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King Band indoor concert Sunday

The third and final indoor concert for the 2024 season by the Karl L. King Municipal Band will be held at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in the Fort Dodge Middle School Auditorium, 800 N. 32nd St. There is no admission charge, with these concerts being provided by the city of Fort Dodge for everyone’s enjoyment. Conductor Jerrold P. Jimmerson has once again planned an enjoyable program of band music. Dan Cassady serves as the assistant conductor of the band, and Paul Bloomquist will be the band’s announcer.

Compositions by the band’s namesake, Karl L. King, on this hour-long concert will include his marches, “Garland Entree” and “Drake Relays,” King’s intermezzo, “In A Moonlit Garden” and his exciting circus galop, “Eclipse.”

The afternoon’s classical offering features Austrian composer Franz von Suppe’s overture, “Jolly Robbers.” Although not as well-known as some of his other compositions like “The Light Cavalry” or “Poet and Peasant,” this overture is colorful, robust and descriptive of Suppe’s creative style, making it a delight for performers and audiences alike.

Also included on the program will be John Philip Sousa’s tribute to baseball, “The National Game March” and Sousa’s arrangement of English composer Percy Grainger’s “Country Gardens.” The first movement from the English Folk Song Suite by composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, titled March: “Seventeen Come Sunday” is included on this concert as well.

The sounds of classic Hollywood movies will round out the afternoon’s program. Music from 11 different movies will be combined into one Warren Barker medley, titled “Hooray for Hollywood,” featuring music from such well-known composers as George Gershwin, Johnny Mercer, Henry Mancini, Maurice Jarre and others. Conductor Jimmerson says, “See how many of these theme songs you can remember!”

This April concert is always the band’s annual scholarship event, with the presentation of the Karl L. King Memorial Scholarships. Talented students audition earlier that day, and the winners will be recognized that afternoon with either $500 scholarships to Iowa Central Community College or a $1,000 scholarship to any 4-year Iowa college or university. Providing the funds for these scholarships is the Karl L. King Memorial Education Foundation, which “exists to provide band instrument scholarships for students majoring in music.” All persons who audition will be invited to join in playing one selection with the Band during the concert, and the major scholarship recipient will perform their award-winning solo during the program.

All concerts conclude in the traditional way with the playing of our National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” In case of inclement weather, the concert may be cancelled. Any announcement will be made on the band’s website at www.karlking.us, or on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/karlkingband/.

Looking ahead, the next performance by the band will be at the traditional Memorial Day ceremonies on Monday morning, May 27, at the Terry Moehnke Veteran’s Memorial Park. The summer series of concerts are scheduled to be held again on eight Sunday evenings during June and July, beginning June 9 and lasting through July 28 at the Karl L. King Band Shell in Oleson Park.

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