The Moss Bay Recorder Society is a chapter of the American Recorder Society, based in the Greater Seattle area. We meet monthly, October through March, in the King County, Snohomish, or Seattle Public Library systems, usually on the second Saturday of the month, 2-4:30 pm. Our meetings are led by Director Laura Townsend or guest artists. Our next meeting beginning the 2026-2027 season will be Sat., September 12, 2026, at the Bothell Library, 18215 98th Ave NE, Bothell. Details and future meeting dates and locations will be found here: next meeting.
Each April we gather on a Saturday to play all day at the annual Northwest Recorder Meet (formerly called the Moss Bay Annual Meet), co-presented by the Moss Bay Recorder Society and the Seattle Recorder Society. This season the Meet will be on April 24, 2027.
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NEWSLETTERS:
September 2026 Newsletter, Music, and Renewal Form
Dear MBRS Community,
I’m writing a little early because I’ll be off in the San Juans and Gulf Islands for a last hurrah of summer when I would normally send the next meeting announcement and newsletter. But since it’s summer, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to remind everyone that we are starting our monthly meetings on Saturday, September 12 this year, extending our season by a month and getting a jump start on all the fabulous music I’ve been choosing for the 2026-27 season! (Write it down in your calendar now, then I hope you have a peaceful conclusion to your summer adventures)!
We will be at the Bothell Library, 18215 98th Ave NE, from 2:00-4:30pm, with a break in the middle for browsing our library, chatting with friends old and new, and enjoying a little snack. The music for this month is a Rhythm Roundup — just the thing to get us back together after our summer break and primed for the year of ensemble playing ahead. As usual, we’ll traverse centuries, miles, and styles to take advantage of the recorder’s boundless adaptability!
Download the September music from the Monthly Meetings page on our website. You’ll get a zip file to open; please let me know by replying to this email if you have any trouble getting the music and I’ll happily send it along to you directly or print a copy for you.
If you have been working on any music lately and would like to share up to 5 minutes at any of our monthly meetings, please reply to this email and let me know — we’d be thrilled to hear what you’re up to!
Our program year runs from September 2026 through April of 2027, so NOW is the time to renew your membership! We welcome everyone to play at our meetings regardless of membership status, but if you would like to support our activities and help offset the costs of our leaders and minimal administrative costs, we offer annual memberships for just $45. Our updated dues form is ready for you on our Membership Info page. We deeply appreciate any memberships and donations, so thank you in advance.
Finally, and with great excitement, I can announce that after the dazzling success of our 2026 NW Recorder Meet, we have invited the fabulous Farallon Quartet to lead us again at the 2027 Meet, and they have accepted! Hooray! Save the date: April 24, 2027. We have listened to your feedback and will offer a slight adjustment to our structure for the day, but will once again have multiple groups for two sessions and a tutti session with everyone in the afternoon. A faculty concert will round out the day.
Here are the meeting dates for the coming year with the locations we know so far:
September 12, 2026, Bothell Library, 18215 98th Ave NE, Bothell
October 10, 2026, Mountlake Terrace Library, 2300 58th Ave W, Mountlake Terrace
November 14, 2026
December 12, 2026
January 16, 2027
February 13, 2027
March 13, 2027
2027 Annual Northwest Meet: April 24, 2027
Phew! If you’ve made it this far in this extra-large missive, I thank you for your attention! I hope to see you in Bothell on September 12 for our inaugural September meeting! Feel free to email me at mbrsmem@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Laura Townsend
Music Director
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April, 2026
Dear MBRS Community,
It’s almost time for the Northwest Recorder Meet!! I hope you will come play with us! Two weeks from today, we will host the fabulous Farallon Recorder Quartet (Miyo Aoki, Tish Berlin, Frances Blaker and Vicki Boeckman), who will lead three daytime playing sessions and then treat us to a delightful and varied concert in the evening. Repertoire for the concert will include pieces by Antoine Busnois, Heinrich Isaac, Jean Japart, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, Johann Sebastian Bach, Fanny Hensel, and Calliope Tsoupaki.
Learn more about the Farallon Recorder Quartet: https://www.farrallonrecorderquartet.com
2026 NORTHWEST RECORDER MEET
Saturday, April 18, 10am to 4:30pm
Sandpoint Community UMC, Seattle
Faculty concert 7:30pm
featuring THE FARALLON RECORDER QUARTET
For more details see the Northwest Meet/Events page or download flyer.
Presented by the Moss Bay Recorder Society and the Seattle Recorder Society with a generous grant from the American Recorder Society. We look forward to having you join us for a wonderful day of music making, fellowship, and fun!
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ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Seeking Volunteers for Moss Bay Recorder Society
The Moss Bay Recorder Society is a tiny organization with a small but mighty volunteer board. We are looking for a few more people to get involved in helping behind the scenes, either on the board or on an occasional basis.
Communications Coordinator: I want to extend a HUGE thank-you to Sharon Schuldt as she steps down from her work keeping us all in the loop as Communications Coordinator extraordinaire. I am filling in until we find a volunteer with just a little tech savvy and a knack for keeping everyone informed. If you would like to help us spread the word and help players new and not-so-new find out about our meetings and events, we would love to have you join our dedicated crew of volunteers. I would love to be able to focus my energy on programming and music and have some support to get the word out and keep our members in the loop! Please let me know if you’re interested in learning more about it.
Laura Townsend
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In Person Protocols:
- Email Laura your intent to come and desired part, if known.
- No blowing mouthpiece condensation outward; “sucking” is OK!
- Please stay at home if you are coughing, feeling ill, or suspect you have been exposed to Covid or the flu.
Email Laura Townsend: mbrsmem@gmail.com
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Our operating expenses are covered by voluntary membership dues of $45/year and by contributions. We thank you for your continued support, and we hope that you’ll remain (or become!) an MBRS member. We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting!