Flute choir meets heavy metal!

Avenged Sevenfold is one of my absolute favorite heavy metal bands. I don't usually hear a flute choir when I listen to their songs, or mostly any heavy metal songs for that matter, but A Little Piece of Heaven is so creative, so musical, and so funny, that I couldn't help it. Also, Oingo Boingo headed up the instrumental parts of the original song, which is evident.

If you are unfamiliar with heavy metal, you don't need to know anything about this song, other than it's incredibly unique and has to be played with an attitude. Accentuate the down beats, lay off the full vibratos, keep pushing the tempo - it never should slow down, and channel your inner rocker.

This song was the brainchild of the late James "The Rev" Sullivan. With the help of Oingo Boingo musicians, the song was scored to include an orchestra, full wind section, and choir. This arrangement is less than half the length of the original song, but it still clocks in at around 3 1/2 minutes.

This arrangement is scored for 4 flutes, alto, bass, contrabass, and upright string bass or keyboard. It is essential that there is a strong bass line. The upright bass part could also be played by any bass clef C instrument, like a euphonium, trombone, or tuba. If you are lucky enough to know a drummer, that would help a great deal too. I did not include a drum part, only because I am not knowledgeable enough at writing for drums and would rather leave it out than mess it up!

I hope you and your group will enjoy playing this song as much as I enjoyed arranging it. And I hope your audience will like it too!

2017 Holiday Contest Entry


This arrangement of five traditional Israeli folk songs and Jewish holiday music will put you in the mood to celebrate! The first flutes are featured prominently in this arrangement. Each part takes a turn carrying the tune, with rich harmonies and driving rhythms enhancing the melodies. The medley begins exuberantly in the key of concert d minor, moves joyfully to the relative F Major, then finishes boisterously back in d minor. I have included a version of the alto flute part transposed for C flute in case you don't have an alto flute available.

Songs featured are:

� Hevaynu Shalom Alaychem (We Brought Peace Unto You)

� Maoz Tsur (Rock of Ages)

� Artsa Alinu (We Have Come to the Land)

� Chanukah

� Yibane Amenu (In Our Land We Shall Rebuild Our Nation)



I hope you will enjoy performing this medley as much as I have enjoyed arranging it! Audiences are sure to love it. This would work well in a variety of venues:school concert, synagogue, shopping mall background music, chamber music concert, prelude to a concert, etc. It?s perfect for anywhere you want to lift people?s spirits with energetic, familiar seasonal and folk music. Duration is approximately 3.5 min. L?chaim!

"I Want to Break Free" is a song by the Britishrock band Queen, originally from their eleventh album The Works (1984). Written by bassguitarist John Deacon, it was distributed as a single on 7-inchand 12-inch vinyl records and 3-inch and 5-inch CDs. The songhas three versions: album, single and extended. It came to be included in mostlive concerts by the group. The level is Advanced Intermediate and the duration is 2.43 minutes

This song is arranged forFlute Choir Quintet (Piccolo; 2 Flutes; Alto Flute and Bass Flute).

Item Number: H0.894341-SC001261623

"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 studio album A Night at the Opera. It is a six-minute suite, consisting of several sections without a chorus: an intro, a ballad segment, an operatic passage, a hard rock part and a reflective coda. The song is a more accessible take on the 1970s progressive rock genre and was the most expensive single ever made at the time of its release. I have arranged it here for flute ensemble with optional drum kit, and kept it true to the original version.

California Dreamin' isa classic song from the mid 1960s folk-rock era written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips and was firstrecorded by Barry McGuire. However, the best known version is by The Mamas & the Papas, who sang backup on theoriginal version and released as a single in 1965. Thelyrics of the song express the narrator's longing for the warmth of Los Angeles during a cold winterin New York City. It was certifiedas a Gold Record (single) by the RIAA in June 1966 and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. This arrangement is for SSSSAB or SSSSSB Flute Ensemble. Duration 2:44 contact me at james.pybus@rogers.com.

This is a bright, happy piece from Guaraldi's music for the movie, A Charlie Brown Christmas. The setting for flute choir is by John Gibson (flute 1 - 3, alto, and bass flutes). Your flute group should be able to play syncopated rhythms for the "bright bossa rock style."

Eleanor Rigby ProgramNotes

This beautiful Lennon & McCartney song made famous byThe Beatles, translates wonderfully to the scoring for flute choir, and isfaithful to the original arrangement. This arrangement can be performed with as few as 5 players or a fullflute choir with multiple players on a part. It is scored for 3 flutes, alto flute (alternate c-flute part included),and bass flute. In a large group, apiccolo may be added to the Flute 1 part, where marked.

Pop, Rock, Beatles

Phyllis Avidan Louke is a flutist and award-winning composerand arranger with more than 70 published pieces to her credit. www.phyllislouke.com

Fun early 1950's boogie woogie / rock and roll tune about a hip Santa Claus. Set for 5 flutes by John Gibson (4 flutes and 1 alto flute with an alternate 5th flute if there is no alto....the alto is preferred!).