On Saturday night, Blanco was treated to an extraordinary concert under the stars in the Uptown Blanco Courtyard by the quintet Windsync. This performance kicks off Blanco Performing Arts’ Silver Linings season for 2020-21.

The experience was equally appreciated by the audience who have been somewhat cooped up by the COVID pandemic and this amazing group of musicians who have also been restricted by COVID-19 and unable to perform in public since Feb. 29.

Windsync’s members are Garrett Hudson on flute, Claire Kostic on oboe, Julian Hernandez on clarinet, Kara LaMoure on bassoon, and Anni Hochhalter on French horn. Each of these skilled musicians are exceptional on their own but together, musically, they are breathtaking. They took turns at introducing each piece.

They started the show with Lorenzo Barcelata’s El Cascabel. This proved to be an excellent showcase for the quintet with each performer garnering a solo to give the audience a taste of their art. Each solo made you feel the selection was specifically to highlight that musician, only to have that idea disproven as soon as they, seamlessly, blended together again. Light percussion was provided, at times, by some of the members punctuating the timing of the piece with rhythmic clapping.

In honor of Beethovens’ 250th birthday, Quintet in E-flat Major, Opus 5 was performed in four movements. The first movement, Allegro con brio, gave the feeling of a walk in a forest and watching the young animals frolicking playfully. Andante, the second movement, had that bittersweet feel of visiting a much beloved old friend with the realization that this precious visit will come to an end all too soon, so you drink it in while you can.

Menuetto piu allegretto brought to mind a stately 18th century carriage ride through a country estate with the music rising and falling as the view changed. This selection concluded with Finale, Presto which had a playful sound. For each instrumental call, there was a musical answer. It is impossible to single any one of the group as a feature because they create a synergy of sound which has to be experienced to be fully appreciated.

Changing gears, the next selection was unusual for a wind quintet. They played Summertime by George Gershwin, or should I say, they owned Summertime by George Gershwin. Not only did they capture the blues sound and feel, they captured the feel of the pressure of the heat and humidity that comes with summer.

After the 2019 NASA celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, Windsync was somewhat moonstruck and commissioned Marc Mellitis to compose a piece based on that event. He created Apollo which has 7 movements. Appropriately, this was performed under a moon-lit night sky and was spectacular.

The first movement, Theia, named after the Titaness, whose name means the shining, bright blue ether of the sky, was energetic with a punctuated start. The next movement, Sea of Tranquility, brought to mind images of a fly-over of the actual Sea of Tranquility with a slow, undulating quality.

Buzz, the third movement, had as many layers and as much complexity as Buzz Aldrin, himself. Luna Nova, the fourth movement, was slow, gentle and heavenly with each instrument weaving another thread into the fabric of the music. The fifth movement, Debbie Waltzing on the Moon, had the ebb and flow of an ethereal waltz.

One Small Step was measured but with strength and greatness conjuring the NASA images of our first steps on the moon. Moonwalk, the final movement, spoke to the almost weightless ambulation of the astronauts as the world united to watch our great endeavor.

For the evening’s next selection, Windsync requested audience participation. It was “happy birthday” dedicated to Rebecca Henricks, who is a member of the Blanco Performing Arts board of directors.

America from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein, the final selection for the evening, was performed with a vitality that was spread to the listeners. The evening was topped off with You Are My Sunshine by Jimmie Davis which felt sweet and sad at the same time.

Last season was cut painfully short due to the pandemic. Many adjustments were made, and guidelines were issued to get permission for this concert to take place. It was all worth it. Blanco Performing Arts have risen like the phoenix with Season 11 aptly named Silver Linings, because they will always be a silver lining for Blanco.