The final concert of the 2008 summer series by the Karl L. King Municipal Band was held on Sunday evening, July 27 at the newly renovated and rededicated Karl L. King Bandshell in beautiful Oleson Park.

Marches highlighting this concert included Karl King’s Pride Of The Illini, and former conductor Reginald Schive’s march, The Spencer Fair.  Karl King’s exciting circus galop, Royal Hippodrome, was also on the program.

Classical selections performed included Nabucco Overture, by the Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi, and March and Procession of Bacchus, by French composer Leo Delibes.  The opera Nabucco, produced in Italy in 1842, was a sensation and instantly made Verdi one of the most idolized opera composers of his time.  Leo Delibes’ opera, Sylvia, was first produced by the Paris opera in 1876, and established Delibes as the foremost composer of ballet music in France.  In addition, a beautiful waltz, Espana, by Waldteufel, was heard.

Popular selections on the program included a musical tribute to one of America’s greatest performers with a medley of songs, Salute To Bob Hope, and the big band standard Johnson Rag.

David Staron on tuba was the guest soloist for the evening.  Mr. Staron is presently band director at Miller Middle School in Marshalltown.  Staron, originally from Pennsylvania, played in the First United States Army Field Band after high school, and then moved to the Midwest.  He received his Bachelor’s Degree from South Dakota State University and a Master’s degree in Music Performance from the University of South Dakota.

Mr. Staron has performed with the Karl King Municipal Band, Fort Dodge Area Symphony, municipal bands in Ames and Marshalltown, as well as the Central Iowa and Grinnell Symphonies among many other musical activities.  Last summer, he returned to his hometown area of Williamsport, PA, to do a series of four concert appearances with the area’s well known Repaz Band, one of the longest existing community bands in the nation.

Mr. Staron performed the traditional solo Carnival of Venice, by Herbert L. Clarke, and then was joined by other members of the low brass and woodwind sections for the popular march, Them Basses, by G. H. Huffine.

This concert closed in the traditional circus way, with the playing of Karl King’s march, Auld Lang Syne, followed by our national anthem, The Star-spangled Banner.