Each Sunday evening during June and July, the Karl L. King Municipal Band of Fort Dodge presents its concerts in Oleson Park at the Karl L. King Band Shell. Each week the band present a wide variety of band music to appeal to all ages and musical tastes. This week’s concert on Sunday will be no exception Beginning at 7:30 p.m., conductor Dan Cassady will lead the band with selections in many different tempos and styles.

These concerts are offered each week free of charge by the City of Fort Dodge. The Southeast Valley Music Boosters will be offering ice cream and other goodies for a freewill donation before the concert. Persons attending each concert are reminded to bring their own lawn chairs, since no public seating is provided.

If marches are your favorites, then you will hear several, from Karl King’s “Michigan On Parade,” “The Three Musketeers,” and “Hawkeye Glory,” to former conductor W.B. Green’s fiery Spanish march, “La Roquina,” and even a March Paraphrase titled “Musetta’s Waltz Song” by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini from his opera, “La Boheme.” This selection was frequently performed by the band under Karl King’s direction.

Many people attending these concerts enjoy those classical selections we present, and this concert will include Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Third Movement from his Symphony #6 (the Pathetique), titled “Allegro Molto Vivace.” Still others wait for those fast-paced circus galops, which this week will feature Karl King’s “Walsenburg,” dedicated to the town of Walsenburg, Colorado.

Special guest soloist for the evening will be Michael Short on tuba. Short grew up in Fort Dodge, and joined the Municipal Band while still in high school. He was the first recipient of the Karl King Memorial Scholarship in 1972, which we continue to offer to at least three young musicians every spring. Short currently resides in Des Moines, where he maintains an active teaching and performing schedule throughout the central Iowa area.

Short will perform a Humoresque written by 19-year old Karl King in 1910, titled “The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.” He will then join the rest of the tuba section for G.H. Huffine’s toe-tapping march, “Them Basses.”

Other light-hearted moments, which our audiences always enjoy, will include selections from the recent popular movie and musical “Wicked,” along with George Gershwin’s memorable composition “Oh, Lady Be Good,” and everyone’s well-known favorite, “Friend Like Me” from the Disney movie and musical, “Aladdin.”

In case of inclement weather, the concert may be cancelled at the starting time. Any announcements will be made on the band’s Facebook page listing for the Karl L. King Municipal Band at https://www.facebook.com/karlkingband/.