Bittersweet Bookends

Dear Patrons and Friends,

Our 23rd season is ending and we will look back on this one with bittersweet memories. October (Summon the Heroes) found us celebrating the heroes in our lives with exhilarating and heroic music that ranged from The Incredibles to Sibelius’ Finlandia. But sadly, as we were preparing for this concert, one of our members, tuba player Nick Sower, a retired firefighter, EMT, and true hero, passed away unexpectedly. We honored Nick and many of our own personal heroes at that emotional concert.

An art show made our December concert unique (Winter Winds: Old World Carols, New World Sounds). Patrons made donations to the band then selected an original painting donated by Bay Area artist Debbie Vinograd to take home. A large and enthusiastic audience turned out for this Holiday concert where we performed celebratory and uplifting music including Alfred Reed’s Russian Christmas Music and of course Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride. We gave away poinsettias to several lucky recipients, along with the gift bags that are our staple. It truly was a seasonal celebration.

At the start of the new year, we learned thatwe received a grant from the Small Organization Sustainability Fund from the Sacramento Office of Arts and Culture. Thank you to band member Andrew Crotto for working hard to secure this significant award.

We teamed with the high school musicians of CK McClatchy in their beautiful auditorium in mid-March. This collaboration concert aligns with our mission to bring music to the greater Sacramento community. We hope we inspired the high school students as much as they inspired us.

The concert with CK McClatchy High School was followed by a notable concert in which we played music of Gustav Holst. (Holst: Bringer of Music). Our audience enjoyed iconic and powerful music of this master composer, including Mars and Jupiter from The Planet’s Suite, and several pieces by composers who were influenced by Holst.

On Mother’s Day (Spirit & Strength: A Mother’s Day Musical Tribute) we again welcomed a very large audience who were treated with a season highlight. The ensemble accompanied CSUS flute professor Dr. Cathie Apple as she performed the West Coast premiere of Alan Thiesen’s L’histoire de la Nouvelle Orleans. A truly magnificent performance! As a Mother’s Day treat, we gave away many potted flowers to appreciative audience members.

But again, it was bittersweet as we ended the season the way it began with the loss of two of our own. In April, we learned of the passing of Dr. Les Lehr (1938-2026), who founded Sacramento Symphonic Winds. Our May concert was dedicated to his memory, and we intend to honor his legacy as we strive for the excellence and growth he began decades ago. May he rest in peace. And very recently, we learned of the passing of Les Corbin. Les was a trumpet player, an original SSW founding member and spent many years as our Treasurer. He began playing trumpet with the Sacramento Valley Concert Band in 1977. Both men will be missed, and our deepest sympathies go out to their families.

As we close the books on this season, we’d like to thank all of you, our devoted patrons, who contribute so much to making Sacramento Symphonic Winds a success. We do it for you.

Kari Zimny
President, Sacramento Symphonic Winds Board of Directors