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View concert photos from previous seasons
in our Concert Archive
KARL KING BAND TO CELEBRATE
125 YEARS:
An exciting
2025 indoor season is about to start for the members of the Karl L.
King Municipal Band of Fort Dodge. Three concerts
have been scheduled for Sunday, February 16th; Sunday, March 23rd; and
Sunday,
April 27th. All
concerts begin at 3:30 p.m. and are held in the Fort Dodge Middle School
Auditorium, located at 800 North 32nd Street in Fort Dodge.
There is no admission charge, with these concerts being provided by the
City of Fort Dodge.
There
have only been five conductors of the band in the past 124 seasons.
Carl Quist was the first, having directed from 1901 until 1920.
When Quist left for the West Coast, band members ran an advertisement in
a national music magazine seeking applications from interested conductors.
Two men from Ohio were named as finalists and Karl L. King was the band
member’s choice. King directed for 50 seasons from 1921 until
his death in 1971.
W.B. Green was chosen next to
be the 3rd conductor, starting in the summer of 1971. Green
had been a long-time player with the band. He suffered a fatal
heart attack in June 1977, and five band members were interested in becoming
the next conductor, so each took a concert to finish out the summer.
The band members ultimately selected Reginald R. Schive as the 4th conductor
to begin the 1978 season. Schive was also a long-time player
and Fort Dodge native.
Schive retired as conductor in
2002 and Jerrold P. Jimmerson, also a Fort Dodge native and long-time player
with the band, was chosen as only the 5th conductor to begin the 2003 season.
Jimmerson retired as conductor last July after a 43-year playing career
and then 22 seasons as conductor. Dan Cassady has now become
the interim conductor while a search is on for the next leader of the band.
The
February 16th concert will be the Band’s annual tribute to former Conductor
Karl L. King in honor of his birthday. A special afternoon
of band music is being planned to include some of King’s best-known and
most popular compositions, including the march Barnum and Bailey’s Favorite,
King’s masterpiece. In addition, there will be a salute to The
Golden Age of Broadway, featuring several well-known Rodgers and Hammerstein
classics.
The
March 23rd concert will be the Band’s annual Irish Concert to celebrate
St. Patrick’s Day. This concert dates back to the early
days of the Band under King’s direction. A wide variety of
music is being planned, and will include everyone’s favorite Irish tune,
MacNamara’s
Band, along with an audience sing-along led by Roger Netz, from
Manson.
Guest soloist for this concert
will be Paul Bloomquist on trombone. Bloomquist, a native of
Dayton, is Director of Bands at Iowa Central Community College,
and also the band’s announcer. He will be featured on two selections,
the beautiful Irish classic, Londonderry Air, and Arthur Pryor’s
technical showcase, Razzazza Mazzazza.
The
April 27th concert is the Band’s annual Scholarship Concert, where
talented high school seniors and college freshmen audition for three scholarships
that the Band annually administers to award. More information will
be released later about that exciting conclusion to the band’s 2025 indoor
season.
For
additional information and pictures about Karl King or the Municipal Band,
or any weather cancellations, visit this page or the band’s Facebook page.
A link to the Facebook page can be found higher on this page.
View photos from the last concert
of conductor Jerrold Jimmerson
Programs from the 2023 Season
The Karl L. King Municipal Band of Fort Dodge is
seen during a practice session
before taking the stage.
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