and intensity.

Everything is deliberately gooey, lazy and luxurious.

FORWARD

Then the character changes completely.

Percussive sounds enter the texture and Alto Flute 1 launches a swashbuckling, heroic new theme.

That idea is passed around the ensemble, fragmented, deconstructed and subverted before the original FONDANT material begins to return.

But it no longer behaves in the same way.

The formerly lazy melody has become heroic and yearning, continually climbing upwards before the FORWARD theme finally appears in the Contrabass Flutes.

Above it, the rest of the low flute choir riffs on energetic dotted rhythms and drives the work towards its final emphatic conclusion.

Extended techniques

Fondant Forward includes:

• Explosive Articulation

• Residual Tone

• Flutter-tongued snare-drum effect

Why Fondant Forward?

The title combines two particularly Birmingham ideas.

FONDANT refers to the city’s historic association with chocolate making.

FORWARD comes from Birmingham’s official civic motto.

Conveniently, those two words also describe the two halves of the piece almost perfectly: one rich, melted and indulgent, the other energetic, heroic and relentlessly forward-moving.

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 Fondant Forward?
Advanced. The piece is scored exclusively for low flutes and is intended for confident Alto, Bass and Contrabass Flute players.

Can Fondant Forward be played by concert flutes?
No. This is specifically a low flute ensemble work, and its sound-world depends on the colour, weight and resonance of Alto, Bass and Contrabass Flutes.

How large an ensemble do I need?
The score has three Alto Flute parts, two Bass Flute parts and two Contrabass Flute parts. I recommend at least two players on each Alto and Bass part where possible.

Why is it called Fondant Forward?
The title combines Birmingham’s association with chocolate making and the city’s official motto, Forward. Those ideas then became the two contrasting musical characters of the piece.

What is the character of the music?
The first half is dark, heavy, melting and luxurious. The second becomes more percussive, heroic and rhythmically driven, before ideas from both halves combine at the end.

Does Fondant Forward use extended techniques?
Yes. The score includes Explosive Articulation, Residual Tone and a flutter-tongued snare-drum effect.

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