The Karl L. King Municipal Band of Fort Dodge will present a special concert this evening starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Karl L. King Band Shell in Oleson Park. There is no admission charge, with these concerts being provided by the City of Fort Dodge. There will be an ice cream social preceding the concert, starting about 6:30 p.m. Persons are reminded to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets for seating.

Conductor Jerrold P. Jimmerson and Assistant Conductor Dr. David Klee will lead the Band in a special program of all-time familiar favorites to honor some of America’s greatest composers.

Marches are always a prominent part of these concerts, and this will be no exception Sunday night. Opening the concert will be the Karl L. King classic, “Iowa Centennial,” along with Henry Fillmore’s “The Footlifter.” One of John Philip Sousa’s famous marches, “The Washington Post,” will close the concert.

Special guest soloists for the evening will include Larry and Karen Prescott from Bloomington, Minnesota. Larry is a graduate of Fort Dodge Senior High and Iowa State University. He is the artistic director of the Compass Rose Brass Ensemble and a member of the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra in Minneapolis. He appeared with the Minnesota Orchestra earlier in May in a performance of William Walton’s oratorio, “Belshazzar’s Feast.”

His wife Karen is a graduate of Ames High School and Iowa State University. She is an instrumental music teacher in Minnesota, and the daughter of longtime King Band member, Roger Andersen. Karen and Larry have two sons who both live in Minnesota.

They will perform a duet by Antonia Vivaldi, titled “Double Concerto,” with Larry on trumpet and Karen on French horn, then Larry will play Hoagy Carmichael’s popular standard, “Star Dust”

Selections honoring other prominent American composers include “A Copland Tribute,” along with selections from Leonard Bernstein’s epic musical, “West Side Story” and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s original musical, “Oklahoma,” which premiered on Broadway 75 years ago this year.

Lighter works will include native Iowan Meredith Willson’s “May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You,” Irving Berlin’s classic “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” Leroy Anderson’s delightful waltz, “Belle of the Ball,” and Karl King’s exciting galop, “Excelsior.” Special guest vocalist Shari Netz from Manson will entertain with the George and Ira Gershwin classic, “They Can’t Take That Away from Me.”

The concert will close in the usual way with the playing of our National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” In case of inclement weather, the concert may be cancelled at the starting time.