July 30, 2012

Flute and Guitar Duo Wedding Music at Mountain Thunder Lodge

July 30, 2012/ Christen Stephens

On Saturday, I escaped the summer heat of the Front Range and headed for the mountains of Colorado to play for a wedding ceremony and cocktail hour at Mountain Thunder Lodge in Breckenridge. The Lodge is a beautiful venue with a rustic mountain feel on the outside and a relaxed elegance inside.

I played the flute accompanied by guitarist Michael Engberg, and the simple elegance of our flute and guitar duo perfectly complimented the mountain setting. The wedding ceremony was outside on the patio which was decorated with bright local flowers provided by Petal and Bean.

The weather was perfect with sunshine and a cool breeze and to my delight, I didn't meet with a single bug while I played. After the ceremony, we moved inside for the cocktail hour where we entertained guests in the library before dinner.

Wedding Ceremony Music:
Selected Prelude Music ~ Simple Gifts, Be Thou My Vision, March (JS Bach), Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (JS Bach), Meneut (Rameau), Two German Dances (Beethoven) Attendant's Processional ~ Rondeau (Mouret) Bridal Processional ~ Canon in D (Pachelbel) Recessional ~ Trumpet Voluntary in D (Purcell)

Selected Cocktail Hour Music:
Fly Me to the Moon, Georgia on my Mind, Have I Told You Lately (that I love you), It's so Easy, Sunny, Under the Boardwalk, The Way You Look Tonight, A Whiter Shade of Pale

From the Bride:
"Our wedding day was everything we hoped it would be. We chose a destination wedding in Breckenridge, Colorado because we wanted an intimate wedding with our family and closest friends in one of our favorite places. We loved the venue we chose, Mountain Thunder Lodge – it was perfect for our size wedding (45 total). The intimacy of our wedding was further enhanced by instrumental music played during our ceremony and cocktail hour. Overall, we loved every moment of our wedding day!"

July 13, 2012

My New Jay Haide Cello from Eggen’s Violin Shop

July 13, 2012/ Christen Stephens

I recently bought a new cello from Eggen’s Violin Shop in Denver, and not only do I love my new cello, but I had a wonderful experience buying the cello. I previously played on a student level cello, and wanted to upgrade to a much better model. With the recommendation of my teacher, I tried out a number of cellos at Rock T. Eggen Violins in Denver. When I purchased my first cello in North Carolina, the instrument selection was very limited, but at Eggen’s I was happy to be able to try out a number of cellos within my price range. I was surprised that unlike with the flute, each instrument had a distinctly unique timbre that even an untrained ear could easily tell apart. Because of this, it was not difficult to choose the instrument I liked best – a Jay Haide L’Ancienne Ruggieri model. This model has a wide body, beautiful finish and a full and resonant sound that fills a room.

I want to thank Rock Eggen for a great buying experience. He was very accommodating, friendly, and patiently answered my many questions. After I brought home and tried out my cello of choice for a week, I brought it back and Rock spent over an hour making various adjustments and letting me try several brands of strings. The end result was just what I wanted – a sweet upper register and a full and smooth lower register. My new cello is a huge upgrade from my previous cello and I’m looking forward to this upcoming orchestra season.

And in case you were wondering, I didn’t tell Rock Eggen I’m writing this.

June 30, 2012

Flute Quartet Wedding Music at Black Canyon Inn

June 30, 2012/ Christen Stephens

This past Monday I had a wonderful time playing the flute for a wedding at the beautiful Black Canyon Inn in Estes Park, Colorado. The wedding was outdoors under a pavilion with a spectacular mountain view. The hot day cooled down with nearby rain, giving us a pleasant breeze and cooler temperatures. I played with the Ribbons and Strings Ensembles, and because the groom was partial to the sound of the flute, the couple chose to have a quartet with flute, violin, viola, and cello.

Wedding Ceremony Music:

Prelude ~ What a Wonderful World (Armstrong), Arioso (Bach), Spring (Vivaldi), Rondo (Mozart)

Processional for the Maid of Honor ~ Canon in D (Pachelbel)

Bridal Processional ~ Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Bach)

Signing the Marriage License ~ "Only Hope" from A Walk to Remember

Recessional ~ Psalm 19 (Marcello), Hornpipe (Handel), Allegro from Spring (Vivaldi), Divertimento in D Major, 1st mvmt. (Mozart), selections from Autumn (Vivaldi)

First Dance ~ "Unchained Melody" from Ghost

We played for the cocktail hour at the Twin Owls Steak House. We played a wide selection of classical, jazz, rock, and popular songs. A shortened sample is listed below.

Selected Cocktail Hour Music:

All You Need is Love (Beatles), Unforgettable (Nat King Cole), Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton), Blue Moon, Chasing Cars (Snow Patrol), Don't Stop Believing (Journey)

June 27, 2012

Flute and Cello Duo Wedding Music at The Pines at Genesee

June 27, 2012/ Christen Stephens

Wedding season is in full swing in Colorado, and this past Saturday, I had the pleasure of playing flute for a wedding at the Pines at Genesee in Golden, CO. I played the flute and was accompanied by Marcelo Sanches on the cello. One of my favorite parts about playing for weddings in Colorado is having the opportunity to explore beautiful locations and venues, not to mention enjoying the gorgeous weather. Saturday turned out to be a very hot day, but upon arriving at the Pines, the elevation combined with some helpful clouds cooled things down. With the added shelter of the beautiful towering pine trees, it turned out to be a perfect evening.

