Audience for a young flautist

"Flautist" is the British-English spelling. Here in North America, they'd call her a "flutist." Lindsay Bryden, working towards her MA, has been studying for a while in London, so I daresay she's used to both identities. Last Friday she was invited to perform to the local Confederation of University Women ladies and guests at the now annual Musical Lunch that's held at Le Café, the National Arts Centre canal-side restaurant. The majority of people were there to support fundraising efforts for the scholarship students of Kabul's Gawharshad Institute: girls who would otherwise not have the opportunity for higher education. Ten such girls graduated last year after three years at the Institute, and there'll be more to follow. We held a silent auction and a raffle during the lunch, as well.

Solo flute music from Lindsay's repertoire was part of our reward for attending this function (we were also served an elegant meal and got complimentary tickets to an NAC-orchestra concert). She played a piece by Debussy, a CPE Bach sonata, a piece by Ibert and one of her own compositions, which featured some extraordinary sounds. Before, during and after these items she also gave us a fluent introduction to the music and answered some questions, giving us some insight into the "extended techniques" used by contemporary flute-players. She was a real enthusiast and always has been. She told us the story of how as a young child she had been enchanted by a flute-player at her school and had badgered her parents to give her a flute, until they finally gave in and let her learn to play. Apparently she mastered it quickly.