Fort Dodge municipal band will open for national convention in Dubuque on Wednesday The connection of Fort Dodge's native son Karl King to the circus will be revisited Wednesday in a unique concert in Dubuque.   The Karl L. King Municipal Band will open for the Circus Fans Association of America National Convention at Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School auditorium. "It's a tremendous opportunity to spread the music and name of Karl King," said Conductor Jerrold Jimmerson. "There will be people from all over the U.S."   The Circus Fans Association holds its annual convention in a different city each year.   The last time it was in Iowa was in 1930. The planned program reflects on King's travels with four circuses as a baritone player and his five years as a conductor of two of the top circus bands in the country. Through the use of King's compositions, as well as program notes and anecdotes, the audience will follow his journey.

The Band was invited to open the Circus Fans Association of America National Convention on September 17, 2014 in Dubuque IA.    Dubuque was chosen in part because it is close to McGregor IA, where the famous Ringling Brothers were from, and close to Baraboo WI, where the Ringling Bros. first circus performance was held, and currently the home of Circus World Museum.

These Ringling brothers teamed up with Yankee Robinson there, who died and was buried in Jefferson, Iowa.     Karl King's second year with the circus band was with the Yankee Robinson Shows.   In addition, Iowa became the home of circus musicians C.L. Barnhouse, Russell Alexander, Fred Jewell, and many others.

A Monologue on Karl King was given by Larry Mitchell who knew Mr. King personally.   Mr. Mitchell directed the Fort Dodge Glee Club for many years and the Glee Club always performed at the annual March concert with the Karl L. King Municipal Band, hence a close personal relationship with Mr. King.   Mr. Mitchell was the vocal music director in Fort Dodge High School, directed local musicals for many seasons, and leader of the Glee Club shows.

The crowd was pretty pumped by the time the band finished "The Big Cage" and "Barnum and Bailey's Favorite."   Karl always seemed to enjoy playing his galops, particularly The Big Cage, which was dedicated to the lion tamer, Clyde Beatty.   Mr. King directed his galops in one beat per measure at about a quarter note = 240.   On this concert in Dubuque, "The Big Cage" was timed at 70 seconds!

Karl King's best-known composition has to be Barnum and Bailey's Favorite.   This march has the power to conjure up the whole magnificent scene of the old tent circus -- all the aromas, all the sounds, all the sights, and, of course, the Circus Band.   King was twenty-two years old at the time of writing what grew to be what many hold as their favorite march.