The Past, Present, & Beyond…
Jordan Mathisen, Clarinetist & Personnel Advisor/Librarian
As the Desert Winds heads towards the pinnacle of its fall season, we musicians become very enthusiastic about putting together a spectacular and innovative product that will delight, provoke, and inspire our listeners during the holiday season. While our audience loves to take part in our performances, many cannot begin to imagine what meticulous planning and dedicated preparation goes into each rehearsal.
Every concert season, the biggest challenge ensembles face is how to create an alluring image that will set the appropriate tone for the upcoming year. Looking back at the start of our season, it was clear through the beginning notes of our first rehearsal in August that our Artistic Director Charles A. Maguire had put careful consideration and thought into each and every selection when programming our October “Sketches” concert. With its brilliant array of works that encompassed several cultures around the globe, the ensemble was enthusiastically challenged and the audience was thus wowed by the intricate and diverse passages that begin to shape the Desert Winds’ future as Las Vegas’ premiere contemporary wind ensemble.
This November, our “Veterans Day Salute” concert continued a tradition established by the Desert Winds three years ago. Considered by Maguire as “the most important concert we perform each year,” one cannot help but be inspired by this truly honored performance, either as a performer or patron. As the tribute to our veterans was heard through the organization of both sound and silence colored by snippets of patriotic music held so near and dear to our nation, genuine respect for those that have sacrificed for our country and a celebration of our civil freedoms this election year remained ever present in our minds and hearts.
Now, as rehearsals for our "Winter Sketches" concert cycle have begun, again the Desert Winds is focused on continuing to paint a unique and vivid picture on a canvas of silence. While many consider holiday concerts to be “fun” and “cheery,” Maguire’s unique vision and energy will result in an extraordinary aesthetic experience for our holiday audiences. Though the sacred and secular melodies we have grown to love are still ever present, Maguire’s incredible musicianship is guiding the Desert Winds to explore and create new sounds as never heard before. Such an approach will undoubtedly make listeners reminisce about their childhood and relive their own feelings of wonder and innocence on Christmas Day.
We look forward to seeing you this December!
