Recorder31 Day 9 | Side-By-Side Interview: Heidi Fardell & Chris Orton

It's time for another Side-By-Side Interview! In this series, we pair together two recorder players for a chat about their current projects and their connections to the recorder. Today's interviewees both make a welcome return to Recorder31 having made several appearances each over the years.

Heidi Fardell and Chris Orton are certainly no strangers to each other – they previously worked together at the UK branch of the European Recorder Teachers' Association (ERTA UK) – Chris as the previous chair, and Heidi as the incumbent chair. They are also collaborating on a new album championing music for recorders by women composers. Aside from their joint work, Heidi's album of music by Robert Valentine is released next month via First Hand Records, and she is the director of the Banbury Early Music Festival. Chris is a busy educator conductor, working at the Royal Northern College of Music and Chethams School in Manchester, and also performs with Spanish quartet Windu.

Heidi and Chris came together to discuss lots of the above projects in a wide-ranging discussion.

About the artists:

An established and experienced freelance early musician, recorder player and Baroque flautist Heidi Fardell is passionate about bringing historical music to life. Heidi is interested in people and their historical stories and she strives to diversify the western classical music canon in her work. Her first two solo discs are world premiere recordings: one is works of the lesser known composer Leicester born Robert Valentine and the other a celebration of the 18th century female publisher Jeanne Roger. Heidi has appeared several times as a studio guest on the award winning BBC Radio 4 show 'Add to Playlist'. Alongside her performance work, Heidi is also co-director of Banbury Early Music Festival and is the chair of the European Recorder Teachers Association (UK). www.heidifardell.com

Chris Orton is passionate about all aspects of music, from performance as a solo and chamber recorder player, conducting orchestras and ensembles, to teaching the next generation of young musicians. Currently running the recorder departments at the Junior and Senior Schools of the Royal Northern College of Music and Chetham's School of Music in Manchester UK, visiting tutor at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, chamber music and the orchestral programme at L' Escola Joan Llongueres in Barcelona, he is also in demand worldwide working with recorder players and composers. Chris performs solo repertoire from the 12th Century up to music of today. Composers such as Thomas Simaku, Edward Gregson and Michal Pawelek have composed and dedicated solo works for Chris. www.chris-orton.com

To donate to the crowdfunder for Heidi & Chris' forthcoming album 'Countercanon', please click here.

Heidi Fardell and Chris Orton are also two of the tutors announced so far for the Saltaire Recorder Weekend 2027. Tickets went on sale at the start of Recorder31; you can find out more and book by clicking here, or on the image below.

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REMINDER! Our Bestselling Recorders promotion continues all weekend. Click here, or on the image below, to explore the full collection now – with exclusive prices available only until TODAY 23:59PT.

ANOTHER REMINDER! Our Dowland Minus One competition closes TONIGHT – send us your entry to be in with a chance of winning a fantastic Mollenhauer Kynseker Soprano in Plumwood. Full details here.

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Today we are listening to the Moeck Rottenburgh Tenor in Maple.

Hit play to hear how lightweight European maple transforms the Rottenburgh tenor voice.

The key to this recorder is its warmth and airiness. Where denser hardwoods demand a heavier breath, maple opens up instantly with a soft, woody core and a remarkably gentle speech. Listen to how fluidly the notes blend into one another—the low register lays down a mellow, organ-like foundation, while the upper octave speaks effortlessly with a quiet, singing clarity. Check out the audio clips below or follow this link to find out more about this instrument.

Listen to this recorder!

Dowland Pavane Lachrimae: