Congratulations to our competitions winners!

The BFS would like to congratulate everyone who took part in last week's competitions. As always the standard of all entrants was very high and choosing the winners was a tall order for our judging panel. A special congratulations must go to the prize winners: Vytenis Gurstis, Daniel Shao and Matthew Higham. We'd also like to thank the judges for all their hard work and effort throughout the day, and all the helpers who made the day run smoothly.

BFS School Performer Competition 2012

Class A (Grades 5-8):
First prize:                                          Matthew Higham
Second prize:                                     Amy Aron-Muellbauer
Third prize:                                         Charlotte Perkins
BFS School Performer medals:         Victoria Creighton and Beth Stone
 

Class B (Grade 8+):
First prize:                                          Daniel Shao
Second prize:                                     Oliver Roberts
Third prize:                                         Grace Walker
BFS School Performer medals:         Jennifer Wheeler and Catherine Hare
Commended:                                     Amy Yule

BFS Young Artist Competition 2012

First prize:                                          Vytenis Gurstis
Second prize:                                     Kathryn Williams
Third prize:                                         Robert Looman
Highly commended:                           Helena Gourd and Chloe-Angharad Bradshaw

Welcome to our new website!

We hope you enjoy the new format of our website and we look foward to hearing your views and ideas for future development.

Members are now able to log in following the instructions in your current issue of Flute.  If you have any problems with your username and password please contact the Membership Secretary, Nicola Thompson by clicking here.

Welcome to the British Flute Society's new editor, Elisabeth Hobbs

We are delighted to announce the appointment of our new editor, Elisabeth Hobbs. Elisabeth studied flute under Gareth Morris at the Royal Academy of Music and has worked as a freelance performer, orchestral musician, instrumental teacher and examiner both in the UK and Australia. She now combines a career as a professional flautist with a career as a professional writer and editor and has an extensive list of published works to her name.

Carla Rees Collection Fund

From the Just Flutes website:

"Many of you will no doubt be aware of the recent riots that have taken place in the Croydon area and the subsequent damage that occurred, including several fires resulting in the loss of many properties. Sadly one of the properties destroyed was Carla Rees' home. As a result she has been left homeless and has lost everything to the fire including her instruments, music and upsettingly her two cats that were in the property at the time.

Carla Rees is a great friend of ours and with many of you in the flute community. She is involved with the British Flute Society and is next year´s organiser for the flute convention to be held in Manchester. She is extremely proactive in the flute playing world.

This is such a terrible situation for anyone to be in and with the support of many of our customers, we felt we wanted to do something to help her regain a sense of normality in her life. We have therefore set up the Carla Rees Collection Fund."

If you feel able to contribute, please go to the Carla Rees Collection Fund on the Just Flutes website.

Albert Cooper 1924–2011

Albert Cooper, the distinguished flute maker, passed away 25 January 2011 at the age of 86. He was known for the excellence of his craftsmanship and for his innovative approach to flute design, and he was revered by his fellow makers for his willingness to share his knowledge.

Albert Kendall Cooper began his apprenticeship as a flute maker at the firm of Rudall Carte at the age of fourteen in 1938. He was called up for military service in 1942, first as an infantryman in the Rifle Brigade, then in the Royal Corps of Signals as a radio operator and finally, after a year, was sent to the Navy, where he stayed until 1945. During his time in the Navy he spent many months in Italy, where he developed an enduring love of the Italian language and culture. On his return to London after the war he rejoined Rudall Carte, where he stayed until the late 1950s before setting up as an independent flute maker.

Albert is best known for his successful attempts to develop a scale that made the flute easier to play in tune. Most flute makers around the world have since adopted the Cooper Scale, or one similar to it. For many years he was associated with Brannen Brothers, the firm of flute makers in Boston, USA.

Albert was a founding member of the British Flute Society. He served on the society’s council and was for many years the vice-president. He was a familiar and much-loved figure at BFS events and at flute events around the world. Albert Cooper leaves behind countless admirers.