The Karl L. King Municipal Band will open the 2022 indoor winter season with a concert beginning at 3:30 .m. Sunday in the Fort Dodge Middle School Auditorium, 800 N. 32nd St. in Fort Dodge IA. There is no admission charge, with these concerts being provided by the city of Fort Dodge. Jerrold P. Jimmerson is the conductor of the band, with Dan Cassady as the assistant conductor, and Paul Bloomquist as the band’s announcer.

This concert will be the band’s annual tribute to former Conductor Karl Lawrence King, who was born on Feb. 21, 1891 in the village of Paintersville, Ohio. A special afternoon of band music is being planned to include some of King’s best-known and most popular compositions, along with some of his favorite music that he frequently performed with the local band during his 50-year career as conductor.

Opening the concert will be Karl King’s first published composition from 1909, the “T.M.B. March.” dedicated to the Thayer Military Band of Canton, Ohio, and the concert will conclude with his last published composition in 1962, titled “The Home Town Boy.” dedicated to Mason City’s own Meredith Willson. Also on the program is “Iowa Centennial March,” a tribute to his adopted home state on the 100th anniversary of statehood in 1946.

Featured soloists for this concert will be two regular members of the band, performing together on the novelty duet, “The Elephant and the Fly,” by Henri Kling. Featured on tuba (the elephant) will be Paul Bloomquist, instrumental music instructor at Iowa Central Community College, and on piccolo (the fly) will be Megan Benz, instrumental music instructor at the Alta-Aurelia Community Schools.

Two medleys are also included, representing a wide variety of King’s most popular works. The first is “Melody ala King” as arranged by Harry Alford, which is a medley of eight King compositions, including King’s most famous one, “Barnum and Bailey’s Favorite March.” A portion of this march is also included in the concluding selection on the program, “Diamond Jubilee,” a medley of portions of seven marches written to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the C.L. Barnhouse Publishing Company in Oskaloosa, IA., a major supplier of King’s music to the world.

Other selections to be performed during this one-hour concert include “Slavonic Rhapsody #1” by Carl Friedemann; a waltz medley titled “Old Timers” by M.L. Lake; an exciting galop, “Circus Days” by King; and a medley of well-known popular hits written by Jimmy McHugh during the 1930s-1940s titled “A Melodic Carava,” which includes such well-known songs as “I’m In The Mood for Love,” “Don’t Blame Me,” and more. All of these selections frequently appeared on concert programs through the years as selected by King.

The concert will close in the usual way with the playing of our National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” In case of inclement weather, this concert may be canceled at the last minute. Any announcements will be made on the band’s Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/karlkingband/ or on the band’s website at www.karlking.us The next concert will be the annual Irish Concert at 3:30 p.m. on March 13, also at the Fort Dodge Middle School.