June 17, 2012

A wide variety of music was planned to appeal to all musical tastes during this special Father’s Day program.  The concert began with Aaron Copland’s dramatic Fanfare For The Common Man.  Marches performed included Karl L. King's The Ohio Special and Henry Fillmore's The Man of the Hour.  In addition, one of King’s famous galops, Excelsior, was performed, along with Dull Razor Blues by G.H. Huffine.

The evening’s classical offerings included W.A.Mozart’s overture to the comic opera, The Impresario, composed in 1786.  The music is fast, fun, and light throughout, and demonstrates Mozart’s use of dynamic contrasts to achieve musical variety.

Also on the program was March and Procession of Bacchus, written by French composer Leo Delibes in the late 1800’s, along with the theme from the movie, Lawrence of Arabia, composed by Maurice Jarre.

Guest soloist for the evening was Dan Cassady, long-time member of the King Band and a frequent trombone soloist.  Cassady performed a traditional solo, The Old Home Down On The Farm by Fred P. Harlow, along with a medley of songs made popular by bandleader Tommy Dorsey, T. D. – That Sentimental Gentleman.

Cassady formerly taught Instrumental Music at Fort Dodge Senior High, Iowa Central Community College, and St. Edmond High School. He now lives in North Liberty, where he works for West Music in Iowa City and is an adjunct professor at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids.  He plays with the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band as well as the local Brass Quintet, Jive For Five.

Kenny Bierschenk, a high school band director for 32 years and currently director of bands at Three Rivers school district near Cincinnati, Ohio was the special guest conductor.  A native Texan, he holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Master of Music degree in Conducting from the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music.

As a performer, he’s had considerable experience as a member of community bands, orchestras, and choral groups, including Symphony North of Houston, the Klein Wind Ensemble of Houston, The Houston Symphony Chorus and Cincinnati's May Festival Chorus.  He has been the director of the Mount Community Concert Band, a Cincinnati-area community band, since 1995.   He performs regularly as a trumpet soloist at several churches in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area.

He is a published composer and member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).  Several of his published band arrangements were originally written for and premiered by the United States Air Force Band.  Mr. Bierschenk conducted his arrangement of Let Freedom Ring, commissioned by The Air Force Band of Flight in Dayton, Ohio. The U.S. Air Force Band performed this medley of familiar American patriotic tunes in a nationally televised PBS Veteran's Day special in 2011.