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. Future monthly meeting dates and locations will be found here: next meeting location.
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. The 2025 Northwest Recorder Meet will be held on Sat. April 19, 10am – 5pm, at the Sand Point Community UMC–Perry Hall, 4710 NE 70th St, Seattle. Full details including session descriptions, instructor bios, and music links are found on the Northwest Recorder Meet/Workshops tab. Watch for a separate email about the event coming soon!
Download the Northwest Meet flyer here: https://mossbayrecorders.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NW-Recorder-Meet-2025-Flyer.pdf
In case there is any confusion about our name and the name of the Meet, we are and will continue to be the Moss Bay Recorder Society, embracing our historic connection to our founder Winifred Jaeger and the bay in Kirkland near where early meetings took place. In order to acknowledge that the Seattle Recorder Society is joining us to present our annual one-day workshop, as well as to clarify the nature of the event, we are changing from the Moss Bay Meet to the Northwest Recorder Meet. We hope to encourage recorder players from all around the area to participate since it’s such a great opportunity to meet other players and experience three leaders in one day.
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Special Announcement: The BC Recorder Society has announced a full-day workshop and concert on April 11, 2025 featuring the fabulous Farallon Recorder Quartet – Moss Bay’s beloved former director Miyo Aoki, with Vicki Boeckman, Tish Berlin and Frances Blaker.
Check here for more details: Northwest Recorder Meet/Workshops.
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2025 NORTHWEST RECORDER MEET
Saturday, April 19
10am to 5:00pm
Sand Point Community UMC — Perry Hall
4710 NE 70th St, Seattle
Schedule for the Day:
9:30 am Registration and set-up
10-11:45 Potpourri led by Peter Seibert
11:45-1 Bring or buy lunch (coffee and tea provided)
1-2:45 Tomás Luis Victoria/Klezmer led by Laura Kuhlman
2:45-3:15 Break
3:15-5 Girl Power! led by Laura Townsend
5-5:30 Clean-up and departure
$60 for all day or $25 for a single session
Please bring all of your recorders, compatible instruments, a music stand, a pencil, something for your lunch and, optionally, a snack to share. Pitch = 440
Pre-registration is strongly encouraged to assist with planning. Email Laura Townsend at mbrsmem@gmail.com to pre-register,for the link to the music or with any questions. Payment not due until the day of the Meet. For more details see Northwest Recorder Meet/Workshops
We look forward to having you join us for a wonderful day of music making, fellowship and fun!
Download flyer: https://mossbayrecorders.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NW-Recorder-Meet-2025-Flyer.pdf
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BCRS Workshop Announcement: ALL-DAY RECORDER WORKSHOP WITH THE FARALLON RECORDER QUARTET
The BC Recorder Society is thrilled to present a full-day workshop and concert with the fabulous Farallon Recorder Quartet – Moss Bay’s beloved former director Miyo Aoki, with Vicki Boeckman, Tish Berlin and Frances Blaker.
This hands-on BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH workshop will feature music from the Middle Ages to the Baroque, and will involve ensemble playing for all participants, as well as three sessions of separate classes for emergent and experienced players. The day will conclude with an hour-long concert by the Farallon Recorder Quartet. For workshop details, click HERE.
Make your plans today to join these four outstanding recorderists in this first major workshop hosted by BCRS since 2020. Seating is limited to 40 for the workshop, and to 60 for the concert – book your spot now! We open registration on February 15 – the workshop is on April 11.
We know it conflicts with the Columbia Gorge workshop – but since it’s over-subscribed, we thought some people might consider this one instead. We’re hoping that’s the case!
For those who are unable to join in person, BCRS is offering the workshop and concert on
Zoom. The lower price reflects the more limited experience offered, a bit like being a “fly on the wall”. The camera will be static and turned on only during the playing sessions and
concert; Zoom attendees will only be able to play along, and will not interact with teachers or other participants.
