Most of our members play Concert Flutes but we are fortunate to have a bass flute player, alto flute players, piccolo players and some members who themselves or their partners play other instruments. Although we are essentially a flute group, when giving concerts we sometimes include the skills of partners or family members to add variety to the programme.

Over the years CAFÉ has been fortunate to have several musicians writing / arranging or acquiring music for the group and as a result CAFÉ now has a repertoire ranging from baroque to modern compositions. Jenny Rees composed and arranged a piece specifically for CAFÉ entitled “Deep in the Forest” a group favourite that has become very popular with our audiences. One of our members for many years, the late Peter Stanton, also arranged several pieces for CAFÉ, and his two compositions “Stepping Out” and “Tango” have been well received in our concerts. Peter’s music continues to be played by CAFÉ with the kind permission of his family.

CAFÉ has enjoyed several master classes in previous years from professional flautists such as Jane Groves, Catherine Handley and Elizabeth May.

In 2008 and 2014 we welcomed Zoe Booth of “Flutes at the Barns” for a workshop day at our home venue. Zoe put us through our paces with warm – up exercises and sight reading of her arrangement of Gershwin’s Rialto Ripples. Zoe has arranged a Welsh folk tune especially for CAFÉ entitled “The Ash Groove”. This has been an exciting challenge to learn and we’ve been delighted to have performed it in our last two concerts.  Zoe visited us again on the 1st June 2019 for another masterclass.  It was a wonderful day and we can’t wait for the next time.

Current rehearsal pieces

RODGERSThe Sound of Music (medley)
GERSHWIN arr. KernenGershwin Favourites
ANDERSON The Typewriter
OFFENBACHCan-Can
FARRES arr. BoothQuizas, Quizas, Quizas
KANDER/EBBAnd All That Jazz
SHERMANChitty Chitty Bang Bang
GERSHWIN Promenade (Walking The Dog)

Other music from our repertoire

BERNSTEINThe Great Escape March
LOUKEEchoes in the Wind
FAURESicilienne
HINCHCLIFFETales from the Vienna Flutes
HOLSTI’ll love my love
WARRENChattanooga Choo Choo
RUTTERSuite Antique
ELGARSalut d’Amour
FAURECantique de Jean Racine
HOLSTI’ll Love My Love
JOPLIN The Entertainer
MANCINIThe Pink Panther
MERCURYBohemian Rhapsody
NOWAK Jamaican Rhapsody
REES Deep In The Forest
STANTONStepping Out
TCHAIKOVSKYDance of the Cygnets
Dance of the Mirlitons
VIVALDIThe Four Seasons (Autumn)