Municipal Band starts 101st season with Ice Cream Days concert

The Le Mars Municipal Band, under the direction of Jerry Bertrand, will begin their 101st summer concert season at 8 p.m. this Saturday, June 16, at Foster Park, as part of Ice Cream Days. Here the band plays during the 2007 Memorial Day ceremony at the Plymouth County Courthouse. [Click to enlarge]

The Le Mars Municipal Band will open its 101st season of summer concerts this Saturday evening as part of Le Mars' Ice Cream Days celebration.

The concert will begin at 8 p.m. Foster Park on Central Avenue South. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs and blankets.

The band's conductor, Jerry Bertand, begins his 20th year as leader of the talented group of musicians. He is the director of bands and assistant professor of music at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake.

Again serving as announcer for the band is the Rev. Gary Landsness.

The band will open the concert with "Flourish for a Celebration," written by Carl Strommen.

The band will then play "First Suite in E Flat for Military Band" by Gustav Holst. The suite contains three movements: "Chaconne," "Intermezzo," and "March."

Soloist for this concert will be Heidi Venaas. Originally from Minnesota, Venaas moved with her family to Le Mars in 1992. She received her bachelor's of music degree in oboe performance and bachelor's of arts degree in German from the University of Iowa in 2004. While studying at Iowa, Venaas received a DAAD grant to study German and music in Freiburg, Germany, for a year. After receiving her undergraduate degrees at Iowa, she received her master's degree in oboe performance at the "Hanns Eisler" Conservatory of Music in Berlin, Germany, in 2006.

Venaas has performed with the Oskaloosa and Ottumwa symphonies in Iowa, as well as the Camerata Orchestra Freiburg, and the Chamber Orchestra Capella Berlin. While studying in Berlin, she was invited to take part in a 10-day orchestral project documentary celebrating the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, which aired on national German television. She also performed as principal oboe for a conservatory orchestra master class under the direction of world-renowned conductor, Daniel Barenboim, at the Berlin Philharmonic in 2006.

Venaas has won several competitions, including the Kathryn Graham Concerto Competition and the Northern Festival of Bands Concerto Competition, and in 2003 she was awarded first prize at the Midwest Musical Imports double reed competition. Heidi is currently principal oboist of the Sioux City Symphony.

Venaas will perform "Soliloquy and Dance" by Philip Parker.

The band will continue the concert with "Bells Across the Meadows" by English composer Albert William Ketelbey. This will be followed by "The Witch and the Saint" by Steven Reineke. The band will then play "The Vanished Army" by British March King, Kenneth Alford. Next on the concert will be Elliot Del Borgo's "Sailing Songs," a piece that includes "Drunken Sailor," "Shenandoah," and "Sailor's Hornpipe."

The band will then play selections from "West Side Story," a musical with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and music by Leonard Bernstein. The songs included in this medley are "I Feel Pretty;" "Maria;" "Something's Coming;" "Tonight;" "One Hand, One Heart;" "Cool;" and "America."

The band will conclude the concert with "El Colegio," a march composed by William B. Green, director of bands at Buena Vista College from 1950 to 1975.

Refreshments at this concert will be sold by the Kiwanis/Aktion Club.

As in the past several years, the City of Le Mars will match, up to $2,500, donations to the Le Mars Municipal Band. Donations may be given to director Jerry Bertrand, announcer the Rev. Gary Landsness, or any band member. Donations of any amount are appreciated.