From the Archives: WFSO in Texas Monthly, 1985.
More than 40 years ago, an article in Texas Monthly took a close look at the role regional symphony orchestras played in communities across Texas. At the heart of the story was the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra.
Written by Wichita Falls native Skip Hollandsworth, “Music to My Ears” is part personal memoir, part portrait of small-city orchestras, and part tribute to longtime WFSO conductor William Boyer as he prepared for his final concert after 21 years on the podium.
Reading it today offers a remarkable glimpse into an earlier chapter of the WFSO. The orchestra Hollandsworth describes has grown and changed considerably in the four decades since, but much of what he captures still rings true: the dedication of musicians, the power of a live orchestra, and perhaps most importantly, what it means for a community like Wichita Falls to have a symphony of its own.
In fact, one of the most compelling ideas running through the article is a question that feels just as relevant today: Why does a community care so deeply about having an orchestra?
Hollandsworth ultimately finds his answer back home in Wichita Falls, onstage with the WFSO for Boyer’s final performance of Brahms’ First Symphony.
We’re sharing a portion of that story below. We hope you’ll enjoy this look back at the WFSO of 1985—and then read the full article in the Texas Monthly archives.
Originally published as “Music to My Ears” by Skip Hollandsworth in the July 1985 issue of Texas Monthly. The following is an excerpt; the original article is available through Texas Monthly.
“I reflected on all that during rehearsals of the Brahms First Symphony in Wichita Falls. Throughout the years, the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra has put on some excellent performances. Many of the string players were professionals imported from the Dallas area for the weekend, and somehow everything managed to come together in time. Doc Severinsen, in a guest appearance three years ago, told the audience that the Wichita Falls Symphony was the “hottest” small-city orchestra in the country. As conductor Boyer said, “If you don’t expect anything at all, which is the case with most people who hear us for the first time, we’ll surprise the hell out of you.”
