Traditional flute choir arrangements are scored for six parts: typically piccolo, 3 C-flutes, 1 alto flute, and 1 bass flute. When the contrabass flute became more accessible and affordable in the early 2000s, musicians discovered that incorporating a contrabass into the traditional ensemble enormously expanded the textural possibilities. Contemporary arrangers/composers began to highlight the contrabass sound in their pieces by writing solos and including exposed passages for the instrument.
We created CAFE in 2014 because we love performing on our “specialty flutes.” There are only a handful of contrabass flutes in Arizona, so the opportunity to showcase it in a small ensemble was too good to pass up!
Please contact us for our current rates for concerts in the metro Phoenix area. We offer our “CAFE Blend” concerts, “Fascinating Flutes” demonstration, and a reduced package fee for both. The “Holiday Delights” concert is available only in December. CAFE often has grant funding available, so please ask us about that option. There is an additional fee to cover travel costs for concerts outside of Phoenix. We are fully insured.
The humorous answer is that you can be called a flautist if your flute is worth more than $12,000. (The exact number has increased over the years!) The British use the term frequently, but the word sounds pretentious to the American ear. The origin is Italian, but since there is no instrument called the “flaut,” we CAFE members call ourselves flutists. Virtuoso flutist Sir James Galway said it this way, “I am a flute player, not a flutist. I don’t have a flaut, and I’ve never flauted.”