Links
This section will provide you with links to other businesses, sites and resources we feel you might enjoy or find useful. Take a look and decide for yourself…. If you would like us to link to your recorder business, or you know of a business you want to recommend, let us know and we will be in touch.
Music
IMSLP
This is a world beating resource for any musician…. a database of more than 150K pieces of music listed, often in several versions. This can include recordings, scores, arrangements, facsimiles of original editions and provides detailed information about copyright.
Large quantities of the items are copyright free and are available to download. If you subscribe, the recordings can be streamed and downloads will run faster.
Recorder Music Mail
Recorder Music Mail and Peacock Publishing offer an enormous collection of music for recorders. This includes large quantities of modern music and arrangements as well as different editions of many older pieces.
Dolmetsch Online
Another amazing resources. This time time aimed squarely at the recorder playing community. It runs to hundreds of downloadable items and many more items which can be purchased by post.
Dolmetsch, although no longer producing instruments, are still probably the single most well known brands in early music.
Schott's of London
Originally a shop for the Schott’s publishing group, the shop is now an independent shop which sells music from a wide range of sources. They have a well organised online catalogue and even off individual parts at modest prices, as well as selling complete scores and parts.
Freescores.com
Freescores.com offer an online portal where content can be shared and marketed. It is not just recorders, so there are lots of arrangements for almost every combination of instruments imaginable as well as genuine new compositions from lesser known composers. With careful selection and sorting, there are real gems to be found here.
The Early Music Shop
With a shop just off Charing Cross Road and a very large showroom at a wonderful old mill in Bradford, the Early Music Shop is the go to place for everything to do with recorders. What more can you say!
Recorder Homepage
The Recorder Home Page is not really a direct source of music… but it is a complete compendium of resources for recorder players including a lot of links to sites with musical content available as well as articles about every aspect of recorders and recorder playing….. Well worth a look!
Instruments
The Early Music Shop
It is instruments that the Early Music Shop is perhaps best known for… Go to the large Saltaire (Bradford) show room and see an amazing array of instruments including many, many recorders of every shape, size and make. For any recorder player looking for a new instrument, this an excellent places to start looking!
Aafab
Based in Utrecht, Aafab is the home of Coolsa recorders and also the new home for Dolmetsch recorders… however, as well as making instruments they also have shop selling instruments from a range of other makers too. Another place to go when you want to personally select the perfect instrument by trying them out.
Thomann
‘Probably the best way to describe Thomann is the supermarket of the music world. Based in Bavaria, they have a superstore and a massive warehouse operation which could not only sell you almost any recorder you wanted, but a whole orchestra of other instrument too. They can also sell you microphones, mixers and recording equipment to capture your performances and an array of lighting and video equipment to enable you to broadcast them! They have a superb website, operate in many languages and will mail your purchase to you from stock. They probably can’t match the service you might get in a specialist recorder shop, but for range of products, speed and the ability to get stuff anywhere, they would be difficult to match… especially if you are half a continent away and a personal visit is not possible.
Von Huene Workshops
The home of an iconic brand of hand made recorders which have been renowned for a very long time, the Von Huene workshops also have a shop selling a very wide range of instruments from top manufacturers and a large collection of sheet music too. For North American customers wanting to test and choose from a wide range of instruments, this is probably a good place to go
Saunders Recorders
A special mention for special place… Saunders Recorders in White Ladies Road, was for many years, an Aladin’s Cave of recorders… It was quite simply the best place to buy your instruments. However, this little part of the recorders history is now coming to an end. The shop closed more than 10 years ago and although the business continued as mail/online…. age is catching up and that too is now winding up. The end of an era for many of us!
Video
Team Recorder
Team Recorder is Sarah Jeffrey’s Youtube channel. It contains more than 200 videos (and still growing) specifically for and about recorders and recorder playing. The catch phrase’ Hi, I’m Sarah and I’m a recorder player’ is rapidly becoming a part of recorder culture. Sarah is a professional based in Holland and produces her weekly, 10-minute vlogs on a variety of subjects from beginner to advanced… to curious outside!
Orlan Charles
Orlan is a Brazilian musician who has a recorder based youtube channel showing his own performances and arrangements. The style of showing himself composited into a line of players which appear and disappear as parts come and go is quite entertaining…. the performances are always done well and to a high standard. Well worth a look!
Consort Counsellors
Another Youtube channel with lots a useful content for the consort player from two of the biggest names in the business…. Hester Groenleer and Maria Martinez Ayerza both play in the group Seldom Sene as well as running Royal Wind and teaching at conservators in Amsterdam and London. Lots of valuable help for the keen consort player!
Soren Seig
If you have not heard any of Soren’s music then you need to visit his Youtube channel where you will find many performances. The music is African in style, but from a German composer. The music captures the rhythms, harmonies and sounds and are quiet enthralling! Not sure they will be easy to play, especially for the classically trained western mindset, but the sound is something which certainly makes you want to try!
Royal Wind
yIf you want to hear large ensemble playing executed to the absolute peak of perfection…. then go no further. Royal Wind is a group of Alumni from the recorder section of the Amsterdam Conservatory. Originally formed by Paul Leenhouts of Loeki Stardust fame, it is both a adkmically and musically spot on…. !
Groups and Organisations
Society of Recorder Players
The SRP has many branches dotted around the UK and provides meetings, workshops and other events for more than 80 years. With over 1000 members, it is one of the largest societies for recorder players. The website provides a wealth of up to date information.
American Recorder Society
For those in North America, the ARS has for more than 80 years been offering support to the recorder playing community. The organisation is broken up into chapters which are spread across the continent. It also keeps lists of professional players teachers and businesses offering services.
ERTA
The European Recorder Teachers Association provides support for teachers with branches in different countries… Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and UK. The list below links to the relevant sites.
