Friends, professors, and those around the Bi-Co campuses who simply desired a night of music – or at least a reprieve from the biting cold outside – strolled into Jaharis Recital Hall on Friday, December 5. The Bi-College Flute Choir, an ensemble of fourteen student flutists from Haverford and Bryn Mawr, had just spent months rehearsing for their annual Winter Concert. Schlepping coats, scarves and floral bouquets, audience members took their seats in spirited anticipation.
At exactly 7pm, the space quieted as choir members, dressed in predominantly black and red formal attire, filed into position. They commenced with a wintry riff, scrappier than the succeeding arrangements but harnessing a certain whimsy. As director Rebecca Simon took center stage, the music turned somewhat eerie and melancholic before coming to a stop. Simon then made a brief introduction, disclaiming that, as one of the flutists had another performance directly following the concert, programming would progress in a timely manner.
The choir’s first official performance was “Pat-a-Pan,” a folk melody arranged by Sondra Tucker. Distinct from the free-style-esque opening, “Pat-a-Pan” was executed in a more controlled, focused sound, highlighting the group’s combined skill and precision. After “Pat-a-Pan,” the members stood, bowed and rearranged themselves – as would do for every arrangement – while Simon delivered her next introduction.
“Omori Medley,” a tribute to the music of Pedro Silva in the video game Omori, was arranged by student choir-member Noah Chong. Lauding Chong’s feat, Simon emphasized the complexity involved in arranging a piece of flute music. The performance of “Omori Medley” was indeed significantly impressive, for both Chong’s artistry and the flutists’ execution of it. The piece was bold, vibrant, and replete with underlying tension – yet, nonetheless, soothing.
For the next piece, a combination of two traditional tunes “We Three Kings/Carol of the Bells,” arranged by P. Luke, the choir split in half. Simon explained the splitting as a practice the group employed in order to maximize rehearsal time. She then sat down with the non-performing half, allowing the shrunken semi-circle the space to direct themselves.
The choir came back together for “The Interstellar Experience” – with music by Tony Ann from the film “Interstellar” – which was arranged by choir alum Tina Wu. With an accordingly cinematic feel, “The Interstellar Experience” emerged as a highlight of the night, almost an orchestral kin to alternative-rock band Radiohead’s “Exit Music for a Film” or “Motion Picture Soundtrack.”
In a brief interlude before the next arrangement by S. Ben-Meir, “Variations on a Theme of Haydn,” with music by Johannes Brahms, Simon addressed the audience to discuss the different flutes seen on stage. Each type of flute – the piccolo, the alto flute, the bass flute, and the common “c” flute – requires a slight variation in technique, Simon explained, and so different students train with different flutes throughout the semester. During the concert, use of the piccolo, for instance, rotated through only three students: Jadyn Patrick, Lili Marti, and Grace Christerson.
The half of the choir which had not performed in “We Three Kings/Carol of the Bells” then positioned themselves for K. Anderson-Lopez and R. Lopez’s “Let It Go” from the Disney film Frozen. It was arranged for the flute by D. Smith. To warm-hearted laughter from the audience, Simon remarked that this year’s choir was not quite as excited about Disney as past groups. Although somewhat less strong than other arrangements, the overly familiar song was made new in its flute-played form.
The concert closed with “Excerpts from The Nutcracker Suite,” an annual tradition, Simon noted, which is always “challenging, but interesting and fun.” Of Tchaikovsky’s classic score, arranged by M. Rearick, the choir played “March,” “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” and “Dance of the Mirlitons.” Ever joyful and nostalgic, the sounds of “The Nutcracker” brought the concert back to a winter theme, celebrating this time of year that is evocative for so many.
The choir’s final bows were met with vigorous applause, and, after the audience finally quelled its ovation, Simon made her closing remarks. Lauding the choir members’ unwavering commitment to their craft, Simon mused, “They’re not doing it for credit, they’re not doing it for money, they’re just doing it for fun and love of music.”
Choir members include Grace Christerson, Noah Chong, Tabitha Cowan, Oksana Hryvnak, David Ko, Coco Ma, Jessica Shen, Subpoena Tuli, Ivy Wellington, Iris Wright, Jadyn Patrick, Laura Zhang (librarian), Jacquelyn LeBlang (treasurer), and Lily Marti (treasurer).
