Mountain Song Tone Poem
for Flute Choir Harp (or Piano) and String Bass

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Premiere of Andrew Downes' Mountain Song for Flute Choir, Harp and String Bass, Colorado Flute Orchestra directed by Nancy Spidel, December 2003

PREMIERE:

20th December 2003
Vance Brand Civic Auditorium, Longmont, Colorado
Colorado Flute Orchestra
Kathy Moore, harp, and Chris Engleman, bass
Conductor Nancy Spidel

More information and sheet music

An account by his wife and publisher, Cynthia Downes, posted on January 28th, 2023

MOUNTAIN SONG Tone Poem for Flute Choir, Harp (or Piano) and String Bass Opus 84

As a result of the success of all Andrew’s works for Margaret Lowe and Carol Kniebusch Noe, Andrew was commissioned by Nancy Spidel, director of the Colorado Flute Orchestra, to compose his beautiful Mountain Song, for Flute Choir, Harp and String Bass.

Mountain Song was first performed in the Vance Brand Civic Auditorium, Longmont, Colorado on 20th December 2003. With Kathy Moore, harp, and Chris Engleman, bass, the Colorado Flute Orchestra were conducted by Nancy Spidel. Andrew made a quick visit to Longmont in the Rockies for this exciting premiere. I couldn't go because I was busy: our daughter Anna was due to get married to Michael Price 2 days after Christmas! 

The Colorado Flute Orchestra gave a repeat performance of Mountain Song in Longmont at Christmas 2006, and performed the work at the 2007 USA National Flute Convention in Albuquerque, and then again in Colorado 2009.

Memorabilia of Colorado premiere:

Above: photos of the premiere of Andrew's Mountain Song for Flute Choir, Harp and String Bass. Colorado Flute Orchestra directed by Nancy Spidel, December 2003

Below: correspondence and publicity for the second performance in December 2006:

Memorabilia of the performance by the Colorado Flute Orchestra at the National Flute Convention in Albuquerque 2007:

Andrew's name badge, embroidered by one of the supporters of the Colorado Flute Orchestra for the premiere of Mountain Song in December 2023:

The Columbia Flute Choir, directed by Sharyn Byer, gave performances of Mountain Song at the Columbia Flute Choir Festival in November 2004 and at the USA National Flute Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in August 2006.

Correspondence for the Columbia Flute Choir performances:

 Andrew and I went to the exciting Pittsburgh performance by the Columbia Flute Choir, directed by Sharyn Byer, and then drove via the beautiful Finger Lakes, staying in a gorgeous hotel en route, to Boston, Massachusetts, where our daughter Paula had organised a concert of Andrew's unaccompanied sacred choral music in King's Chapel. Andrew and I sang in this concert. Another unforgettable experience for me.

Our hotel at the Finger Lakes and the programme from our choral concert in Boston Massachusetts:

The Texas Woman's University/Brookhaven Flute choir, conducted by Pamela Youngblood, performed Mountain Song at the Margo Jones Performance Hall at Texas Woman's University in October 2009.

Email exchange with the Texas Woman's University/Brookhaven Flute choir:

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