New Edmonton Wind Sinfonia mints a fresh vision

This will be the last article the St. Albert Gazette writes about New Edmonton Wind Sinfonia.

As the professional wind ensemble heads into a 40th anniversary, it celebrates its longevity and musical contributions with a concert on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the Myer Horowitz Theatre.

At the concert, music director Ray Baril will announce a new, rebranded name for the ensemble, a moniker that reflects who the band is.

“We’re shortening it. It will be known as Edmonton Winds. It’s clear and concise,” said Baril describing the 50-piece mixed ensemble.

Discussion for rebranding started after NEWS returned from the 2015 World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles Festival in San Jose, California.

WASBE is an international organization established in 1981 that has encouraged discovering new music and ideas beyond one’s borders.

Excited to attend the festival, the ensemble brought Canadian trumpeter Jens Lindeman and a collection of Canadian music. Little did the musicians know their performances would be a turning point, an important development in their career.

“We were relatively unknown and no one knew what to expect of us,” Baril said. However, through a blend of professionalism, a high level of musicianship and strong chemistry, NEWS transformed itself into the festival darling.

“The band played the best I ever heard it. We were playing to an international audience, an educated audience and we were able to maintain a level of performance not achieved on a regular basis. We came back saying, ‘This is what we want to be.’”

“We wanted to be the highest quality group we could be. There was a real change of attitude, a real need to take it seriously especially when we realized everyone was taking us seriously.”

The original ensemble was formed in 1976 when Dennis Prime, a public high school teacher formed a Saturday class where music educators, professional musicians and students could play together.

“It was an opportunity for educating the community and connecting with public schools. By bringing in Edmonton’s finest young musicians, they could sit next to older musicians and be mentored.”

Prime went on a sabbatical two years later and the band continued under Marvin Eckroth and Dr. Malcolm Forsyth, a University of Alberta instructor. Forsyth named the band Edmonton Wind Sinfonia.

Prime returned in 1979 as director for Alberta College and the ensemble was headquartered there until the late 1990s. Alberta College was undergoing administrative issues and Grant MacEwan College was asked to take over the ensemble’s stewardship.

Baril, a saxophonist who had conducted with the Cosmopolitan Music Society from the 1980s through the 1990s, landed the directorship in 1999.

“I’ve always had a soft spot for community bands. I believe in community music. It provides musicians skills and it’s an important social network.”

Following Baril’s vision, the ensemble upped its game, touring Europe several times, recording two albums and winning a 2012 Western Canadian Music Award for Best Classical Composition.

Under Baril the band rebranded itself as the New Edmonton Wind Sinfonia. In the last 15 years it has drawn a host of gifted soloists including St. Albert oboist Sherri Roy, trumpeter John Dymianiw, euphonium player Darwin Krips and piccolo/flute player Crystal Krips.

The Saturday concert is a snapshot of selected repertoire through the decades. Baril has included a wide range of music from composers as distinct as Giovanni Gabrieli, Beethoven, Dmitri Kabalevsky, Leonard Bernstein, John Williams and Allan Gilliland.

“The concert is an opportunity to see its development and history and see how it connects to the city. It’s truly a great ensemble that is coming together to make music.”