Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble concert packs Peace Presbyterian

Standing in the back row of the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble, and partially obscured by two timpani, North Port's Lynn Cleary said she had butterflies before the "Song and Dance" concert.

Since Cleary conducts both the Manatee and North Port concert bands, and performs as a percussionist with several other groups, it was interesting she could be nervous Sunday at Peace Presbyterian Church in Lakewood Ranch in front of a couple hundred music fans.

But, as Cleary put it, "The talent in this room ... if I could can this, I would be a millionaire, This is the cream of the crop."

When founder Joe Miller formed the group in 2019, Cleary said she was honored to receive an invitation.

"I knew it," Cleary said when asked if she thought the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble was going to be special.

A couple rows in front of Cleary was Sarasota tuba player Jim Damoulakis, who said he looks forward to every Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble performance.

"This group plays a lot more challenging stuff," he said.

The challenging stuff on Sunday included Russell Alexander's "The Southerner," C. Friedemann's "Slavonic Rhapsody," and Norman Della Joio's "Satiric Dances."

Del Webb's Meredith Fry is a returning fan of the wind ensemble who said she loves having such talented musicians perform so close to her home. She brought a neighbor, Pat McMillan, who has heard such positive reviews of the band that she has cleared May 5 on her schedule because that is the next concert at Peace Presbyterian.