Celebrating Ten Years of Chamber Winds
The East Texas Chamber Winds (ETCW) celebrated their tenth anniversary with a special concert on Saturday, June 14, 2025, in the Banita Ballroom at The Fredonia Hotel. The performance was led by ETCW Artistic Director, Dr. Roy McLerran, who founded the ensemble in the summer of 2015. Under McLerran’s leadership, the ETCW has performed 17 public concerts, 2 gala performances, and a musical showcase at the 2018 Texas Music Educators Association convention. In their first decade, the ensemble also commissioned two works (Mountain Songs by Jack Wilds in 2019; Capri Suite by David Campo in 2025) and premiered two original arrangements (Preludes: Book 1, arr. Jack Hontz in 2022; Carnival of the Animals, arr. McLerran in 2023). In keeping with the ensemble’s motto, “Music for the sake of music,” the biannual ETCW concerts have been offered to the public free of charge. As one of few professional ensembles in the region, the musicians intend to make cultural events accessible to all community members. In 2024, the ETCW was honored to earn second place for the American Prize (McLerran was also a national finalist for conducting). For his decade of service to the ensemble, the ETCW Board of Directors presented McLerran with a plaque at the performance. About the event, McLerran said, “Life is good when you get to do the thing you love most with the people you love most.”
Photos by Harmon Ray
Roy McLerran and Tracy Doss
“Life is good when you get to do the thing you love most with the people you love most.”
The 10th Anniversary Celebration began with a performance of Sonata pian e' forte by Gabrieli, guest conducted by Dr. Tamey Anglley, Director of Bands at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) and current ETCW Board Member. This work was composed in Venice in the 1500s and is recognized for being the first instance of prescribed dynamic (volume) changes and assigned instrumental parts. To replicate the original staging of the music (in antiphonal choir lofts), the musicians were split into two groups and performed in opposite corners of the ballroom. This piece was followed by Tower Music from Alan Hovhaness, a 20th-century American composer and church organist. The third piece on the concert, Concerto for Cello and Winds by Ibert, featured Dr. Evgeni Raychev on the cello. Raychev serves on the faculty of SFASU and is an internationally celebrated cellist. This is the first time that the ETCW has performed a concerto. Ibert composed the piece in 1925 in Paris, France, after returning home from service in WWI (this year marks the 100th anniversary of its premiere). The work is unique for its angular melodies and cluttered orchestration. Dr. Raychev received a standing ovation for his performance.
Tamey Anglley
Evgeni Raychev
After a brief intermission, the concert resumed with the world premiere of Capri Suite by Dr. David W. Campo, a celebrated composer and the recently retired Director of Bands for SFASU. This piece was commissioned in the past year by the ETCW and was inspired by Campo’s recent trip to the Island of Capri in Italy. Each of the three movements represents a unique location on the island: Giardini di Augusto (Gardens of Augustus), Grotta Azzura (Blue Grotto), and Marina Piccola (Little Harbor). The vibrant work invokes the natural elements and historic significance of each location (e.g., the performers simulated the sensation of floating through the Blue Grotto by sustaining ethereal pitches on water glasses and used an ocean drum to invoke the sound of crashing waves). This piece is sure to be a treasured contribution to the chamber wind canon! The concert concluded with Mozart’s Serenade in c minor, which the ETCW performed on their first concert ten years ago.
David W. Campo
The ETCW tenth anniversary concert showcased the talents of 27 musicians and was attended by approximately 100 community members. To enhance the evening, the Fredonia Hotel provided a cash bar and facilitated sweet treats such as goat cheese bites and freshly baked cookies. The ETCW would like to thank the SFASU School of Music for the use of their rehearsal spaces and for providing the music stands for the performance. Thank you to Tracy Doss for the beautiful decorations, Dr. Brad Meyer for the recording services, Harmon Ray for the photography services, and San Augustine ISD for printing the concert programs. Links to the concert videos are listed on the Archive page.
The East Texas Chamber Winds would like to formally thank the members of the East Texas community who have supported our concerts for the past decade! The donors for this season included: Charles and Barbara Mitchell and Dr. John and Sharon Oglesbee. Special thanks to the ETCW Board of Directors - Tracy Doss, Patti McLerran, Brandon Beavers, Dr. Tamey Anglley, Barbara Mitchell, and Dr. Roy McLerran - and the ETCW members (Solfege Donors) - Curtis and Amber Vanegas, Dr. Christopher Ayer, Jennifer Myrick, Tracy Doss, Rick and Sandi Russell, and Patti and Rod McLerran. (Learn more about our membership levels here).
Full Ensemble, Summer 2025 - Pictures by Harmon Ray
The ETCW will return to the Fredonia Hotel on Saturday, January 3, 2026, for their tenth winter concert.