Flute Society choir goes ‘organ-ic’

Flute choir plays works for organs, by organists

The Chattanooga Area Flute Society adult flute choir will debut its new contrabass flute in two upcoming Sunday concerts.

The free concerts will be held Sunday, June 10, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 822 Belvoir Ave., and Sunday, June 17, at Stuart Heights Baptist Church, 3208 Hixson Pike. Both concerts will begin at 3 p.m.

This contrabass is the only one in Chattanooga and one of only two or three known instruments in Tennessee, according to director Nora Kile, a retired Chattanooga Symphonh & Opera flutist.

“Many f l ute choirs nationally and internationally are using them now, with some of them having more than one,” she says. “The CAFS choir has been using a string bass to add bottom to their sound until now. On future concerts, the group will still add a string bass occasionally. The contrabass flute sounds in the same low register as a string bass.”

Kile says musicians Joel Fehd, Kirsten Mercer and Peggy Moyer will be the f irst CAFS members to play it.

On June 10, the CAFS will be joined by the Rome, Georgia, Flute Ensemble. On June 17, Father’s Day, the musicians will perform a piece to honor all fathers. The theme of both concerts will be “Flute Choir Goes Organ-ic” to reflect the fact the program will consist of several works originally written for organ or by organists.

At both concerts, the flute choir will debut a new work written for them, “Four Meditations on Southern Harmony, 1835”, by Don Michael Dicie of Nashville. The composer will attend the June 17 performance.

CAFS consists of adult flutists from Chattanooga and the surrounding area. It is directed by Kile and Sandy Morris. For more information about the concert or membership, email nlskile@gmail.com or call 423- 842- 4570 and leave a message.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY NORA KILE Members of the CAFS flute choir gather around the ensemble’s new contrabass flute, the instrument shaped like the number four in the center.