June 10

The Karl L. King Fort Dodge Municipal Band opened their summer season on Sunday night, June 10, at the Oleson Park Bandshell, featuring patriotic music in observance of Flag Day.  Marches included on the program were Americans We by Fillmore, Emblem of Freedom by King, Band of America March by LaValle, and Stars and Stripes Forever by Sousa.

Music heard at the time of war was performed, including Over There from World War I, and Blue and Gray Patrol from the Civil War.  In addition, the music of George M. Cohan was heard in the Star-spangled Spectacular.

Music from each branch of the military service was played in the Armed Forces Salute medley.  Other selections were the Big Cage galop by King, and the Carmen Dragon arrangement of America, the Beautiful.

Guest soloist was Clarence Riley from Sioux City. He is the owner of Tri-State Music, with stores in Sioux City and Humboldt.  He performed on the French Horn the Concerto for Horn in Eb Major, by Strauss, as arranged for band by Boyd.

Each concert during the summer closes with our National Anthem, The Star-spangled Banner.

June 17

Marches  performed on the second summer concert included the Iowa Centennial and University of North Dakota, both written by the band’s namesake, Karl King, along with former conductor W. B. Green’s march, Flying With The Colors, R. B. Hall’s famous march, The New Colonial, and Henry Fillmore’s march, His Honor.  Other King selections included the circus favorite Walsenburg Galop, along with the beautiful and appropriate Euphonium feature, A Night In June.

Classical selections featured included Two Excerpts from Symphony No. 6 (Pathetique) by Tschaikovsky, and Pilgrim’s Chorus from the opera, Tannhauser, by Wagner.

A special feature during the concert was a performance by a Trumpet Trio on Bugler’s Holiday by
Leroy Anderson, and Carnival Variations, arranged by Don Jacoby.  The members of this trio include Jim Perkins, Boone; David Swaroff, Dayton; and Harlan Vandeberg, Fort Dodge.

The audience was delighted with the popular selections on the program.  These included the Beatles’ hit, Michelle, along with Fantasia on Lady of Spain.

The concert closed with our National Anthem, The Star-spangled Banner.

True to the band’s tradition and heritage, this concert featured several marches, including Melody Shop, Ohio Special, and The New Madison Square Garden, all written by Karl King, along with his circus galop, Homestretch. Additional marches on the evening’s program were written by other members of the King Band, and will include Oleson Park March written by former band member John Erickson; and The Spencer Fair March, written by Reg Schive.

Special guest soloist for the evening was Inga Sanford on Clarinet.  Inga is the daughter of Carroll and Judy Lang, and is a graduate of Fort Dodge Senior High and Wartburg College.  She has previously taught in the Calamus-Wheatland and Madrid school systems.  She performed Rossini’s Introduction, Theme and Variations.  For an encore, she was joined by the rest of the members of the Clarinet section, playing the popular selection, Dizzy Fingers, by Zez Confrey.

Classical selections included on the program were Egmont Overture by Beethoven, and Wagner’s famous selection from the Opera Lohengrin, Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral.  Also included were selections from the movies and Broadway stage, with such favorites as The Music Man by Meredith Willson, and a collection of movie melodies entitled Hooray for Hollywood, as arranged by Warren Barker.

July 1

The Karl King Fort Dodge Municipal Band had a special concert planned for Sunday evening, July 1st.  This concert was in tribute to the July 4th holiday just three days later.

Many selections had a patriotic flavor on this program.  Songs heard included American Civil War Fantasy by Bilik, the American Patrol by Meacham, Yankee Rhythm by Lake, American Salute by Gould, and By Dawn's Early Light by Dawson.

Marches were the order of the day, and included: Emblem of Unity by Richards; Vanguard of Democracy and Sons of Veterans by the band's namesake, Karl King; Regimental Pride by Heed; and two marches by John Philip Sousa, Invinsible Eagle and of course, The Stars and Stripes Forever.

In addition, the King Band performed the Armed Forces Salute, which includes the theme song from each of the five branches of military service, along with the Rough Riders galop by King.