With brick pathways, arbors, and towering pine trees, the ceremony location was rustic with a simple understated elegance. The bride's choice of a flute and cello duet complemented the setting perfectly.

Marcelo and I played a selection of classical music for the cocktail hour. For the wedding ceremony, the bride asked for traditional and classical music. Other than the Bridal Chorus by Wagner, this busy bride left the specific song selections up to me:

Attendant’s Processional ~ Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Bach)
Bridal Processional ~ The Bridal Chorus (Wagner)
Recessional ~ Hornpipe (Handel)

May 11, 2012

Boulder Symphony Orchestra Concert

May 11, 2012/ Christen Stephens

I play the cello with the Boulder Symphony Orchestra and am pleased to announce our upcoming performance: The Boulder Symphony Orchestra along with the Cherry Creek Chorale presents the Brahms Requiem conducted by Devin Hughes on May 18th and 19th. Soloists are soprano Teresa Castillo and baritone Thomas Fitzpatrick Kittle. The concert also features the world premiere performance of “Inter” by Austin Wintory. Tickets are $15. Join us for a wonderful evening of music on one of the following days:

Friday, May 18th at 7:00pm, First Presbyterian Church, Boulder Saturday, May 19th at 7:30, Bethany Lutheran Church, Denver

April 21, 2012

Professional Flute Choir Concerts, Las Vegas, NV

April 21, 2012/ Christen Stephens

I have been chosen in competition to be a member of the 2012 Professional Flute Choir, and will be performing in concert with other flutists from across the nation at this year’s National Flute Association Convention in Las Vegas, NV. If you are attending the convention, or live in Las Vegas, this is a chance to hear a one of a kind concert of challenging music. We will play at the Pompeian Ballroom in Ceasars Palace on Saturday, August 11^th at 10:00am and for the closing ceremonies at the Augustus Ballroom in Ceasars Palace on Saturday, August 11^th at 4:00pm.

April 16, 2012

New Music Samples for Flute and Harp Duo

April 16, 2012/ Christen Stephens

Recording Session at Swallow Hill in Denver, CO

Thanks to Brian Hunter at the Swallow Hill recording studio in Denver, I have replaced my ten year old homemade flute and harp recordings with new professional ones. On the recordings I am playing on my new solid rose gold and silver Powell flute that I bought last summer. I was accompanied by talented harpist, Mary Keener. Our duo is available to play for your Colorado wedding or event.

April 06, 2012

Colorado Flute Forum

April 06, 2012/ Christen Stephens

I am one of the presenters for this month's Colorado Flute Forum meeting, where I will give a presentation on how to play Celtic flute music, specifically music of the Irish tradition. There will be two other presentations, one of which will be given by Greg LaLiberte on the Brazilian Choro. This meeting will be held in held at Chris Potter's house in Boulder, CO on Friday, April 13th from 10am to 12pm.

October 14, 2010

Solo Flute Speaks for Itself

October 14, 2010/ Christen Stephens

I recently had a conversation with someone about music, and when I told her I play flute for weddings and events, she asked if I play with other musicians. I told her I do, but she was surprised when I told her that I also perform frequently as a soloist. Contrary to what many people assume, the flute sounds full and complete on its own, and is a beautiful and popular choice for wedding and event music. Solo flute can stand on its own, and here are the reasons why:

It’s Simple - When you listen to music, you probably focus on the melody, and might even hum along with the song, but you probably don’t pay much attention to the harmony beneath the melody. Solo flute gives you a pure and clean melody, and every nuance and expression in the music is highlighted in its simplicity.

It’s Unique - After playing solo flute for weddings, it is common for me to hear people say that they had never heard a flute soloist before and were impressed with its beauty and unique sound. Any time two instruments are played together they blend to create a different sound that is a little like each of the instruments played, but a bit different from both. When the flute is played apart from other instruments, it provides a unique sound that few people have heard.

It’s Affordable – When hiring musicians, it’s important to consider your budget, and solo flute is very budget friendly. With each extra musician you hire, your rates can double, so if you are on a budget, a soloist is the perfect choice.

It’s Versatile - Short on space? A soloist on the flute doesn’t take up much space, and certainly takes up less space than most other musicians

Have an echo? Some venues, particularly churches, have impressive echoes. Locations like Beaver Creek Chapel and Evans Memorial Chapel in Denver are perfect examples. Larger groups may sound muddled if there is too much of an echo, but solo flute has a full and clear sound, that is quite remarkable in these types of buildings.

Outdoor wedding? Flute is an excellent choice for the outdoors because its sound carries better than that of a string instrument. Also, unlike a guitar or keyboard, the flute does not need to be plugged in.

Too many stairs? A flute player has excellent mobility. We are not limited by stairs, grassy lawns, or mountain locations.

Next time you are planning a wedding or event, consider the clear melodies, unique sound, affordability, and versatility of the solo flute.

Listen to Solo Flute Music Samples

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