The Chris Norman Ensemble is performing nearby next week. I have never heard Chris Norman (live or recorded), but what I’ve read about him interested me so I’m going to go.
Can anyone tell me anything about him? From the write-up in the paper I can’t tell whether he’s mostly a traditional player or mostly an early music kind of guy. An article mentioned “Celtic inspired works from the Renaissance and Baroque eras”, whatever that means. 
–Jay
Biography section at http://www.chrisnorman.com/ . Sometimes there’s additional comments in the CD liner notes, but I don’t have those handy. Born in Novia Scotia, and started out as a classical player, and was very much attracted to the traditional music roots of the area (particularly Scottish). Lovely tone & intonation on a 1847 boxwood Rudall and a Rod Cameron copy in blackwood. I would definitely go see him. He’s contributed a track to “Wooden Flute Obsession 2”, off his Caledonian Flute CD.
Kevin Krell
My advice would be to leave all “labels” at home and go to the concert. He’s an awesome flute player. It’s true that his approach is classically influenced, and his ensemble is very much into arrangements and such, but he is great to listen to even if his music isn’t your cup of tea.
I have no desire to play the way he does, but I listen to him for pure enjoyment and appreciation of his mastery of the instrument. He does some very, very difficult stuff and makes it sound utterly easy.
Chris did have some classical training, mostly in high school and a year at Indiana University, but it’s not like he spent four years at Julliard or anything. He has a pretty deep understanding of traditional music, and he doesn’t approach it in an academic or condescending way the way some classical musicians do.
I have Norman’s Man with a Wooden Flute CD, on which, if I understand it correctly, he plays mainly his boxwood flute. Every time I listen I am amazed at the tonal range he can produce from that delicate flute. I agree with Brad about the labels: Norman plays beautiful music.
Carol
Kevin, I’m so glad you were able to get a track from Chris for WFO2.
I’ve only seen him as a member of the Baltimore Consort; the second time, though was music from 18th century Ireland, and it was kind of “Early music meets Irish music.” I learned a lot just by watching him; the finger vibratto, different approaches to different flutes, etc. That was long before I started playing, and certainly prompted me to take up the flute when I had a chance.
As both of the other responses said, it’s kind of difficult to hang a label on Chris Norman. I would recommend his album, “The man with the wooden flute” to anyone who likes flute music of any kind.
I have to agree with my good friends Carol, Brad, and even Charlie about labels. Quit trying to label Chris as “Norman,” when in fact, we have no idea of his relation to William the Bastard, invader of England on that fateful day in 1066.
Seriously, though, I also think that Chris is a great player. And I find the others’ comments interesting. I find myself thinking also that I don’t want to play like he does, but I find his style very easy to listen to. On his Caledonian flute, I have to say that the pibroch (last track) is one of the best interpretations of the style I have ever heard, bar none.
This coming from me, who played the highland pipes for years before ever picking up a wooden flute.
So listen to him. Nothing’s wrong with arrangements, either; he and his ensemble play a flavor of music you won’t hear every day (unless one of their CDs gets stuck in your CD player).
Wow, my blood sugar must be LOW.
Stuart
This is good advice. Don’t miss it. Whatever you think of Chris, his band puts out a great show.
I personally think Chris is a true virtuoso of the 8-key flute, a modern-day Nicholson, fluent in many flute styles and idioms. He’s one of the main reasons i play wooden flute. With all that, he’s a humble and down-to-earth guy, who’s almost shy in person, and a great teacher too. I can’t say enough good things about him.
Later check http://www.boxwood.org.
Wow! Now I’m really intrigued and looking forward to the concert. Thanks for all your comments.
–Jay
He’s teaching a flute workshop at Music Folk
Fri 20 at 7 pm, that’s here in the St. Louis area.
fifteen dollars. I’m going. Call Music Folks if
you want to reserve a place. Best
I love Chris Normans playing on the records I have, some of his own works and two records of/with Baltimore Consort.
Norman is the reason I started to get “deeper” in Celtic and early music, and he started my interest in wooden flutes and whistles. I intended to get a wooden flute but ended up with various whistles, but now finally I have a R&R boxwood on order from McGee, tjooohoooo! 
/Peter
Glauber
great comparison of Normal as a modern-day Nicholson.
'cept that Chris prefers small- medium-sized holed flutes…Nicholson liked them Gigantic
(odd, too for such a smallman physicall (see photo on my Nicholson section of my website))
Well, i was going to say “a modern-day David Migoya”, but hey, that’s taken, already! In fact, i was trying to think of the name of a 19th century flute virtuoso, and the only one who came to mind was Nicholson. Chris Norman playing reminds me of what the 8-key flutes can do, that is, so much more than just playing tunes in G and D (though they do that brilliantly too).
Yes, it’s interesting and true, he prefers the smaller models, thinks they’re more expressive. Plays very loud too. Grey Larsen is another one that prefers small bored instruments. I think we’re just about ready to see the pendulum swing a little towards smaller bored flutes, after going all out for bigger is better for the past 20 years or so.
Hmm, some kind of compensation, maybe. But, as Freud said, “sometimes a flute is just a flute.”