Wk 8: John Williams music and more

Wk 9: rubber chickens & rubber duckies!

The final two weeks of the Municipal Band season are filled with wonderful music!

In week 8, you’ll hear music by John Williams as well as selections from The Princess and the Frog. Flutist Marley Fonck, a Young Artist Competition Runner-Up, will perform Breeze in the Forest (Satoshi Yagisawa) with the band.

In the final week of the season, we are featuring rubber chickens (and middle school musicians!) and rubber duckies as well as music by Louis Armstrong. Trombonist Benjamin Allard, the Young Artist Competition Winner, will perform Cavatine (Saint-Saens, arr. John Mortimer) with the band and Dr. Dennis Kral will conduct Kral Tango, which he and his wife commissioned Andrew Classen, Drake University professor of trumpet and jazz studies, to compose.

In week 8, the band performs at Kingston Yard (7/22) and Ellis Park (7/26),

In week 9, the concerts will be at Kingston Yard (7/29) and Bever Park (8/2).

Moo Moos Ice Cream Truck will be on hand for the Sunday performances with free treats for the kids.

WEEK EIGHT MUSIC

Eternal Father, Strong to Save (Claude T. Smith)
John Williams Swings! (arr. Bocook) 
Julia Delaney’s Reel (Carl Strommen) 
Idaho March (C. L. Barnhouse) 
Breeze in the Forest (Satoshi Yagisawa) 
     Marley Fonck, Flute Young Artist Competition Runner-Up, Linn-Mar HS
The Princess and the Frog (Randy Newman, arr. Moren) 
Beguine for Band (Glenn Osser) 
King Karl King (Henry Fillmore, arr. Foster)

WEEK NINE MUSIC

Procession of the Nobles (Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, arranged by Erik Leidzen) 
Kral Tango (Andrew Classen) 
     Dennis Kral, Guest Conductor
Danse Bacchanale (Saint-Saens, arr. Steiger) 
The Great Rubber Chicken Gallop (Randall Standridge) 
Cavatine (Saint-Saens, arr. John Mortimer) 
     Benjamin Allard, Trombone, Young Artist Competition Winner, Xavier HS
Satchmo! (arranged by Warren Barker) 
Sesame Street Celebration (arr. Michael Brown) 
They’re Off (Fred Jewell) 

Even more patriotism in Week 6

A mermaid and more in Week 7

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, so one week of patriotism just isn’t enough. The Week 6 concerts at The History Center (7/8) and Ellis Park (7/12) will feature a reading of the Declaration as well as plenty of patriotic favorites. The concerts will also feature xylophonist Ewan Southwood, our Young Artist Competition runner-up, performing “Irish Washerwoman.”

In Week 7, you’ll hear music from The Little Mermaid, a tribute to big band swing, as well as trombonist Mart Gelwasser performing “Blue Bells of Scotland” by Arthur Pryor and flutist Sam Williams performing Concerto for Flute by Otar Gordeli. The Week 7 concerts will be performed at Kingston Yard (7/15) and Bever Park (7/19).

Music starts at 7:30 p.m. All concerts also stream on the band’s YouTube channel. Find the livestream here.

WEEK SIX MUSIC

On July 8, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read publicly to the citizens of the American colonies for the very first time. We will celebrate the 250th anniversary of this occasion, complete with a reading of the document.

Reading of the Declaration of Independence 
     Underscore: Simple Gifts: Four Shaker Songs, Mvt. 1, 3, 4 (Frank Ticheli) 
When Jesus Wept (William Schuman) 
Fantasy on Yankee Doodle (arr. Mark Williams) 
Irish Washerwoman (arr. Nathan Daughtrey) 
     Featuring Ewan Southwood, Young Artist Runner Up, Xylophone, Linn-Mar
Variations on “America” (Charles Ives, arranged by William Schuman/William E. Rhoads) 
Suite from “Hamilton” (Lin-Manuel Miranda, arranged by Jerry Brubaker) 
Liberty Bell (John Philip Sousa) 

WEEK SEVEN MUSIC

Galop Festivo (Randal Standridge) 
The Little Mermaid (Alan Menken, arr. Bocook) 
Blue Bells of Scotland (Arthur Pryor) 
     Martin Gelwasser, Trombone
Slavonic Dance No. 8 (Antonin Dvorak, arr. Robert Longfield) 
Concerto for Flute (Otar Gordeli, arranged by Kenneth Singleton) 
     Sam Williams, Flute
Albanian Dance (Shelley Hanson) 
Big Band Tribute (arr. John Wasson) 
The Southerner (Russell Alexander) 

Weeks Four and Five

The Municipal Band season rolls on with back-to-back weeks of special performances.

First, on Wed., June 24 (Kingston Yard) and Sun., June 28, the concerts will feature performances by Iowa Brass. The brass band will perform at 7 p.m. and the Municipal Band will take the stage at 8 p.m.

Then, on Wed., July 1 (Guthridge Park) and Sun., July 5 (Bever Park), the Muni Band will perform its annual fan-favorite patriotic concert. Both performances start at 7:30 p.m.

If you can’t join us in person, you can watch the concerts on the band’s YouTube channel.

