Winter Texan Orchestra to perform pair of free Christmas shows

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PHARR — Marlyn Krueger stood on a raised podium in the Main Hall of the Tip O’ Texas RV Resort Wednesday morning as she made some announcements to the members of the Winter Texan Orchestra.

She reminded the group of what time they will need to arrive for their Christmas concerts on Sunday and Tuesday, and what their attire should be.

“I want you in your seats ready to play at 2:30,” Krueger, who has been the orchestra’s conductor for eight years, said. “You must bring a music stand. White and black (attire), and if you want Christmas accents, I’m OK with that. That’s fine.”

After a few more announcements and taking a few questions from some of the 40 members of her orchestra, she asked for the piano player to play an A-note as the orchestra began to warm-up.

A member asked for a B-flat, and the rest of the band continued to tune their instruments. When they were all ready, Krueger informed the group of how she would count them in to the show’s opener, “A Festive Fanfare.”

She gave the tempo before jumping in, but the band was not quite ready and she motioned for them to stop after only a few measures.

“That really shakes up my confidence,” she said before counting them in again. This time, the orchestra played more to her liking. “That gives me chills when I hear that.”

The rest of the rehearsal flowed more smoothly as Krueger led the group of musicians through the rest of the songs they are set to perform — making minor adjustments here and there and reminding members of their cues.

The orchestra is in excellent hands under Krueger’s direction. Before retiring, she worked as a music teacher for over 30 years in her hometown in northwest Ohio.

“We’re playing a variety of Christmas music. The piece that you just heard us rehearse was actually made popular by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I guess they’re going to be in San Antonio soon,” she said. “The other music, I try to use a variety of pieces. Some of them are medleys, which contain different bits and pieces of familiar Christmas songs, but we’re ending with selections from the ‘Polar Express.’”

Kreuger, who described herself as a true Winter Texan, originally joined the orchestra 12 years ago, switching from trumpet to cello as a member of the group.

“And then the conductor asked me to help him, and of course, I wanted to help people, so I did,” she said. “Then he passed away. And so here I am, and now I’m looking for a helper.”

Her orchestra consists mostly of members who reside at the Winter Texan resort, but the group has grown to include a few members who are high school and college-aged.

Jim Raabe, a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was one of the orchestra’s original members when it was originally conceived over 30 years ago. At 92 years old, he is the group’s oldest member.

“Well, I never was a musician before. I took somebody’s place because the woman didn’t want to do it anymore, these cymbals,” he said, motioning to a cymbal on a stand that he plays with a pair of mallets. “So I came in. My wife was, at the time, the orchestra organizer. She talked me into doing the cymbals.”

He said that the number of people who move to the Rio Grande Valley during the winter has drastically reduced since 2020. He said that he was glad to see the younger members offering their help with the orchestra.

“It’s good to be seen,” he added.

Beth Hiebert from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada has been a member of the orchestra since her retirement in 2019. She described herself as a fiddle player, but she has moved to percussion since breaking her wrist while playing pickleball.

“I started as a violinist,” she said. “I’m actually a fiddle player from Canada. I have no vibrato in my violin.”

She said that she had never performed with an orchestra prior to her joining the group.

“As a (band) teacher, my back was always to the audience, right? But I did have to do a lot of speaking and that kind of thing. So I don’t actually get nervous,” she said. “I just have to play with confidence. And if you make a mistake, you just make a mistake. That’s just the way it is.”

The orchestra is scheduled to perform at 3 p.m. on Sunday at the Texas Trails RV Resort, which is located at 501 W. Owassa Road in Pharr; and at 2 p.m. on Tuesday at the Tip O’Texas RV Resort, located at 101 E. Sioux Road in Pharr. Both shows will be free of charge.

“It’s just a very happy time when you’re listening to music that triggers memories that you have of when you were younger or middle aged, of experiences you had at Christmas time,” Kreuger said. “It just leaves, mainly, a happy feeling in your heart. And most people will go away smiling, I hope so.”

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