Prevailing Winds for Flute Choir, by Phyllis Avidan Louke. Prevailing Winds was commissioned by the Prevailing Winds Flute Choir of Huntsville, Alabama; the piece was premiered by the group at the National Flute Association Convention in Atlanta, Georgia in August 2025. Written in two movements, the first movement, Stormy Seas and Hope for Landfall, opens with a fierce storm at the beginning of the voyage to find a new land. As the storm calms, a slow sea chanty begins with all passengers hopeful they will find land soon. The second movement, Land Ho and Celebration begins with a serious and cautious melody as the ship reaches land, and the voyagers aren’t sure what they will find when they go ashore. When the voyagers find the land hospitable, the music becomes more celebratory with a traditional Irish jig, “The Humours of Bantry” by Francis O’Neill.

Instrumentation:

• Piccolo
• 3 C Flutes
• Alto Flute
• Bass Flute
• Contrabass Flute (or Bass Flute 2)