Week Four Music:

Festive Overture (Dmitri Shostakovich, arr. Hunsberger) 
Selections from “Moana” (arr. by Jay Bocook)
Sea Songs (Ralph Vaughan Williams) 
Clarinet Polka (arranged by Bruce R. Smith) 
Duke Ellington In Concert (arr. Paul Murtha) 
March and Procession of Bacchus (Léo Delibes arr. Williams) 
Legends of Soul (arr. John Wasson) 
Battle of the Winds (Charles E. Duble, arr. Glover) 

Week Five Music:

Emblem of Freedom (Karl King, arr. Glover)
Chester (William Schuman) 
Raiders March (John Williams, arr. Edmondson) 
The Six Service Songs (arr. Gordon Goodwin) 
Tribute to Count Basie (arranged by John Moss) 
The Stars and Stripes Forever (John Philip Sousa) 
America the Beautiful (Ward/Bates, arranged by Carmen Dragon)
Back Your Boy (Henry S. Ely & Earnest A. Leo, arr. Steve Shanley) 
Battle Hymn of the Republic (arr. Wilhousky) 

Wed: CR Youth Flute Ensemble
Sun: Make Music Day

Join us this week for concerts featuring favorites from Pixar movies, a performance by our own Lisa Wissenberg on clarinet, and even a symphonic take on the music of Coldplay!

Music starts at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17, at Kingston Yard with a performance by the Cedar Rapids Youth Flute Ensemble. The Muni Band follows at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, June 21, is Make Music Cedar Rapids Day! During the concert in Bever Park that evening, volunteers from the audience will have the opportunity to conduct parts of John Philip Sousa’s “Washington Post.” The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m.

You can also enjoy the performances on the band’s YouTube page.

Week three music:
Fanfare Prelude on “God of Our Fathers” (James Curnow)
Pixar Movie Favorites (arranged by Michael Brown)
Little English Girl (Davide delle Cese)
Washington Post (John Philip Sousa)
Audience volunteers will help conduct!
Barcelona Clarinet Concerto, Mvt. 1 (James M. Stephenson)
Lisa Wissenberg, Clarinet
Shepherd’s Hey (Percy Grainger)
Coldplay In Symphony (arr. Bert Appermont)
Leichtes Blut Galop (Johann Strauss, arranged by Glen Lienhart)

Exciting changes to concert locations!

This season, we’ll be at Kingston Yard most Wednesdays and alternate between Bever Park (starting 6/7) and Ellis Park (starting 6/14) on Sundays.

Exceptions:
Wed., July 1: Guthridge Park
Wed., July 8: The History Center

Details for the first two weeks of performances

The first Municipal Band concert of 2026 is on Wednesday, June 3, at Kingston Yard in downtown Cedar Rapids. Week one’s Sunday concert will be at Bever Park.

The Sunday concert will open with a performance by the CR Metro Wind Ensemble at 6:30 p.m. followed by the Muni Band at 7:30 p.m.

Week two finds the band back at Kingston Yard on Wednesday, June 10 with the Sunday concert at Ellis Park.

The Sunday concert will open with a performance by the New Horizons Band at 6:30 p.m. followed by the Muni Band at 7:30 p.m.

NEW: The band’s livestream is moving to YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@crmuniband/streams

Music for weeks one and two!

WEEK ONE

Five Seasons (Frank Piersol) 
English Folk Song Suite (Ralph Vaughan Williams) 
Aliens Landing (In Your Back Yard!) (John Prescott) 
     Audience Participation with Sound Tubes!
The Lark In the Clear Air (arr. Stephen Roberts) 
      David Lang, Euphonium
Star Wars Saga (John Williams, arr. Stephen Bulla) 
Horse and Buggy (Leroy Anderson) 
Malaguena (Ernesto Lecuona, arr. Sammy Nestico) 
Circus Days (Karl King) 

WEEK TWO

A Festival Prelude (Alfred Reed) 
Symphonic Highlights from “Frozen” (arranged by Stephen Bulla) 
Manhattan Beach (John Philip Sousa) 
Arabesque (Samuel Hazo) 
Reel Talk (Joshua DeVries) 
    The Corridor Ensemble
Americans We (Henry Fillmore) 
David Bowie: The Hits (David Bowie, arr. Roszell) 
Hurrah Storm Galop (Claudio S. Grafulla, arr. Nicholas Contorno)

The City Band Commission will meet at 5 PM on Friday, 27 March 2026, in the Washington High School Band Room. This will be followed immediately by a working session for auditions. Agenda is shown below.

Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a City program, service, or activity, should contact the Municipal Band Business Manager at 319-431-9649 or email business AT crmuniband.org as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the event.

Call to Order

Minutes of Previous Meeting

• Available at https://crmuniband.org/commission/commission-meeting-minutes/

Financial Report

• Fiscal 2026 (current year) including discussion of possible amendments.

Committee Reports (including current committee assignments)

• Community Engagement (Cunningham, Kraeplin, Swehla (chair), Shanley, H Haney, R Haney, Cline)
  • Friends of CRMB
• Compensation Committee (Collier (chair), Patrick, Shanley, H Haney, R Haney, L Vanderwiel (musician rep), W Carson (musician rep))
• Audition Committee (Cunningham, Kraeplin (chair), Swehla, Bennett, Shanley, H Haney)
• Assets Committee (Collier (chair), Patrick, Bennett, Young, R Haney)
• Budget Committee (Collier, Cunningham, Shanley, R Haney)

Old Business

• Venues.

New Business

• As suggested.

Public Comment

Adjournment