Recorder Orchestras

This is a follow up to my earlier Post about the value of encouraging amateur music-making and musicians, by facilitating the establishment of amateur performance groups and institutions across the nation and around the globe.

Link to review that earlier Post: https://steemit.com/music/@monadnock/random-thoughts-about-amateur-musicianship

Now I will highlight a single developing phenomenon that seems to be gaining momentum in this second decade of the 21st century, that is, the international trend to establish "Recorder Orchestras" (sometimes called “Recorder Choirs”) in cities around the world.

RECORDERS

First of all, I want to be clear that there are different types and sizes of recorders, not limited to the familiar plastic “soprano” instrument touted as a “pre-band” instrument for school children in the USA. There are, to name the most common sizes, the soprano, the alto, the tenor, and the bass recorder. There are also different types, such as baroque recorders, and Renaissance recorders.

That said, the recorder is a serious musical instrument, with a long history and repertoire dating back to Medieval and Renaissance times, preceding the invention and propagation of the modern (or silver) flute, heard in the symphonic orchestra and concert band. Even King Henry VIII of England, played and composed his own music for recorders, and owned a rather large collection of these royal instruments.

The existence of different pitch ranges of recorders allows composers a broad pallet to choose from, to create highly-crafted harmonic and contrapuntal textures of musical sound.

RECORDER ORCHESTRAS, A.K.A. RECORDER CHOIRS

I have thus provided a list of links to relevant websites and a few (mostly) amateur performing groups. NOTE: the term amateur has little to do with actual ability; it has to do with the love of music and music-making of non-paid performers – hobbyists, if you prefer. Bear in mind that such links migrate, expire or break, so if this happens to any of these, do let me know!

The Recorder Orchestra, history and description: http://www.srp.org.uk/recorder-orchestras/

Hampshire Recorder Sinfonia [UK]: http://www.hrs.hampshire.org.uk/hrsochestra/hrsochestra.html

The Recorder Music Web Ring [I made a "tiny url" for this long one!]: http://tinyurl.com/py443xl

Videos of Recorder Orchestras [another 'tiny'!]: http://tinyurl.com/kaxglnw

The Los Angeles Recorder Orchestra: http://larohome.org/

The Recorder Orchestra of New York: http://ronyonline.org/

In addition, a wealth of helpful information can be gleaned from The American Recorder Society [ARS] website: http://www.americanrecorder.org/recorder_orchestras.php

If anyone would like to submit additional links that bring to the table information that is relevant to the topic of “Recorder Orchestras,” please feel free to post in the comments. I can append them to a future, updated list.

Positive and constructive comments are also appreciated, as are upvotes, resteems, and cross-sharing to other social media sites.

Thank you for your support!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
“Celebrating Henry VIII’s Love Affair With the Humble Recorder” (article): https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/henry-viii-recorder-hero-renaissance-instrument-music

IMAGE CREDITS, in order of appearance -
Recorders, by labocho (mods and commercial use permitted): https://flic.kr/p/5nCFCq

Recorder Orchestra, IMG_2794, by Richard Ash (download 18_01_24; commercial use & mods allowed): https://flic.kr/p/7er2fH

Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode

Learning Recorders (YouTube PLAYLIST): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr9RYCj11MSzU5rUSm7_fzRVyJaURrv_S

My Music Theory Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/fundamentalstofugue