By Wendy Oliver
When I first moved to Buena Vista, I expected to gain a traffic-free life in the mountains while losing out on performing arts. Three months later, I attended the 1999 Alpine Orchestra’s Christmas concert and discovered a high caliber community orchestra right in the Upper Arkansas Valley. By January, I’d dusted off my oboe and joined both the Orchestra and the pit band for the local production of Brigadoon. More than a decade and a hundred performances later, I’m still impressed with the depth of talent in our small communities.
The Alpine Orchestra incorporated in 1991 as the brainchild of violinist Teclia Cunningham and violist Cheryl Tischer. They played together in community musicals, and struggled together to keep their music skills sharp in the year between shows.
Cheryl said, “We had so much fun doing The Sound of Music. Once it was over, we made some phone calls and got our friends together. Thirteen people showed up at our first rehearsal. That summer we played our first concert in Riverside Park.”
When Cheryl told her friend Vailia Davidson about the orchestra, Vailia asked if they needed a piano player. Vailia showed up at rehearsal and was hooked. “I immediately fell in love with everybody. I was so desperate to stay that I learned to play viola. I love this orchestra.” She still plays viola and fills in on piano when needed.
In the early years, the orchestra fought wind and temperature issues while playing concerts outside. They played in parades. They struggled. “We had some tough years,” Teclia said. “We had to work really hard to get any credibility. It wasn’t easy.”
With good publicity, word of mouth, and lots and lots of practice, the group developed a good reputation and in return, more players.
Most Alpine concerts now have around forty players from Leadville, Buena Vista, Salida, and from as far as Summit County to Alamosa, and Fairplay to Fremont County. Teclia figured that almost two hundred different people have played in the Alpine Orchestra over the years. Four of the original members are still playing: Teclia, Cheryl, Vailia, and Bill Murphy. Teclia has been concertmaster the entire time.
Six different men have conducted the orchestra over the years. The current conductor, Dr. Farrell Coy, took the stick in 1999. “He pushed us to improve as individuals and as an ensemble,” Teclia said. “We’ve tried harder and become more than we realized was possible.”
The orchestra ranges in ability from novice to professional. Many of us played in high school or college, then as busy adults we put away our instruments.
Vailia pointed out that playing an instrument is like riding a bike. “Your skill will come back. If you have an inclination to play, just dive right in and go for it. I’m a firm believer that the best way to improve is to play with a group.”
“Overall quality has improved tremendously simply because of the continuity of playing together and listening,” Teclia said. “We first got together to have a good time. We still enjoy what we do.”
One of the orchestra’s goals is to encourage and promote instrumental music among the area youth. The local schools have band but not orchestra programs. Young string players have no easy way to play with a group, which puts them at a disadvantage.
In 2010, Teclia and violinist Noelle Hogan proposed an apprenticeship program. Students who are ready for the challenge of performing with an ensemble but not yet capable of maastering the music for an entire concert are allowed to join for a few of the less technical songs.
“It’s very important that we are bringing in the students,” Teclia said, “that we are getting the youth trained and excited about playing and dedicating themselves to it. I want to see them stay and make the group stronger.”
Consequently, the group feels like a multi generational family. They range in age from pre-teen to octogenarian. They congratulate and sympathize with each other for everything from the purchase of a new instrument to a death in the family. They always welcome new members and grieve their losses. Sometimes they marvel at the fates. For example, when charter member Ed Johnson passed away, he willed his cello to the orchestra. Within days, a new cellist contacted the orchestra. She loved to play, but no longer had her own instrument. So, Ed’s cello rejoined the orchestra in new, talented hands.
The board and members of the Alpine Orchestra are proud of their ability to present the concerts free to the public. They ask for donations, and most years, the concert donations cover the expenses. Concerts are costly with royalties, music rental, rehearsal and performance space, and a stipend for the director. For the past ten years, the orchestra has offered scholarships for students heading to college to study music.
The orchestra performs three concert series a year, with each group of music being performed in Leadville, Buena Vista and Salida. The June 2011 concert series was the official twentieth anniversary celebration. For the August concert series, the group added extra wind players and gave the strings a break by playing popular band music.
The third and final concert series this year is a lighthearted collection of music written for kids and the young at heart, like the “William Tell Overture,” “March of the Toys,” and a suite from “Carnival of the Animals,” (although they do not have either a yo-yo or a flamingo.) The three performances are November 18, 7:30 p.m. at the Annunciation Church in Leadville; November 19, 7:30 p.m. at the Salida SteamPlant; and a Sunday matinee on November 20, 3:00 p.m., at Mountain Heights Baptist Church in Buena Vista.
An orchestra, or any musical ensemble, is truly more than the sum of the parts.
“We’re all literally on the same page. It’s good medicine. When I’m playing, I just love being in the moment. It’s like a meditation.”
Teclia agreed. “We still enjoy each other. We enjoy making music together.”