A highlight of the evening was the performance of Jefferson: A Vision for America, written by Robert W. Smith.  This selection features narrator with band accompaniment, and tells the story of this famous statesman and President.  Providing the narration was Jerrold Jimmerson, long-time member of the King Band, and presently the director of bands for the Manson Northwest Webster High School.  Mr. Jimmerson grew up in Fort Dodge and graduated from Senior High.  He holds a Bachelor's degree from Buena Vista University and a Masters of Music Education degree from Drake University.

Director Reginald R. Schive and assistant director Keith Altemeier once again had put together an outstanding hour of Band music for the July 8 concert.  If your interest is in popular music, then Friend Like Me from the Disney animated movie, Aladdin, or  Strike Up The Band, and the George Gershwin Highlights suited you.

If you enjoy marches, then Alhambra Grotto by King, or the circus favorites, The Screamer by Jewell, and Ragged Rozey by King met your expectations. If you enjoy traditional band music, then the Il Guarnay Overture by Gomez, the Gold and Silver Waltz by Lehar, or Headlines by Colby was just for you.

Special guest soloist for the July 8 concert was Stacie Nichols on flute and piccolo.  Stacie is the daughter of John and Vickie Staiert, and is a graduate of East High School in Sioux City.  She recently graduated from Morningside College and will enroll in graduate school at the University of Northern Iowa this fall.  She performed the celebrated flute solo, Concertino by the French composer, Cecile Chaminade, and the Arthur Pryor piccolo novelty, The Whistler and His Dog.

 In addition, a Dixieland combo stepped out front to entertain with the Original Dixieland Jamboree by Warrington.  Combo players included:  Jim Perkins, Boone, on trumpet: Ardella Hein, Fort Dodge, on Clarinet; Alan Bridge, Storm Lake, on Tenor Sax; Dennis Anderson, Twin Lakes, on trombone;  G. B. Evans, Webster City, on Tuba; and Roland Jenson, Rolfe, on Trap Set.

The concert of July 15 promised to provide just the right mix of standard band works along with marches and other favorites, including Johnson Rag, Leroy Anderson's Belle Of The Ball, and the sounds of Chicago with Rush Street Tarantella.

The music of Karl King, the band's namesake, still remains popular with the audiences, and this concert included his Cardiff Giant March, Emporia Galop, and Phillipian Festival March.  In addition, other marches included former King trumpet player John Erickson's All The King's Men March (which is dedicated to the members of the King Band), along with Russell Alexander's circus march, The Colossus of Columbia March.

Other selections on the program included the Carl Maria von Weber overture to the opera Oberon, as well as Morton Gould's popular selection, Pavane.

Special guest soloist was G. B. (Gary) Evans on Tuba.  Mr. Evans is from Webster City, and has been a longtime King Band member.  He is a graduate of Webster City High School, and is involved in real estate work there. He was featured on the march, Them Basses, along with the classic tuba solo, Solo Pomposo by Hayes.
 

A variety of marches were performed in the July 22 program, including Regi-Men, written by former band member Dick Johnson, Three Musketeers by Karl King, Royal Decree by W. P. English, and Sousa'a El Capitan March.  In addition, King's Sunshine Galop was heard.  Other favorites included Lassus Trombone by Henry Fillmore, featuring members of the Trombone section, and two compositions that Karl King wrote for the Buffalo Bill Wild West shows, On The Warpath and Wyoming Days.

Other familiar selections played were I Left My Heart In San Francisco, and  Ja-Da.  The evening's overture was Capriccio Italien, written by the Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tschaikovsky.  This composition was completed in 1880, and depicted the Italian folk songs and themes that the composer heard on the streets of Rome while visiting there.

Two guest soloists performed with the Band during this concert.  First was Kathy Yoakam on French Horn.  Kathy graduated from South Hamilton High School and Iowa State University.  She has taught in several area schools, and is presently the 5-6 Band instructor in the Humboldt Community Schools.  She also performs with the Fort Dodge Area Symphony, and a brass quintet called Jive for Five.  She performed Hoagy Carmichael's Stardust, and then was joined by other members of the horn section to play David Bennett's The Four Hornsmen.

The second soloist was Donna Schive, from Sioux City.  Donna will be remembered locally as having sung with the Fort Dodge Civic Glee Club for several years.  She performed two Jazz standards, Skylark, and S'Wonderful. She then invited members of the audience to join her in the Good Old Days Sing-along, arranged for Band by James Ployhar.