July 24, 2011

The music of the band’s namesake, Karl L. King, always appears on each concert, and this program was no exception.  King’s marches, Robinson’s Grand Entree and The Chevalier, a march written under his nom de plume, Carl Lawrence, and King’s galop, Prestissimo were performed.  The sounds from Spain were heard with the performance of the paso doble, El Relicario.

The large crowd enjoyed a medley of highlights from the popular Broadway musical My Fair Lady and Two Excerpts from the Pathetic Symphony, written by the Russian composer P. I. Tschaikowsky.  The Symphony was Tschaikawsky's sixth and last symphony, written the year of his death, 1893.  It includes the beautiful Andante from the 1st Movement, and the stirring and brilliant March from the 3rd Movement.  This music is considered among some of Tschaikowsky’s finest achievements.

Performers Jeremy Smith from Fort Dodge, Cathy Moklebust from Eagle Grove, and Rollie Jenson from Humboldt also performed a mallet percussion feature, Galop, from The Comedians by Dimitri Kabalevsky.

Andrew Glover, nationally prominent composer and arranger, was the special guest conductor for this program. Mr. Glover is a native of Missouri, and was educated in the public schools of St. Louis.  He began writing and arranging music for bands while still a student in high school, and now has more than 200 publications in print.  He received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Central Methodist College, and taught instrumental music in St. Louis area public and private schools for nine years.  In October 1998, he joined the C. L. Barnhouse Company in Oskaloosa as staff composer, arranger, and editor. He is now the Chief Operating Officer of that music publishing business as well as Walking Frog Records.

Andrew Glover conducted the King Band in two selections, Pageantry March by K. L. King, and Friska by the Hungarian-born composer and pianist, Franz Liszt.  This last selection was a new arrangement by Mr. Glover and was premiered during this concert.

Andy was also featured as Euphonium soloist on the Clay Smith fantasia, Annie Laurie.  Mr. Glover has performed as a Euphonium soloist while in college, as well as with the Detroit Concert Band, among others.

John Phillip Sousa’s well-known march, Washington Post, closed the hour-long program, and was followed with the playing of our National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner.