Gold Coast Winds

When Clinton Dawley and a few musician friends pondered the idea of forming a wind ensemble, one idea was foremost in their minds.

“Our goal was to gather the most qualified players we could attract and go forth in pursuit of the finest wind literature,” Dawley said recently.

The result is the recently formed Gold Coast Ensemble, featuring 43 members--mostly Ventura County residents--and Dawley as conductor.

“The idea came from feeling a lack of satisfaction,” he said. “We wanted an opportunity to express ourselves with the music we enjoy most.”

The process of attracting qualified musicians was not as arduous as Dawley and the others expected.

“As it turns out there were a bunch of quality musicians,” he said, “looking to perform the caliber of music we wanted to play.”

The group, inaugurated in January, is scheduled to open its second season of performance dates Wednesday at Port Hueneme’s Dorill B. Wright Cultural Center.

“We’re essentially the wind and percussion sections out of a symphony,” he said, “with the addition of a saxophone section.”

The concert will feature a variety of pieces that Dawley hopes “will cover everyone’s musical tastes at least once--including the layman’s.”

“I’ve tried to format a type of program that covers pop, traditional literature and a couple of marches,” he said.

Along traditional lines, the evening will feature “Rocky Point Holiday” by Ron Nelson; pop pieces include “Copacabana,” arranged by Barry Manilow. There’s also “The Magic of Andrew Lloyd Webber.”

“We try and feature lively, upbeat tempo stuff,” Dawley said.

The concert begins at 8 p.m. The Dorill B. Wright Cultural Center is at 575 Surfside Drive, Port Hueneme. Tickets are $5. The ensemble will perform three concert dates at the center, including March 22 and June 18. A three-concert pass is $12. For more information, call the center at 986-6598.