The workshop will not be recorded for later sharing and/or viewing.
Date: Friday, April 11, 2025
Time: Workshop: 10am to 3pm PT; Concert: 4pm to 5:00pm PT
Please note: bring your own lunch; tea and coffee will be provided
Location: BCRS member Josine’s Westacre Farm in Maple Ridge, approximately 50 km
east of Vancouver
Cost for In Person Attendees
— Package of workshop and concert: $150CDN members; $200CDN non-members
— Concert only: $20CDN members; $30CDN non-members
Cost for Zoom Attendees
Workshop and concert package: $60CDN members; $75CDN non-members
Remember that the lower cost reflects the more limited experience offered on Zoom.
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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 in the loop! Please let me know if you’re interested in learning more about it.
Laura Townsend
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Remembering Michael Bancroft
Dear Recorder-Playing Friends and MBRS Community,
I am so sad to share with you the news of the passing of Michael Bancroft, our long-time member, president, and intrepid late-night library-finder. His enthusiasm for the recorder was unwavering and he worked to support and strengthen the Moss Bay Recorder Society as well as the Seattle Recorder Society. We were so lucky to have him playing with us for so many years!
Michael joined my studio in February, 2011 saying that he wanted to “knock the rust off” his recorder playing and get back into active participation. He had taken lessons with Peggy Monroe and, of course, especially loved English country dances. He sought out every opportunity to play with others: in ensembles, chapter meetings and workshops, welcoming any newcomers and providing an enthusiastic, encouraging word. He often did extra research on pieces we were playing and came up with fascinating facts and lovely links to share. He will be deeply missed and his legacy appreciated by many of us for years to come.
There are two versions of his obituary:
https://www.funerals.coop/obituaries/michael-bancroft
https://obituaries.seattletimes.com/obituary/michael-holzman-bancroft-1091729276
Our music for November will include a song dear to Michael’s heart, Vine and Fig Tree. I’m working on an arrangement of this gorgeously simple traditional Hebrew melody that we will sight read (to give me more time to make it wonderful!). I hope you will come join us from 2-4:30pm on Saturday, November 9 at the Mountlake Terrace Library, 23300 58th Avenue W.
Laura Townsend
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2024-25 Season, Opening Greetings
Happy Fall, Everyone!
I hope you all are enjoying the change in weather and the return to our regular routines and more indoor-oriented pursuits.
This year we have invited some special guests to join me in leading our playing sessions, and I am really looking forward to sharing some fabulous music with all of you throughout the year. The Moss Bay Meet has a new name: The Northwest Recorder Meet. We are delighted to once again join forces with the Seattle Recorder Society to present our traditional full day of music making and we decided to make the title a bit clearer for those who have not heard of it before. See the meeting schedule for our full schedule of dates and leaders.
Music for each playing session will be sent in advance of the meeting by email. Email me at the address below if you would like me to print music and bring it for you. A few extra copies will be available at each meeting.
Did you learn any music this summer that you’d like to share with our group? All members are invited to share up to 5 minutes of music at the start of any regular meeting. It can be a polished performance, a piece you composed, or something you’re excited about at any level. Contact me at the email below to sign up.
Fall is the best time to renew your Moss Bay Recorder Society membership if you have not already done so for this program year. We deeply appreciate the support of our members and truly could not do it without you! Since our meetings are all absolutely free to the public as we use public library spaces, membership dollars and donations are our only source of funds for our regular programming. The form can be found on our website or you can renew at a meeting. Thank you!
