LA VOCE del VENTO (The Voice Of The Wind) CHAMBER PLAYERS, was established in 1982 by Bassoonist Ann Hubbard. It was, intended to fill a gap in classical performance: namely to use Woodwinds in performance, along with Piano and Strings. The debut in the Old First Church was very successful, and was followed by a concert at Herbst Theater. There was a nice review by Chronicle Critic Tircuit: ". . .a need for this literature. . . " Performances were well received and the group was off, until life intruded with reality, and a break in residency in the Bay Area

    I thought we could become a more specific part of the community in several ways. Of course, we start with The Lake County Symphony, in which so many of us participate, and the Youth Symphony which adds so much to the string players possibilities educationally, as does the Fiddling Group, which is also a wonderfully fun way to work with accomplished adults and gain that confidence available when actually doing the job.

    It would be wonderful to be able to add winds to the strings, and complete the Youth Symphony ensemble. I hope the Voce musicians will be able to participate in a program of Master Classes, and Play Along groups which would enhance the opportunities for wind players, and make their participation in the Youth Symphony possible.

    All of us love to play Symphonic works, and we would love to be able to play Chamber Music, as well. With no conductor, there is a different commitment, and intimacy in all rehearsals and performances. The musicians form the strongest ensemble possible when forced to listen to everyone else because there is no one there to tell them what to do. The immediacy of musical necessity is present every second because everything that is played is so exposed - seen and heard, and each moment is important no matter what part is being played, or who has the solo.

    We have a very strong and committed core group of Strings and Winds, Brass to follow soon. We can call on colleagues from the Greater Bay Area to the North Humboldt Bay Area. We can bring in audiences from other places because we are performing works that are very seldom performed. We can play with Theatre in the Round and do innovative works which lend themselves to the intimate setting offered by Soper Reese Theater. There are so many possibilities waiting to be made manifest!

    La Voce del Vento Chamber Players will bring in people to Lake County who are interested in Nature and in Wine Tours. These people, who appreciate fine dining and accommodations and know how to enjoy them, will love adding music to their weekend activities here in Lake County.

    Help us to expand our audience, and our performing opportunities here, at home in Soper Reese Theater. We want to invite you to join with us to make this group become the Voice of the Wind in Lake County.