Meetings in 2025-2026
Upcoming Meeting Dates
We meet monthly in-person on Saturdays at 2:00-4:30 pm, October-March. Our meetings are usually held in libraries in the Greater Seattle area, in the King County, Snohomish, and Seattle Public Library systems. We traditionally have a break with snacks and drinks in the middle of the meeting. The meeting locations will be announced as they become available. This year we will have guest conductor Ryan Foxley leading our December meeting.
We will be featuring selected boxes from our large lending library of sheet music at each meeting. Please email Laura Townsend if you have particular requests.
2025-26 MONTHLY MEETING DATES:
October 11, 2025, Shoreline Library, 345 NE 175th St., Shoreline
November 15, 2025, Mountlake Terrace Library, 23300 58th Ave. W, Mountlake Terrace
December 13, 2025, led by guest conductor Ryan Foxley
Bothell Library Meeting Room, 18215 98th Ave NE, Bothell
January 10, 2026, Mountlake Terrace Library, 23300 58th Ave W, Mountlake Terrace
February 7, 2026, Mountlake Terrace Library, 23300 58th Ave W, Mountlake Terrace
March 14, 2026, Mountlake Terrace Library, 23300 58th Ave W, Mountlake Terrace
Dear MBRS Community,
I hope that spring is peeking its way into your corner of the world. I have been loving the burst of blooms and birdsong lately, and tried to choose some music that reflects that.
This month’s theme is music arranged by women who know a lot about recorders! I’m looking forward to actually getting to play the Irish Airs that I sent out last month along with a recorder orchestra version of Simple Gifts. We’ll put a spring in our step with a pair of contrasting menuets, a French Baroque version by Boismortier and one in the Romantic style by Merkanto. We will touch on the French technique of notes inegal to bring a lovely lilt to the Boismortier.
Download music here: MBRS March Music
**We will be playing from parts this month, so you don’t need to print everything. Just pick a few parts that you’d be most interested in playing and hopefully we’ll have enough to cover each part!
Finally, since this is our last regular meeting of the year, I have a survey for you regarding next year’s 2026-27 season. We have had in-person meetings October-March and our annual Meet in April for the past few years. If we add a meeting next year, would you prefer that it be in September or May?
Please email me at mbrsmem@gmail.com with your answer to the survey and any questions you might have about the Northwest Meet.
Laura Townsend, Music Director
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Annual Northwest Meet:
April 18, 2026
A one-day workshop plus evening concert
featuring the Farallon Recorder Quartet: Miyo Aoki, Frances Blaker, Tish Berlin, and Vicki Boeckman.
At the Sand Point Community UMC–Perry Hall, 4710 NE 70th St, Seattle
see Northwest Recorder Meet/Workshops for details
Please register by April 4 if possible so we can plan for the best number of instructors.
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Many thanks to all of you who gave feedback about our meeting structure. After considering your thoughtful responses, we are going to stick with our traditional structure of having a 20-30 minute break in the middle of the meeting. The board and I have also been looking at our spring program plans, and have decided to cancel the Moss Bay Consort for this year — perhaps we will have more people next year, or an offering with a structure that works better. We shall focus our effort and excitement on the much-anticipated Northwest Recorder Meet and Concert with the Farallon Recorder Quartet on Saturday, April 18.
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January marks the one-year point in my standing in as the interim Moss Bay communications officer. 2026 will bring many wonderful new experiences to the Moss Bay Recorder Society, starting in February and March with our first-ever Moss Bay Consort season. In April I am so excited to host the fabulous Farallon Quartet to lead our NW Recorder Meet and play a concert on April 18, 2026. 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!
We are also considering the structure of our meetings. Traditionally we have had a 30-minute break in the middle of the meeting for refreshments and socializing. We have about an hour of playing on either side of that break, for a total meeting time from 2-4:30pm. I know that some of us prefer not to eat until we are done playing for the day, and that others are not comfortable driving in the dark. Would you prefer that we play straight from 2-4 with a little break in the middle and then have our social time at the end of the meeting from 4-4:30? Or is it good the way it is with playing, break, more playing! Please respond to this email and let us know what might work best for you!
And finally, as we greet the new year, Sue Michiels our snack coordinator would welcome any festive (nonalcoholic) fare to share at our break — which will be in the middle of the meeting.
Happy New Year to you all. I hope that 2026 brings you lots of wonderful musical experiences of all kinds!
Laura
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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 Laura at the email below to sign up.
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This music is for the use and enjoyment of this particular meeting and may be protected by copyright. The music is for educational purposes only. Please do not distribute this music outside this meeting. Be sure to open both folders! You only need to print out the parts you want to play. Please let me know if you would like me to print music and bring it for you. A few extra copies will be available at each meeting.
Laura Townsend
mbrsmem@gmail.com
Music Director, Moss Bay Recorder Society
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In Person Health Protocols:
- 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.
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We are still looking for a communications volunteer. I am filling in until we find someone 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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