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 News from Around Banderas Bay | March 2005 
Vallarta Chamber Orchestra Debut: A Tale of Two Women
 D'Rachal Mora
Puerto Vallarta - An impossible dream came true in Puerto Vallarta on March 19th. Two of the city's most beloved entertainers fulfilled their long time dream of creating a local orchestra.
In August of 2004 Spotlight Productions founder and director Kathleen Hennen and her close friend D'Rachal Mora, who sings jazz, plays flute and harp at Archies Wok and Dacquiri Dicks and throughout the Bay Area decided that it was time to "JUST DO IT". Kathleen had recently returned to Vallarta after surviving a life-threatening illness and
the death of her husband and had begun an ambitious schedule of theatrical productions for the 2005 season.
The two women started to rehearse for a chamber orchestra and one by one people who could play wind and string instruments began to join them. Some had not touched their instruments in twenty years. But even the professional musicians who played regularly were nervous and intimidated by the challenge.
On Saturday, March 19th, months of hard work paid off. Hundreds of fans enjoyed the debut performance of the Vallarta Chamber Orchestra at the Contreras (Cecatur) auditorium. The local artists were complemented by four extraordinary guest soloists. David and Erin Brewer and Andrew and Veronica Wilson contributed performances such as Mozart's Divertimiento in D Major, Csardas by V. Monti, Recuerdos del Alhambre by Tannega and the Adagio from Sonata #1 in G Minor by Bach.
David Brewer has been the concertmaster of the Arlington Philharmonic, the East Texas Symphony and was co-concertmaster of Andrea Bocelli's U.S. tour. His wife Erin has played principal horn with the Arlington Philharmonic and has performed with the New Mexico Symphony, the Dallas Chamber Orchestra and the Santa Fe Symphony. Veronica Wilson and Andrew Wilson have performed as soloists at the Sam Houston University Symphony, the Houston Civic Symphony and in Corpus Christi. Andrew Wison has performed extensively throughout the United States.
The surprise revelation late in the program was that David Brewer is the son of Kathleen Hennen, who has played with several symphonies and has conducted as founder and director of the Howard Payne University orchestra. Conductor Mary Mac Lachlan has played with the Calgary Philharmonic and conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. D'Rachal's family all became schooled in musical instruments when her family began to sell them. Each child was assigned to become proficient in several instruments.
D'Rachal, Sharon Baughman and Chris May were the soloists for the orchestra's opening performance of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #4 in G Major. Kathleen Hennen announced that the performance of Ravel's Bolero was made possible only through the efforts of well-known sax player Marteen Montenegro, who had created the arrangements for the entire orchestra. Montenegro who will be remembered for his many jazz concerts at Cuates y Cuetes on Los Muertos is currently on tour for the University.
The Bolero rendition, ably assisted by percussoinist Danny Lopez, was extraordinary and brought the crowd to its feet, resulting in an encore. Local members of the Vallarta Chamber Orchestra include Rick Eisenbud, Kathleen Hennen, Chris May, Mary MacLaden, Carla Sawnson on violin, Sybil Breitweiser and David White on Viola, Liliana Estrada on cello,
D' Rachal Mora and Kirsten Reinking on flute, Sharon Baughman on recorder, Kathy Overly on Oboe and keyboard, Emilia Torres on Basson, Oscar Terrazas on Alto Sax, Marteen Montenegro on Tenor Sax, Doug DeMeerleer on String Bass, Antonio Chavez Mtz on Marimba and Danny Lopez on Percussion. |
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