Municipal Band is back to Wednesday concert schedule

(Sentinel photo by Beverly Van Buskirk) Members of the Le Mars Municipal Band saxophone section for the 2009 concert season are (from left) -- John Schneider, Cliff McMurray, Tom Cronin and Darrell Lake. [Click to enlarge]

The 2009 summer concert season continues as the Le Mars Municipal Band presents its fourth concert at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Foster Park.

Conducting the band will be Jerry Bertrand, with the Rev. Gary Landsness serving as announcer.

The concert opens with "The Matinee," a march by Will Huff. The band will then play "Tiberius Overture" by Herbert L. Clarke.

(Sentinel photo by Beverly Van Buskirk) Members of the Le Mars Municipal Band clarinet section for the 2009 concert season are, front row (from left) -- Anne Meis, Jill Ahlers, Hannah Barrett and Alexandra Gobell. Back row -- Yvonne Hazlett, Roger Venaas, Ryan Meyer, Jim Schroeder and Melissa Choquette. [Click to enlarge]

Featured soloist for this concert will be clarinetist/saxophonist Technical Sergeant Kenny Drefke.

Drefke grew up on a farm just outside Marcus and is one of Bertrand's former students. He spent the first six years of his career with the Heartland of America Band at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha. In November 2003 he transferred to the Allied Joint Force NATO Band in Naples, Italy, and performed throughout Europe and the Balkans.

Drefke and his wife Lisa, a trombonist, have been stationed at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, for almost two years.

Drefke will play "Fisarmonica Fantasia" arranged by Ian E. Charleton. The first movement is "Czardas" by Vittorio Monti, the second movement is "Oblivion" by Astor Piazzola, and the third movement is "Libertango" also by Piazzola.

The concert will continue with "An American in Paris" by George Gershwin. This will be followed by "Gallito," a Spanish march by Santiago Lope. Next the band will play "Headlines" by Carleton Colby.

The band will then play "Fantasy on Childhood Songs" written by David Moore in 2005. Moore received his bachelor of music education degree from Drake University in 1992. He previously taught music in Le Mars and Homer, Neb., and is currently beginning his second year teaching grades 5-12 instrumental music at Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn.

Moore is now in his 17th year as a member of both the Sioux City and Le Mars municipal bands.

Since 1994, Moore has been the owner of Moore Publishing. Nine of his compositions for concert band and several others for smaller ensembles have been published and performed internationally.

In 2006 the Le Mars Municipal Band premiered "Small Town Sketches," written by Moore to celebrate the band's centennial season. His arrangement of the "Star Spangled Banner" is also performed by the band each week.

"Fantasy on Childhood Songs" includes "Pop Goes the Weasel," "I'm a Little Teapot," "The Mulberry Bush," "Row Your Boat," "London Bridge," "Ten Little Indians," "Merrily We Roll Along," and "The Farmer in the Dell."

Next on the concert will be a medley entitled "Richard Rodgers: A Symphonic Portrait." This medley includes "There Is Nothin' Like a Dame," "A Wonderful Guy," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," the theme from "The Sound of Music," and "I Whistle a Happy Tune."

The band will then play "On the Quarter Deck," a march by Kenneth Alford.

The band will conclude the concert with "Good Night," the closing number from "The Lawrence Welk Show."

Refreshments at this concert will be provided by the Plymouth County Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Admission to Le Mars Municipal Band concerts is free. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring their blankets and lawn chairs.

The band is currently accepting donations to fund the 2010 summer season. The City of Le Mars will match up to $7,500 in donations to the band. An average concert costs $1,700. The number of concerts for the summer of 2010 will depend upon the amount of donations received plus the city match. Donations may be given to director Jerry Bertrand, announcer Rev. Gary Landsness, or any band member.