Flight Games for SATB Recorders was commissioned for Play-the-Recorder Month 2025 and was published as a Supplement to the Winter 2024 American Recorder for the members of the American Recorder Society.
Play-the-Recorder Month and Play-the-Recorder Day grew out of a one-day worldwide event on April 1, 1989, during the 50th anniversary year of the American Recorder Society. Its success caused the ARS to declare an annual celebration starting with Play-the-Recorder Day on March 28, 1992. The single day was later expanded to monthlong activities plus a focus on one day, which have been observed each March since then.
Flight Games was composed to represent the activities of small birds as they move about communally in their varied aerial activities. No actual bird songs are used, but a general impression of circling in flocks to hunt for prey is presented musically.
This Play-the-Recorder-Month composition was made possible by a generous donation from Linda Rising and Karl Rehmer, a retired couple living in Tennessee who enjoy traveling. They sponsored the composition because, as Linda puts it, “There’s a lot of ‘old’ music and ‘folk’ music for recorders. It would be great to have some ‘new’ compositions especially written for recorders.” They hope more composers will write for the recorder and make the music accessible for players at many levels.
Instrumentation: SATB Recorder Ensemble (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass Recorders).
Duration: ca. 2:00.
Flight Games is published by the American Recorder Society.
Harkie Music 