I freaking LOVE Christmas music and am not embarrassed to say that sometimes I’ll be jamming away to the many Christmas tunes on my iPod in the middle of July. It’s so familiar and comforting any time of year, not only at Christmas.

My favorite Christmas album of all time isn’t very old at all. I discovered Pipers’ Holiday in the winter of 1995. There was, at one time, an awesome classical radio station here in Detroit called WQRS. They are long gone but were still around in 1995 and it was on WQRS that I learned about it. Part of my morning getting ready for work routine was to listen to WQRS while I did my hair and makeup. One morning I flipped the radio station on and heard the most lovely, lively flute music I’ve ever heard. Flute music is especially alluring to me as I have been a flutist for over 25 years. So I hear this most amazing song and later found out that it was from a new album – Pipers’ Holiday - recently recorded by two renowned flutists from the Detroit area; Ervin Monroe and Alexander Zonjic. The pair were visiting the radio station that morning to promote a benefit concert that was going to be held that evening at a local Jaguar car dealership. I attended the concert that night to hear the song again and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and the other pieces from the album that they performed. I was able to pick up a copy of the CD as well and had it autographed by the flutists.


About this recording

Taken from the booklet inside the CD: Highly acclaimed flutists Ervin Monroe and Alexander Zonjic have combined their unique talents to bring us this spirited holiday recording. This artistic collaboration by these long-time friends is further highlighted by the musical contributions of world renowned recording artist, composer/pianist Bob James. The efforts of these diversely talented musicians have resulted in this joyful recording that will bring listening enjoyment not only during the holiday season, but throughout the year.

And that is so true! Now, I’ve already admitted that I’m a freak who listens to Christmas music year round, but it really is not just for Christmas. There are 10 tracks on this CD, four of which are absolutely positively Christmas songs, but the rest really are appropriate for any time of year.

This recording is strictly flutes. Flutes, piccolos, bass flutes and piano. Once in a while a little jingle bell, finger cymbal, or light drum beat is thrown in here and there, but it’s flutes, flutes, and more flutes. About half of the songs are duets performed by Monroe and Zonjic accompanied piano and the other half include the flute choir which is comprised of all different sizes of flutes. Yes, Virginia, there are different sizes of flutes from the tiny piccolo to the massive flute that is about the size of a bassoon. This variety of woodwinds playing all at once in their different respective ranges is a delight to the senses and may even appeal to people who may not be all that into classical music.


All but one of the songs on this CD were arranged by Monroe or by Monroe and Zonjic. One was arranged by Bob James. Most of the arrangements are just beautiful and truly a joy to listen to during the holidays or any time of year. There are two songs that aren’t really my cup of tea, maybe because I’ve been a flutist for so long that my brain is tainted and I’m a flute snob or something. The performances are flawless. The flutes are always perfectly in tune with one another and a lovely vibrato can be heard throughout. From the wonderful, sweet high notes that literally take my breath away while simultaneously giving me chill bumps to the rich, full lows that warm my heart, I love this CD and truly treasure it.


The Songs

The following is a list of the songs in the order they appear on the CD as well as the length of each song and my personal commentary and opinion of each:
Christmas Images 4:00 – Monroe and Zonjic on flute, accompanied by piano. This is one of my favorites and is an arrangement that includes a medley of O Come Emmanuel, Greensleeves, and another song that I just can’t put my finger on. There are some lovely high notes in the melody of O Come Emmanuel that give me chills. I routinely play those 20 seconds over and over again. The high melody is so sweet and clear without any force or breathiness. It’s very moving. The moving harmony is very soft and light and the cool thing about the arrangement (and all the arrangements for the two flutists) is that they share the melody. In traditional concert or orchestral music, the first flute usually plays the melody and second plays the harmony and that’s just the way it is, but in this type of music, both players have an opportunity to play the principal, featured part. There is a very intricate piano part for Greensleeves that reminds me of rain falling.

