The majesty of an orchestra with its numerous woodwinds, strings, percussions, and brass, coupled with the exuberance of a conductor, is unmistakably dramatic and entertaining in its sounds and volume. However, not every city has a facility large enough to accommodate the more than 40 members that typically comprise a Chamber Orchestra.
That’s the beauty of, and the reason behind, the creation of the ROCO Brass Quintet, a five-person group created from the celebrated River Oaks Chamber Orchestra based in Houston, TX.
The ROCO Brass Quintet will perform a March 29
th
concert as part of the Horseshoe Bay Cultural Enrichment Society’s third season. The concert begins at 4:30 p.m. and will be performed at Quail Point Lodge located at 107 Twilight in Horseshoe Bay. Tickets are $40 each and can be bought online at hsbenrichment.org.
The Quintet is an ensemble consisting of two trumpeters, one French horn player, one tenor trombone player and one bass trombone player that plays much of the same music the orchestra performs, according to trumpeter George Chase, the leader of the Quintet and a member of the group since they began 15 years ago.
“ROCO performs a hundred works of various composers from around the world. We’re an industry leader. All of us would love to come to Horseshoe Bay and perform. To make it easy for a concert to happen, having five people is easier than 40 musicians,” he explains.
The ROCO Brass Quintet will perform songs from a wide-ranging time period from the 1500s to the 20th century, Chase said. One difference between our quintet and an orchestra is that the Quintet doesn’t have a designated conductor, Chase says.
“You don’t have someone dictating to you to perform at a certain rate of speed,” Chase elaborates. “In the Quintet, we all take turns on who’s leading what and how fast we want to go and if we don’t agree, we talk about it.”
That’s another reason why quintet members also have personal friendships that allow them to communicate honestly because they know the goal is to give audiences the best concerts possible. Chase joked that their quintet has a’ no jerks’ policy. “We want to make sure everyone gets along,” he said. “Otherwise, our collaboration may not be as fruitful.”
Chase said audiences will truly enjoy this concert because of the variety of music that will be presented. Their repertoire runs from the Renaissance through Baroque, and all the way to modern dance and Duke Ellington.
“I think our programs offer a wide-ranging appeal to people,” he said. “We have our own repertoire, and I’m confident that our audience will have a great time with us at the performance in Horseshoe Bay.”
The Cultural Enrichment Society’s 2020 season kicked off in February with a sold-out performance by Johnny Nicholas, Kelley Mickwee and Bill Small. The Cultural Enrichment Society is a 501(c) (3) non-profit group offering culturally rich entertainment in music, the arts and education designed to enliven Hill Country audiences. Programming during its two previous seasons has included informative and educational lectures on wide-ranging topics and musical performances ranging from jazz and country to string quartets, soloists and pianists. The 2020 season includes blues, brass, comedy, original music, movies, Grammy winners, and a traditional Christmas performance. To donate to Horseshoe Bay Cultural Enrichment or to purchase tickets, please log on to
www.hsbenrichment.org
.
