Los Alamos Community Winds at a previous concert. Courtesy/LACW
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
Whether it was Olympic qualifier Chase Ealey or medalist Luke Hobson, Los Alamos had a few ties to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
For its upcoming fall concert 7 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Betty Ehart Senior Center, the Los Alamos Community Winds decided to pay homage to all Olympians who are connected to Los Alamos by dedicating its performance of John William’s “Summon the Heroes” to them.
According to the program notes, Williams composed “Summon the Heroes” for the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Director Ted Vives said they would love to see any friends or family of Ealey, who graduated from Los Alamos High School in 2012, attend the concert as well as any locals with ties to the Special Olympics or Paralympic Games. He mentioned that resident Ruth Lier, whose grand-nephew Hobson earned bronze and silver medals in the Olympic swimming events, plans to attend the concert.
“We are hoping that we will actually have the families and Olympians in some form at the concert,” he said. “It was really cool seeing … how many athletes had Los Alamos connections. That was kind of the inspiration.”
It is not just the Summer Olympics being celebrated during the upcoming concert; Vives noted that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the Community Winds.
He mentioned they are performing pieces that have been on previous programs as well as music that Vives has hoped to play for some time.
For instance, John Philip Sousa’s “The Beau Ideal” and Claude Debussy ‘s “Clair de lune” have appeared on the Winds’ programs before while William McCauley’s “Canadian Folksong Fantasy” has been in the organization’s collection for a while, waiting for a chance to be heard.
Vives described it as an “interesting piece for the band”.
Another highlight will the Brahms’ “Academic Festival Overture”.
“It’s definitely a tour-de-force,” he said. “It is a challenge, but it is a piece that is very well known to concert goers. We hope and plan to do it justice. The whole point of revisiting old pieces while introducing ones is to “showcase where we have been, where we are going, and where we are,” Vives said.
It is also a chance to show people what the Community Winds can do, he added.
“I think the Winds have filled an important niche in our local culture,” Vives said. “When I arrived here back in 2000, I tried to get involved as much as possible in the music and arts community. I was surprised to some extent that there wasn’t a concert band.”
There were some great music groups but not one that performed concert band music, he said.
Los Alamos’ geography and population make it tough, Vives said, pointing out that on the East Coast, a community concert band can be found every 10 miles but out in Northern New Mexico it is not so easy.
So, to form one and to have it operate for so long “is a testament to the talent we have in this community …”
The Community Winds has made its mark on the national and international stage, too.
For instance, in 2012, the Winds earned first runner up in the American Prize, which gives awards nationally and internationally. Vives said the Wind regularly competes in the American Prize and has consistently placed on the top levels.
“It is a testament to the skill and talent of our players in our small community,” he said.
Additionally, the Winds were featured on an international webcast called Brass Cast. Vives explained the webcast reached quarter to a half-million people around the world.
“That was nice to have that kind of exposure and recognition around the word,” he said, adding that is makes the players feel like what they are doing is worthwhile.
The number of musicians has remained steady over the years and Vives said there is a core group of about 10 people who have been with the Winds since its inception.
However, musically, the group has evolved, he said.
“We have grown certainly musically. I believe the pieces now are much more challenging. We have gotten up to a high level of performance in a short amount of time.”
Looking to the future, Vives said things are not slowing down. The Winds will host its Holiday Prism concert Dec. 14 and the spring concert will feature a guest conductor.
It is still in the planning stages, but Vives said work is underway to host a week-long festival in 2026 to celebrate Mozart’s 270th birthday.
There is a lot on the horizon, but the Winds’ objectives remain the same, he said.
“I think what we have always wanted to achieve with this group, and what we have always striven for is to have it be a good, solid, competent concert band that plays enjoyable, and sometimes challenging, literature and that the community appreciates its worth.”
The Oct. 12 concert is free but there is a suggested donation of $15. For more information, visit www.lacw.org
Due to the road construction on Bathtub Row, patrons are encouraged to park either in Mesa Public Library’s auxiliary parking lot or in the senior center’s lower-level parking lot.