‘Rameau’ Tambourin 3:27 – This is the first song that includes the flute choir playing various parts for the different “voices”. All the parts played alone would sound crazy and like nothing, but when played together is amazing. It’s like an orchestral piece only it’s a flute choir. So where there normally would be tubas, baritones, or basses playing the background pieces, the lower pitched flutes play them. Lovely. The only voice my ear does not pick up in this song is piccolo but it is there in some of the other songs that feature the flute choir. Although written by a Frenchman (Jean Philippe Rameau) it almost sounds a bit Arabic due to the structure and key of the melody and the tambourine or finger cymbals that provides the beat.

Silent Night 3:52 – Monroe and Zonjic on flute, accompanied by piano. This arrangement of Silent Night begins with a beautiful piano intro. The arrangement is very soothing and relaxing, starting first in a lower octave with a pleasant harmony and rich lows with vibrato, then played in a higher octave the second time around, followed by a piano interlude and finally one more round thru Silent Night in the lower register. Listening to this song brings my mind back to a moment I had a few years ago when I was babysitting my nephew. I was sitting in the window seat in the bay window of my living room holding my nephew while he slept while outside a heavy snow was falling in huge flakes the size of cotton balls. All that was missing was the cup of General Foods International French Vanilla Cafe and a deer running across the front lawn.

Farandole 4:04 – This song rocks! The flute choir joins in again on this song which starts off very strongly and majestically. Very regal. This song goes from piccolo down to bass all perfectly in tune and complimentary. This song should not be played while eating or else you could choke due to trying to time your chewing to the beat. It’s like the performers are playing with purpose, like marching off to battle or something, and I find myself eating, typing, vacuuming, whatever to the beat of the song and it gets kind of frantic if you try to time whatever you’re doing to this song.

Greensleeves 4:40 – Monroe and Zonjic on flute, accompanied by piano. Begins with another beautiful piano intro that sounds like ice or rain on the keys. Very light. There are parts where my ear knows that both men are playing the melody and not one each on harmony and melody and I swear it sounds like one flute. Starts off slowly but then goes into a very staccato and spirited section with beautiful harmony and moving parts where the fingering is fast and furious and blows me away. It all culminates into an incredible section of double, triple, fripplefreaking fantastic tonguing in the low register that just flipped my lid. It’s like a millionth of a beat from being flutter tonguing. I don’t know how they do it. I have the sheet music for this one and have tried to play along with it but I give up when I get to that point. It’s unbelievable. The song ends with both men playing the melody again together, then harmony is added back, and it fades out to nothing. Absolutely beautiful.

Sleigh Ride Tambourin 3:18 – the best song on this album and the reason I bought it to begin with. This is the song I heard on the radio that morning that caused me to obsess about it all day and work like a fiend to ensure that I could leave work early enough to get to the concert. It’s also my favorite Christmas song of all time. I could, and have, listen to it over and over and over. I’m surprised I haven’t worn a hole right thru the CD for the number of times I have played this song. It’s just amazing. It’s not the Sleigh Ride song that we all know and love to hear the Boston Pops play. You know, the one with the jingle bells, whip, and horse whinny. Oh no, this is way better. It’s the most cheerful, delightful song ever recorded. I can just picture little winter animals frolicking around in the snow together. Foxes, cats, dogs, horses, little winter birds all jumping around and playing in the snow. And not eating each other. Really, it’s just a delightful song that just warms my heart and puts a smile on my face whenever I hear it. It’s a wonderful combination of all different types of flutes; from the piccolo way up high to the bass way down low, it all comes together in the most excellent combination of sounds that delights the ear.

Canon in D 5:00 – Monroe and Zonjic on flute, accompanied by piano. This is not typically a Christmas song but just beautiful just the same. I really like the tempo of this arrangement. Some tend to drag the tempo a bit so that it’s almost like a dirge but the tempo of this arrangement is just perfect and uplifting. Beautiful scale runs that aren’t part of the sheet music and were customized or ad libbed and sound so effortless. Again, the parts where there is no harmony are so perfectly in tune that it sounds like one monster flute. Every bride should have Erv and Alexander piping them down the aisle to this song. Or they should want to anyway. It evokes that sort of response in my mind. An image of walking down the looooong aisle of a cathedral wearing a white dress, dad on my arm, candles and white and pink roses everywhere.

