Chandor Gardens Foundation News

The Friends of Chandor Gardens Meeting held on Wednesday, Novenber 15, 2023 featured guest speaker/singer Judy James presentating; “Texas History in Song and Story"  part of her Keeping Our Western Heritage Alive program.

The talented Judy James (singer, songwriter, guitarist, educator, and radio host}, from right here in Weatherford, TX, presented the history of Texas through music and song, as only the masterful balladeer that she is could do.  She had all those present clapping and singing along. Learning history has never been so entertaining and fun.  

Biography of Judy James

• Lady Balladeer of Texas and Western Music DJ of Cowboy Jubilee with Judy James and Western Heritage Radio
• Former educator of Choral Music
• 6 CDs – Cowboy Jubilee, The Gift of the Cowboy, Beneath These Western Skies, My God and I, Christmas in My Hometown, and Beautiful Texas
• One of the Top 100 Most Heard Individual Artists on Cowboy/Western Radio Programs
• Four-Time DJ/Program of the Year – Cowboy Jubilee with Judy James AND Western Heritage Radio
• Cowboy Jubilee with Judy James is heard on QXFM 88.5 in North Texas & www.qxfm.com on Saturday mornings at 7:30 Central time
• Western Heritage Radio can be heard on www.judyjamesradio.com
• Cowboy Jubilee Gospel Hour can be heard on Sunday mornings at 8:00 Central time.
• Author: Western Wisdom – Educator’s Guide for Teachers of Western Heritage.
• Co-Author – Parker County Legends: Trail Bosses and Wild Horses (the story of Charles Goodnight, Oliver Loving, and Bose Ikard)
• Buckaroo youth director of Cowtown Opry in Fort Worth
• Board member Cowtown Opry in Fort Worth
• Available for history programs for schools, museums, groups, etc.
• Available to Emcee events and programs

 For more information about Judy James and to hear some of her songs - CLICK HERE

“ONE IS NICE. TWO IS BETTER. THREE IS A COLLECTION.” – JOHN PHIFER MARRS

On the evening of Saturday, November 11, 2023 our on going “Wine & Words” Speaker Series featured interior designer and author John Phifer Marrs at Chandor Gardens speaking about designing Interiors for Collectors, which he presented with charm and a magical sense of humor through entertaining stories and anecdotes.

John Phifer Marrs, an expert interior designer and purveyor of antiques, presented a luxurious look at unique and beautiful ways to display collected objects of just about anything and everything you can imagine - from arranging in a cabinet or on a small table to using an entire wing of a house.

When a client has multiple items that could make up a collection, gathering them and displaying them in a beautiful arrangement is his specialty. But aesthetics aren’t the only considerations. Many clients’ collections include valuable art, books, or historical documents that need to be preserved and protected in the proper casing, framing, and lighting.

Here are a few of John's quotes regarding decorating:

     “I think everyone should collect something,” 

     "Buy one really fabulous piece each year ... In five years you wil have five fabulous things!"

     "Every room needs a bit of whimsy"

     "Great wallpaper is better than bad art"

     "If deciding between two chandeliers - always go with the larger"

     "Untill you find the right thing leave it bare" 

      "Decorate you bedroom before your living room - it's the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing you see in the evening" 

His book Interiors for Collectors is about the joy of collecting and his passion for displaying just about anything and everything in unique and beautiful ways. It is an inspirational guide for displaying collections exquisitely, and contains many lavish photographs.

John’s book Interiors for Collectors was available for purchase ($40/book) at this event.

Book signing immediately followed the presentation.

About John Phifer Marrs:

John Phifer Marrs is a premier Southern interior designer known for an elegant, fresh and inviting style often called “The New Southern Style.” His interiors reflect his southern roots and combine a sense of the past with comfort and convenience. Funny and irreverent, with a “Saturday Night Live” sense of humor, John has been very busy entertaining his A-list clients and creating magical interiors in Texas, across the United States and in Europe and Central America. His projects include major residences, vacation homes, executive offices and even the official residence of a United States Ambassador. In 2014 “D Magazine” named him one of “The Dallas Dozen” – a salute to the twelve most important players in the city.

His education includes post-graduate studies in the U.S., as well as in the European Program at the Parsons School of Design in both Paris and Rome. He is an accredited interior designer, having successfully completed the NCIDQ Examination, and is a registered interior designer in the state of Texas

Talented musicians who created a musical experience that was emotional and entertaining!

Chandor Gardens Foundation Inc was pleased to present “An Autumnal Concert” by The TCU Harp Ensemble, as part of our on going Wine & Music series of concerts, in the Great Room of Chandor Gardens on Thursday, October 12, 2023.

