The June 27th 100th Anniversary was the fourth Summer Season concert of 2021
June 27, 2021
Before the evening program, Dr. Scott Muntefering of Wartburg College told
about the history and the performance of the Fort Dodge Military Band at
the New Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. Scott also told
of his own experience in Mitchell.
The Conductor of the Karl L. King Municipal Band is Jerrold P. Jimmerson with Dan Cassady serving as the Assistant Conductor and Paul Bloomquist doing the announcing. This concert was held at the Karl L. King Memorial Park located in front of the library downtown at the City Square. This concert was a celebration of Karl King’s arrival in Fort Dodge 100 years ago in the fall of 1920, and the many musical events surrounding his first year here. His first concert was in January, 1921 at the Princess Theater downtown. That concert opened with King’s march, Sarasota, which he dedicated to his friend and previous employer, John Ringling. Because this concert is celebration 100 years, this evening's program also began with the playing of Sarasota.
|
|
In February, 1921, Karl King, Major George Landers from Clarinda, and Alonzo Leach from Des Moines, lobbied the Iowa Legislature to adopt House File #479, known as the Iowa Band Law. This allowed cities to levy a portion of tax revenue to support municipal bands, and was later adopted by more than 40 other states and 3 foreign countries. The band performed King’s march written to honor that occasion, The Iowa Band Law.
|
|
Next on the program was Franz von Suppe’s overture to the opera, Light Cavalry.
The fourth piece performed was Karl King's 1916 waltz Enchanted Night.
|
|
The Karl L. King Municipal Band of Fort Dodge next played the Finale from Luisa di Montfort, featuring solo clarinetist Nikole Nuttall, band director from the Alta-Aurelia Community Schools and a regular member of both the King Band and Fort Dodge Area Symphony.
Dr. Scott Muntefering, Distinguished Professor of Education at Wartburg College in Waverly, was the guest conductor of the King Band on two numbers, beginning with Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Sea Songs, a medley of three British folk songs written in 1924.
Scott continued to conduct the band on Karl King's 1923 The New Corn Palace March.
|
|
Jerrold Jimmerson returned to lead the band in playing A Night In June including a noted euphonium part.
|
Click to listen to A Night in June. |
Next on this concert was a medley
of songs from the 1920’s, Themes Like Old Times.
The medley included Alexander's
Ragtime Band, Peg O' My Heart,
I Want A Girl (Just like
the Girl That Married Dear Old Dad),
By The Light Of The Silvery
Moon, and Twelth Street Rag.
The King Band also performed one of King’s famous circus galops, Emporia.
|
|
Closing the concert was the premiere
of a new march composition by Conductor Jimmerson,
titled King of Fort Dodge,which
pays tribute to Karl King’s 50 years as conductor
of the Fort Dodge Municipal
Band and also celebrates his arrival in Fort Dodge.
|
|
The concert closed with the playing of our National Anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner.
Today's Karl King Band | the Karl King Page | Online Photo Archive of Fort Dodge Bands |