A Northwoods Carol 2:46 - Monroe and Zonjic on flute, accompanied by piano. Starts with just flutes and includes a piano interlude and is not one of my favorites. It’s pretty but doesn’t really have a distinct melody to latch onto. It’s a little abstract for my taste but it does evoke a nature setting. The song is like a backdrop to the vision in my mind of little winter birds flitting around in the forest with Bambi. Not wild about it but it’s a cute little song. This is the only song that was arranged by Bob James so it appears that I prefer Monroe’s arrangements much more.

Minuet and Dance of the Blessed Spirits 6:06 – Return of the flute choir to this long, pretty song with beautiful harmonies. I know I’ve heard this song before but I don’t know where. It is very relaxing and soothing and when I listen to this CD while in bed, I usually fall asleep somewhere before it ends. Again, beautiful lows and sweet, sweet highs that aren’t screechy, forced, or breathy at all.

Ave Maria 4:22 – I’ve never heard an arrangement of Ave Maria with a harmony before until I got this CD. I’ll be honest and say I’m not really crazy about it. The harmony at times is stronger and louder than the melody and it’s distracting to my ear to be heavy on harmony rather than on melody. Also, the final Ave Maria at the end of the song consists of the melody being way up high and the harmony very low and it sounds odd to me. Kind of like a calliope. Not really wild about it. I’m also not a fan of Schubert’s Ave Maria. I much prefer the Bach-Gounod version.

The CD is approximately 42 minutes in total and can be ordered from Alexander Zonjic’s website shown here http://www.zonjic.com/pipers_holiday.html or from Little Piper at http://www.little-piper.com/.

When I first fell in love with this music back in 1995 I immediately sought the sheet music so I could play along. Let me tell you that this music is very complex. It didn’t sound all that difficult when I listened to it but some of the flute choir parts are so intertwined and complex that I couldn’t even figure them out in my head. Truly amazing arrangements.


About Ervin Monroe

Ervin Monroe is one of America’s most distinguished orchestral flutists. Born in the rural south, Ervin was largely self taught. By age sixteen he was driving fifty miles each week to play Principal Flute in the Pensacola Florida Symphony Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. By age nineteen he was studying in Austria and touring as a member of Salzburg’s Mozarteum Orchestra. Ervin was offered a permanent position with this European orchestra, but decided to complete his musical studies in the states and vie for a position with an American symphony. While working on a master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music, Monroe was hired to play Principal Flute for the American tours of the world’s most prestigious ballet companies, including the Bolshoi, Royal Danish, and Royal English ballets. At twenty-three he was the youngest wind player selected to play in the Chamber Symphony of Philadelphia and record chamber music for RCA Red Label Classics. Just two years later he was appointed Principal Flute of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Today he holds the longest tenure as a major symphony orchestra Principal Flutist among his generational peers. Ervin Monroe is a musician of great versatility. Flutist, composer, arranger, and conductor, he is one of the most published flutists today. Ervin is a frequent lecturer and recitalist throughout the Americas and abroad. His congenital teaching style and his warm, expressing performance approach are transferred to his articles and periodicals that have appeared in leading music publications worldwide. (From inside the CD). He's also flute mentor for one of my best friends, another awesome flutist.


About Alexander Zonjic

Diversity and uniqueness are the hallmark of Canadian born classical/jazz flutist, Alexander Zonjic. His inimitable sound reverberates with a richness that can be heard whether he’s playing a Bach sonata or a funky blues interlude. At twenty-one years old, after several years as a rock guitarist, Zonjic began a relentless pursuit to learn to play the flute. He graduated from the University of Windsor with a Bachelor of Musical Arts degree, studied with Ervin Monroe, and quickly found international success for his virtuosity. Zonjic has toured and performed to the delight of audiences all over the world including Japan, England, the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic. He has played in major jazz festivals across the United Stats and has toured internationally and recorded with jazz great Bob James. Zonjic, a recording artist with Warner Bros. has recorded seven albums including this most recent release. Zonjic continues to redraw musical boundaries, crossing from jazz to classical, leaping nimbly between funk and fusion, touching lightly in pop, soul and even gospel. It is a dazzling balancing act that has always defined the particular magic of this artist...and the near universal appeal of his music. (From inside the CD)



Submitted as part of Carstairs38's
Christmas music writeoff

Recommended: Yes