{"product_id":"mclearnon-aurora-for-flute-ensemble","title":"McLearnon- Aurora for Flute Ensemble","description":"\u003ch2\u003eMcLearnon- Aurora for Flute Ensemble\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComposer: Gareth McLearnon\u003cbr\u003eGeneral playing score and 4 concert flute parts, 2 alto flute parts and 1 bass\/contrabass flute part\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Gareth McLearnon\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eAbout\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAurora is an exuberant, space-age work for flute orchestra, written for an unusual double world premiere in the northern and southern hemispheres within the same 24 hours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe piece came about because, rather inconveniently, I discovered that I had agreed to appear at both the Finnish Flute Festival in Helsinki and the Australian Flute Festival in Sydney on essentially the same dates in October 2025.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI had committed to Helsinki first, so that was the engagement I needed to honour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut rather than simply accepting that I couldn't be in Australia as well, I started thinking about what might connect two flute festivals taking place almost simultaneously on opposite sides of the planet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe answer was: Aurora Borealis. Aurora Australis. The Northern Lights and the Southern Lights.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat immediately became the starting point for a piece designed not just to be performed in both hemispheres, but to connect them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe two performances ultimately took place within only a matter of hours of one another. We even exchanged videos between Helsinki and Sydney, metaphorically touching fingertips through the piece across thousands of kilometres.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMusically, Aurora begins as a shimmering, free, constantly changing soundscape before gradually clicking into a bright, thoroughly rhythmic world of groove, crunchy harmony and space-age optimism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd because no two conductors will ever shape that opening in exactly the same way: no two performances of Aurora can ever be identical.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuration: 7 minutes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe piece includes extended techniques.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e-Gareth McLearnon\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eDifficulty\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFlute 1: Advanced\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFlute 2: Advanced\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFlute 3: Intermediate\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFlute 4: Intermediate\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlto Flute 1: Upper Intermediate to Advanced\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlto Flute 2: Upper Intermediate to Advanced\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBass Flute: Upper Intermediate to Advanced\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eContrabass Flute (optional): Advanced\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eNote from composer\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe four concert-flute parts follow a structure I use in a number of my larger ensemble works: the first two parts carry the stronger technical demands, while Flutes 3 and 4 are somewhat more accessible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe doubled Alto Flute writing is particularly important to the sound of Aurora. I had become increasingly interested in what happens when the flute orchestra has enough independent voices below the normal concert-flute register. One Alto part simply wasn't enough. With two Altos, plus Bass and optional Contrabass material, I can create the thicker, richer and crunchier harmony that I naturally want to write.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat deeper harmonic palette became increasingly important in later works including DEEP DISH and Seconds on State Street.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eAbout Gareth McLearnon\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGareth McLearnon is an internationally renowned flutist, composer, arranger and educator from Belfast, Northern Ireland, and based in Strasbourg, France. His career has taken him across six continents as a soloist, orchestral and chamber musician, recording artist and teacher.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrincipal Flute of the Heritage Orchestra since 2009 and a Wm. S. Haynes Artist, he has performed and taught at leading conservatoires, festivals and concert venues around the world. His recording work spans film and television, multi-award-winning and multi-million-selling video games, library music and commercial album releases.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"All Flutes Plus","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":61322549657934,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0885\/5335\/7646\/files\/Screenshot_2025-09-26_at_14.21.02.webp?v=1792685761","url":"https:\/\/www.allflutesplus.com\/products\/mclearnon-aurora-for-flute-ensemble","provider":"All Flutes Plus","version":"1.0","type":"link"}