This July 8 concert highlighted several different styles of band music.  Classical band works on the evening’s concert included Two Excerpts from the Pathetique Symphony by the Russian composer, Peter Ilyich Tschaikowsky.

Well known popular selections were also heard, including highlights from Leonard Bernstein’s successful Broadway musical, West Side Story.  This musical used the styles of American jazz to tell the age-old story based on William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet.  In addition, the percussion section of the band was featured on Dazzling Drums.

Karl L. King’s music performed included Black and Gold  March, The Huntress March, Emporia Galop, and a characteristic two-step, Georgia Girl.  Another march on the evening program was Fort Dodge Messenger, written by former conductor, Reginald R. Schive.

Andrew Glover, nationally prominent composer and arranger, was a special guest conductor of the King Band. Mr. Glover is a native of Missouri, and was educated in the public schools of St. Louis.  He received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Central Methodist College.  While still a college student, Mr. Glover performed for three seasons with the Detroit Concert Band, conducted by Leonard B. Smith.  In addition, Andrew served as librarian and executive assistant to Dr. Smith.

Mr. Glover began writing and arranging music for bands while a student in high school, and has nearly 200 publications in print.  He taught instrumental music in St. Louis area public and private schools for nine years.  In October, 1998, he joined the C. L. Barnhouse Company of Oskaloosa, IA, as staff composer, arranger, and editor. He is now the Chief Operating Officer of that music publishing business as well as Walking Frog Records.

Andy Glover directed the King Band in three selections, Shield of Liberty March by J. J. Richards, Hungarian Dance No. 6  by Johannes Brahms, and a beautiful serenade written by Karl King, Celestial Choir.

The Star-spangled Banner closed the concert.

The wide variety of band music on this program included the evening’s classical offering, the tone poem Finlandia by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.  This composition is intensely national in spirit, and is characteristically rugged like the country itself.  The theme of this entire work depicts a solemn reverence for the grandeur and beauty of nature.  Also on the program was the beautiful Mexican waltz, La Golondrina.

Lighter selections included the Clarinet Polka, featuring all the members of the clarinet section, along with the popular Vincent Youmans’ hit, Tea For Two.  There was also a medley of many familiar theme songs from some of the greatest big band leaders of that era, entitled Big Band Favorites.

The music of the band’s namesake, Karl L. King, were heard in the march Tuscawaras, along with the Eclipse Galop.  Other marches on the program included Colossus of Columbia, by Russell Alexander, Pierre Leemans’ March of the Belgian Paratroopers, and John Philip Sousa’s march, The Invincible Eagle.

Dr. David Klee, from Cherokee, Iowa, was the guest soloist for the evening, performing on flute and piccolo.  Dr. David Klee, musician, educator/scholar, recording engineer and producer, has an impressively vast and varied career. Currently an Associate Professor of Music at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, Dr. Klee is the Director of Jazz Studies and Music Productions & Technology. For ten years he was a full time musician performing on flutes, saxes, and electric bass traveling the Eastern Seaboard from Connecticut to Miami, from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas that culminated working with RCA recording artist Razzy Bailey.

Dr. Klee brings with him a wealth of education and experience. He received the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Flute Performance and Music Education from Mercer University (Macon, Georgia), the Mater of Music Education Degree with an emphasis in Flute Performance from the University of South Carolina, and the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Flute Performance from the University of Georgia in 1998.

Dr, Klee performed two selections with the King Band.  First, Concertino, by French composer, Cecile Chaminade.  This piece is considered to be one of the great standards of flute literature.  The second selection Dr. Klee performed was entitled The Whistler and his Dog, a caprice for piccolo written by Arthur Pryor.

The concert concluded with the playing of our National Anthem, The Star-spangled Banner.