When It Rains / The River Stands Still (Alto Flute)

Program Notes:

The title when it rains / the river stands still is a two-line poem I wrote to evoke a moment that included a stunning view of the Iowa River in a rainfall. Singing and playing simultaneously is explored in this work as a connection between voice and flute is particularly strong with the alto. The alto flute often fits the vocal range more agreeably than the higher-pitched concert flute, and, as Theobald Boehm wrote of his invention in The Flute and Flute Playing, “Because of the great facility for modulation of the full, sonorous tones of this flute, it is adapted to music in the song style, and for accompanying a soprano voice.”

Alternate Passage:

A short portion of this piece includes circular breathing. All are highly encouraged to work on developing this skill, and there is no need to shy away from performing this piece because the skill is not yet perfectly refined. While the technique will need to be strong, an occasional bump in the sound during a circular breath is permissible.

If needed, an alternate passage that does not require circular breathing is available: Download Alternate Passage.

Composed: 2006

Medium: solo alto flute

Duration: c. 5:30

Honorable Mention in the 2021 National Flute Association Newly Published Music Competition, Low Flutes Category