Recorder31 Finale | A Look Back on This Year's Recorder31!

We've reached the end of this year's Recorder31! But don't worry, all the content we've shared will remain live on our website for you to browse at your leisure. We thought we'd round off the month with a retrospective look at some of the highlights...

We'd love to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed to this year's programme of features, and especially to everyone who has engaged with us on social media and on our website, and entered our competitions. It's been our biggest and best Recorder31 yet!

Here's a few of our favourite moments from an action-packed month!

Side-By-Side Interviews

Our Side-By-Side interviews paired together a range of names from the world of recorder music for a series of open and thought-provoking conversations. The topics ranged from representing the recorder on social media, to the experiences of studying recorder at conservatoire. We are grateful to the participants of these interviews who shared such interesting thoughts and views: Erik Bosgraaf, Olivia Petryszak, Otto Hashmi, Richard Lindesay, Walter van Hauwe, Dorothee Oberlinger, Sarah Jeffery and Finn Collinson.

You can listen to all four interviews on Soundcloud by clicking here.

London International Festival of Early Music

The organisers of LIFEM announced their line-up during August and we were very pleased to feature a number of the performing artists during Recorder31. The aforementioned Erik Bosgraaf shared his visions for the festival as the new Artistic Director.

Last year's SRP/Moeck Solo Recorder Competition winner Jiyeon Bang updated us on her year since winning, and The Royal Wind Music's María Martínez Ayerza gave us the lowdown on 'The Orange Tree Courtyard', the programme they will perform to close the festival.

Meanwhile, Festival Director Chris Butler took the chance to interview the new LIFEM patron, HSH Dr Donatus, Prince of Hohenzollern.

You can find out more about the festival and book tickets by clicking here.

Product Launches

We added two fantastic recorders to our catalogue during this year's Recorder31. The J. Wood tenor recorder in maple with double key is one of the most affordable wooden tenors on the market and is currently available to pre order at a special introductory price. The Kunath Avantgarde contrabass is made from Resona natural plastic and has a number of ergonomic features which are designed to ease the playing of such a big recorder.

New Releases

Our Featured Album during Recorder31 was BLOCK4's 'Beneath a Pale Moon' and we featured an interview with all four members. Meanwhile, Suffolk artist Laura Cannell shared her 'Recorder Origin Story' in a love-letter to the recorder in support of the release of her new album 'The Rituals of Hildegard Reimagined'.

Both albums are in stock and available from The Early Music Shop now!

Interviews & Features

We were thrilled to include a range of features including the return of Sarah Jeffery who introduced viewers to recorders in unusual keys on her Team Recorder channel.

In our 'Featured Maker' series, we spoke to Nik Tarasov of Mollenhauer, and Jo Kunath shared insight into the Fehr and Paetzold by Kunath ranges.

Tom Beets from the Flanders Recorder Duo recorded a special video to introduce their Dolmetsch 1930s Legacy Project. Our Snape Retail Manager, Philip Reed, told us about Benjamin Britten's love for the recorder, and Paul Harris updated us on his new initiative in Manchester, The Big Recorder Project.

In our Pop-Up Shops focus, the organisers of the Banbury Early Music Festival shared details of this year's programme, and Helen Hooker contributed a fascinating insight into a recorder course with her photo diary from Recorder Summer School.

Competitions

A huge congratulations to our Recorder31 competition winners, who have all now been contacted to claim their prizes.

We would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who took the time to enter our competitions. The standard this year was very high, meaning that there were many fantastic entries we weren’t able to award a prize. We thoroughly enjoyed listening to every entry and are very grateful for the time, effort and dedication shown in creating and submitting your music. The judges made their decisions taking a number of factors into consideration, including musicality, repertoire, interpretation, age and potential.

Well done to you all – and thank you!

DUETS COMPETITION
🏆 Poppy F & Isabella J

VAN EYCK COMPETITION
🥇 Alma N-D
🥈 Roger S
🥉 Celia C-W
Highly commended: Gemma W, Malachy G

COMPOSITION COMPETITION
🏆 Kit W
Highly commended: Vera B, Hassan M, Joseph S

ENSEMBLE COMPETITION
🏆 School Ensemble (coached & submitted by Debbie P)
Highly commended: Hirundo Musicalis

BLOCK4 GIVEAWAY
📀 Liz M

LAURA CANNELL GIVEAWAY
📀 Stew T
📀 Natalia G

JIYEON BANG GIVEAWAY
🎫 Petra H

MOLLENHAUER DREAM EDITION ALTO GIVEAWAY
🎶 Jo R

THE ROYAL WIND MUSIC GIVEAWAY
🎫 Jenny S

Our prize-winners submitted their entries across the following platforms – email, website, Facebook and Instagram.

Looking Forward...

Recorder31 will return in 2025, but before then, we are looking forward to a range of events including the London International Festival of Early Music, and the newly-announced Recorder Festival 2025, which will be held in Saltaire in partnership with the Society of Recorder Players.

Thank You

Once again, a huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to this year's Recorder31 and engaged with us on social media. Putting the series together is a labour of love and we're delighted that it has been so well received. And if you've bought a new recorder from us this month – or at any time – thank you, and we hope you love your instrument.

Recorder31 2024 – over and out!