I can’t wait to see you all, catch up on summer adventures, and make some music together! Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Laura Townsend, Music Director, Moss Bay Recorder Society
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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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MOSS BAY MEET, 2024
Twenty-five enthusiastic participants gathered for the annual Moss Bay Meet on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at the Sand Point Community Church. This year the Meet was co-presented with the Seattle Recorder Society. Peter Seibert led us through a selection of pieces from medieval through classical periods, culminating with his own composition “Short (and) Suite”, complete with soloists. Vicki Boeckman selected several beautiful renaissance-baroque choral pieces, and an 8-part double-choir Sinfonia. She closed the session with Arthur Sullivan’s lovely “The Long Day Closes”. In the last session we rearranged ourselves as Laura Townsend challenged us with contemporary compositions by Steve Marshall, including his four-choir, 16-part “All Creatures of our God and King”.
A heartfelt thanks to all the directors for a sensational musical day!
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ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Sept. 2022
Welcome to our new Music Director, Laura Townsend
We are delighted to announce that we have a new Music Director, Laura Townsend, known already to many of us. Laura is looking forward to working with us starting in the fall. Here is more about Laura’s background and interests:
Laura combined her two passions, recorder playing and teaching, about 10 years ago and has been developing her skills as a recorder teacher and ensemble leader ever since. She has had the privilege to teach dozens of students both individually and in small groups in her studio as well as to lead SRS’s Back Room Gang and a few MBRS meetings and meet sessions. Originally trained as a developmental psychologist, she’s dedicated to discovering the most effective ways to learn and is committed to continuing to grow her own skills. She takes lessons with Vicki Boeckman, plays with the Recorder Orchestra of Puget Sound, studied conducting with Peter Siebert, performed with the ensemble Quintessence and attends workshops as much as possible. Covid has paved the way for even more new skills to use for both teaching and learning: online lessons and workshops and weekly hybrid ensemble classes.
Laura Townsend, beginbaroque@gmail.com
Photo by Bill Stickney.
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Miyo Aoki, our former Music Director has moved to Indiana with her husband Jonathan Oddie. We thank her for her leadership and inspiration, and wish them well in their new home .
A Farewell from Miyo
Dear friends,
As some of you already know, my husband Jonathan recently accepted a teaching position at Indiana University, starting this Fall. I am overjoyed for him but devastated to have to leave the dear friends, community, and landscape that have brought me so much happiness in the seven years I have lived here. The Seattle and Moss Bay Recorder Societies have played important parts in my life, and I am deeply grateful for the substantial community of recorder players that welcomed me here and introduced me to so many wonderful people. Thank you all for your kindness, warmth, generosity, and, of course, music. I will miss you!
I will be here until the end of September and am looking forward to seeing some of you at the Fall Fipple Flute Forum or perhaps the upcoming Farallon concert. Jonathan, Nathaniel, and I intend to visit the Seattle area regularly, so I am hopeful that I will continue to see and make music with you all; and if you ever find yourself near Bloomington, Indiana, please do give me a call!
With gratitude and warm wishes to you all,
Miyo
miyoaoki@gmail.com
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Memorial tribute to Wini Jaeger and Mary Whittington
Mary Whittington wrote that MBRS founding Music Director, Wini Jaeger, passed away at age 95 on February 10 of this year, 2022. Mary passed away on July 4, 2022, just a few months after Wini.
In the SRS newsletter of February 2009, Wini wrote about founding MBRS:
In March 1979, Mary Whittington and I moved to Kirkland, after many years in Santa Barbara, CA, where we had been active in the recorder scene and close to Erich Katz, who died in 1973. In April 1979, we attended an SRS meeting, joined the organization and became regular members. Within the following year, we met enough recorder players, including SRS members, who were interested in forming a sister organization to the SRS, and in the fall of 1980, the Moss Bay Recorder Society (MBRS) became a Chapter of the American Recorder Society (ARS).
A tribute to Wini and Mary is posted on the Haiku Northwest website (www.haikunorthwest.org) where they were both active and beloved members. The tribute includes information about their lifelong association with recorders and many wonderful photos. Go to “Celebrating our 35th Anniversary”, click on Poems by Haiku Northwest Members, Winifred Jaeger, Remembering Wini.
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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!
Please take care of yourselves, keep making music, and stay well!