The Karl L. King Municipal Band of Fort Dodge, Iowa

The 2011 Summer Concert Series

July 17, 2011

The Karl King Band performed a number of marches on this program, including King marches The Huntress, Phillipian Festival and the galop, Emporia.  Other marches were W.P. English’s Royal Decree and Quality-Plus by Fred Jewell.

Jean Sibelius’ classic tone poem Finlandia, closely tied to Finnish history at the end of the nineteenth century, was programmed.  Through the years, Finlandia became the musical voice of Finland, the expression of its aspirations and spirit.

Lighter selections included a medley of highlights from several Rodgers and Hammerstein popular Broadway musicals, The Golden Age of Broadway, Morton Gould’s Pavanne, and a Tuba Section feature, Basses Berserk.  Featured tuba players were Paul Bloomquist from Fort Dodge, David Staron from Marshalltown, and Monte Leichsenring from Clarion.

Robert Patton, baritone, from Gowrie and Edwin Griffith, tenor, from Des Moines were special guest soloists for the evening.   Mr. Patton attended the University of Northern Iowa before joining the U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants in Washington, D.C. During his twenty years in the military, Patton soloed with the National Symphony and the Boston and Cincinnati Pops Orchestras.  He also performed with the Washington Civic, Baltimore, Wolf Trap, Northern Virginia and Annapolis opera companies. In 1991 he returned to Gowrie IA and became editor and publisher of The Gowrie News, the fourth generation owner of a 110 year-old family business.

Mr. Griffith graduated from Simpson College in Indianola IA, and has performed throughout the United States.  He has performed leading roles with opera companies and symphony orchestras in Nashville, the Bronx, Sarasota, Natchez, Delaware, Lancaster, and West Jersey among many others.  Since returning to Iowa, he has sung leading roles with the Des Moines Metro Opera and the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra, along with numerous other choral groups in the central Iowa area.

Mr. Patton and Mr. Griffith performed two duets with the King Band.  First was “Au fond du Temple Saint” from French composer Georges Bizet’s 1863 opera, The Pearl Fishers, followed by the George M. Cohan Patriotic Fantasy.

The program ended with the playing of our National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner.

July 31 Concert Photos


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