The TCU Harp Ensemble directed by Kela Walton invited guests to enjoy an evening of autumnal music with works (solos, duets, and trios) by Andres, Handel, Hasselmans, Salzedo, Tournier, and more.

The program started at 7:00 PM (doors opened at 6:30 PM)

Tickets were $30 (wine/beer is included)

TCU Harp Ensemble Performer Bios

Kela Walton

Native Texan, Kela Walton enjoys a varied career as a harp instructor and freelance performer. An innovative educator, Kela serves on the faculty at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth where she teaches harp to university and pre-college students, leads the TCU Harp Ensemble, and is the director of the TCU Summer Harp Workshop.

In demand as a teacher and clinician, Kela has worked with harp students and adjudicated competitions throughout the U.S. since 1998. She co-directed the Youth Harp Ensemble at the 2016 American Harp Society National Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. A registered Suzuki instructor, Kela founded the harp program at Buffalo Suzuki Strings where she taught individual and group harp lessons as well as Early Childhood Education classes until 2018. 

Kela can be heard on the 2019 release Respighi: Roman Trilogy for the Naxos label, as well as several other orchestral recordings. She held the position of Interim Principal Harp with Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra during the 2017-18 season and toured internationally with the BPO in Poland. Kela has performed with orchestras throughout the U.S. including the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, Austin Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, South Carolina Philharmonic, Savannah Philharmonic, Temple Symphony, and Waco Symphony Orchestra. As a chamber musician she has premiered new works by award winning composers and was the harpist in residence with the Buffalo Chamber Players in New York.

Passionate about serving the harp community, Kela is currently the elected Chairman of Board of Directors for the American Harp Society. Kela’s articles have been published in the Harp Column magazine and The American Harp Journal. When not at the harp, she enjoys running, practicing yoga, and spending time with her nieces and nephew.

Kela Walton holds a Master of Music in Harp Performance and Pedagogy from The University of Houston Moores School of Music, and a Bachelor of Music in Harp Performance from The University of Texas at Austin Butler School of Music.

IsabellaGrace Ebo

Raised in a musical household, IsabellaGrace Ebo has always had a passion for making music. She began playing harp in 2015 in Virginia Beach, VA, having previously studied piano and violin.  After moving to Texas in 2018, she studied with Dr. Laura Brandenburg through the music preparatory division at Texas Christian University.

IsabellaGrace is a proud member of the American Harp Society, and in 2021, she placed 1st in two competitions hosted by the Dallas chapter of the AHS. In 2023, IsabellaGrace was selected to be one of twelve TMEA All State harpists. She enjoyed meeting fellow musicians and playing in an All State ensemble at the annual convention in San Antonio. 

IsabellaGrace is in her second season as a member of the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra, currently serving as principal harpist under the direction of Dr. Germán Gutiérrez. She has been a guest artist with other FWYO ensembles, including the Philharmonic Orchestra and the Wind Ensemble.  She was also the principal harpist for the Tarrant County Community Orchestra, 2021-2022.

As a Home School Senior, IsabellaGrace continues her harp studies in the prep program at TCU, and has been studying with Kela Walton since 2022.  She also enjoys playing harp in the orchestra at Christ Chapel Bible Church, where she and her family have attended since 2018. 

When not behind her harp, IsabellaGrace loves to travel, read, watch classic Westerns and movies, pet dogs, and spend time with her amazing family.

Lyndsey Walker

Lyndsey is an active harpist and violist studying Music Education at TCU. Lyndsey started Suzuki at a young age cannot remember many days without music. She tributes many of her successes to her teachers and mentors who have dedicated countless hours into shaping her into the musician she is today.

Lyndsey’s academic achievements include a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology awarded by Texas Christian University in 2021 and a Master of Science degree in Medical Physiology with a perfect 4.0 academic distinguishment awarded by Case Western Reserve University in 2022. As musician health becomes a more prominent subject in the field of music, Lyndsey’s goal is to incorporate her vast background in physiology and to promote musician health and wellness in the classroom and the community.

Some of Lyndsey’s musical accomplishments include being a member of the TCU Symphony for 6 years, being selected as a concerto competition winner and performed Ashokan Farewell as a viola soloist with the Arlington High Symphony. She was a six-year All-Region violist and advanced to all-area three consecutive times. She is a former member of the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra under the direction of Dr. German Gutierrez. She traveled to Aqui Terme, Italy, in 2017 where she performed in the Interharmony International Music Festival. Additionally, Lyndsey had the privilege of performing with 2CELLOS in 2018 and has also performed with the San Angelo Symphony Orchestra and Sherman Symphony Orchestra. Lyndsey’s goal is to become an orchestra director after she graduates next fall, along with continuing to teach students privately.