The final concert of the 2018 summer season by the Karl L. King Municipal Band of Fort Dodge will be held at 7:30 p.m. today at the Karl L. King Bandshell in Oleson Park. Admission is free, courtesy of the City of Fort Dodge. Conductor of the Band is Jerrold P. Jimmerson, with Dr. David Klee serving as the Assistant Conductor.

There will be an ice cream social, starting around 6:30 p.m., provided by the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Bell Choir before the regular concert starts. People are reminded to bring their own lawn chairs or a blanket, since there is no seating provided.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Children of All Ages!” The Karl L. King Municipal Band will feature a variety of marches and popular selections during their hour-long concert. This Grand Finale is being called “A Night at the Circus,” and will open with Karl King’s masterpiece, “Barnum and Bailey’s Favorite March.” Written in 1913 when King was just 22 years of age, this is one of the most recognized and often-recorded marches in history. It was dedicated to Ned Brill, the bandmaster of the Barnum and Bailey Circus when King was the euphonium player with that circus.

Other Karl King compositions on the program include the circus opening spectacular “Sunny Spain,” the oriental fox trot “Abdallah” (for tigers and lions), “The Walking Frog” (for the clowns), and a fast-paced galop, “The Big Cage,” dedicated to Clyde Beatty.

Music by other circus composers will be featured as well. Included will be bandmaster Al Sweet’s “Ringling Bros, Grand Entry,” Henry Fillmore’s “The Circus Bee,” the beautiful aerial waltz “Wedding of the Winds,” W.P. English’s “Royal Decree” (for the elephants), and the exciting Latin tune, “Cumana”(for the jugglers).

On the lighter side will be highlights from the recent hit movie musical about the life of P.T. Barnum, “The Greatest Showman,” along with the humorous “Teddy Bear’s Picnic” (for the performing bears).

This final summer concert will close in the traditional circus way with the playing of Karl L. King’s march, “Auld Lang Syne,” followed by the national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The Karl L. King Municipal Band will resume again in February, with the first of three indoor winter concerts. Concert dates in 2019 are Feb. 17 for the Karl L. King Birthday concert, March 17 for the Irish Concert, and April 7 for the Scholarship/Focus Series concert. All these concerts will be held in the Decker Auditorium on the Iowa Central Community College campus, beginning at 3:30 p.m. each Sunday afternoon.