Formed by a community of flute players from all walks of life, King’s Flute Choir will present its fifth official concert “Opera Fantasies“, with transcriptions of operatic works accompanied by the harp and piano.
“From the gathering of a handful of professional flutists from Singapore, the name King’s Flute Choir was conceptualised from one of our flutist’s place of residence, King’s Road after a hearty evening of games and food. Included in this group are pioneers of our current generation of professional flute players in Singapore, and are all active contributors to the vibrant local music scene,” said Jeremy Lim, one of the founders of the choir.
“Our goal is to increase the awareness of flute playing in Singapore through concerts, workshops and social media, as there is so much to learn and enjoy in making music with a friendly community,” he added.
Helmed by professional flutists Jeremy Lim, Paul Huang, Jasper Goh, Shirley Tong and Ke-Yi Chun, this concert will involve a 30 piece strong collaboration with other active flutists in Singapore, including up-and-coming students carefully selected to be involved in this concert.
The first half will feature a more traditional flute and piano program, with virtuosic pieces by Demersseman, Hugues, Taffanel, who were excellent flutists in their time.
“We are featuring several younger flutists in a piece with excerpts from the opera, Carmen. We believe this is a great experience for these enthusiastic players who have never played at the Esplanade Recital Studio before, and also get to play alongside our local professional flute players,” Jeremy highlighted.
The second half will feature bigger ensembles playing popular overtures from operas, such as the Ruslan and Ludmilla Overture, Lensky Aria from “Eugene Onegin”, Ballet Music from “Elverhoj”, and William Tell Overture.
“The pieces for this concert were specially chosen for their excitement, engagement and learning value. I have always believed in lifelong learning, so the first half features players who do not perform much but will absolutely thrive on an opportunity to keep their playing in shape. The others are chosen for their amazing melodic and harmonic writing, which was what attracted me to classical music when I was a little boy several years ago. I promise that even the unfamiliar music will be pleasant and enjoyable!” Jeremy explained.
“Playing in a flute choir definitely differs from other musical experiences because of a similar sound timbre throughout the entire ensemble. Every member of the choir will need to be more sensitive. It is not easy to get the flute to play a wide palette of articulations and dynamics while keeping in tune, and, if every musician commits to these directions, the effect will be very rewarding. In short, it is harder to get away with sloppy playing in the flute choir,” he added.
This year is a significant one for the choir as they will be facilitating the Autumn Flute Fair 2024 in November, in collaboration with MusicGear. The fair will feature many flute brands and ensembles from around the world at the School of the Arts (SOTA) for a weekend of flute-playing.
“More details will be released very soon, so do follow us on instagram (@kingsflutechoir) for updates. If you are interested in joining us, please contact us and we will be happy to reach out to you. (If you have a big flute, we want you),” Jeremy said.
“For now, don’t miss out on an evening of amazing flute playing in our Opera Fantasies concert. As the music performed is light but rich in compositional quality, this recital will be engaging for all.”
King’s Flute Choir Presents: Opera Fantasies
Sunday, 1 September 2024
Esplanade Recital Studio, 7.30pm