Patriotic favorites at Guthridge and Bever

This week, the band celebrates Independence Day with the help of the Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale. On Wednesday, July 3, the band will perform at 7:30 p.m. at Guthridge Park in Hiawatha. Then on Sunday, July 7, the band will perform at 7:30 p.m. at Bever Park.

PROGRAM:
National Game (John Philip Sousa)
Highlights from “Jersey Boys” (arr. Michael Brown)
Commando March (Samuel Barber)
Armed Forces Salute (arranged by Bob Lowden)
In the Miller Mood (arranged by Warren Barker)
America the Beautiful (Ward/Bates, arranged by Carmen Dragon) featuring the Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale
Battle Hymn of the Republic (arr. Wilhousky) featuring the Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale
The Stars and Stripes Forever (John Philip Sousa)

‘Grease’ is the word. Plus, a ‘Frozen’ treat

This week, the band’s own Andy Harris will delight you with an exceptional horn performance on Gary Kuo’s ‘Wingspan.’ The band will also perform highlights from Frozen (perfect for a warm summer evening) and from Grease.

Concerts this week are at Noelridge Park on Wednesday, June 26, and Ellis Park on Sunday, June 30. The performances are also streamed live on the band’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CRMuniBand

PROGRAM:
Under the Double Eagle (Josef Wagner)
Incandescence (Adrian Sims)
Wingspan (Gary Kuo) featuring Andy Harris, Horn
Symphonic Highlights from “Frozen” (arranged by Stephen Bulla)
Four Scottish Dances (Malcom Arnold, arr. John Paynter)
King of Terror (W. Paris Chambers)
Selections from “Grease” (Warren Casey & Jim Jacobs, arr. Ricketts)
Slippery Hank Galop (Frank H. Losey, arr. Larry Daehn)

McGrath Concert 19 June is CANCELED

Sorry, but couldn’t get the rain to stop early enough. We’ll see you Sunday at Bever!

Week 3: McGrath Amphitheatre and Bever Park

The band’s Wednesday night concert will be preceded by a performance by the Cedar Rapids Youth Flute Ensemble at 6:30 p.m. at the McGrath Amphitheatre. The Muni Band will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, the concert starts at 7:30 p.m. in Bever Park. All performances will be streamed live on Facebook.

This week features our Young Artist Competition winner Emma Bennett performing Artie Shaw’s jazzy Concerto for Clarinet. Also, because the Force is strong with conductor Steve Shanley, the band will perform Suite from the Star Wars Epic, Part 1.

PROGRAM:
llumination (David Maslanka)
The Waltzing Cat (Leroy Anderson) Orchestral Version Referenced:
Concerto for Four Horns and Orchestra Mvt. III (Carl Heinrich Hübler, arr. Susan & Trevor Denyer)
Liberty Bell (John Philip Sousa)
Shepherd’s Hey (Percy Grainger)
Concerto for Clarinet (Artie Shaw, arr. Ted Parson)
Pas Redouble (Camille Saint-Saëns, trans. Arthur Frackenpohl)
Suite from the Star Wars Epic, Part 1 (John Williams, arr. Robert W. Smith)
Galop (Amilcare Ponchielli, arr. Larry Daehn)

This week: Johnson STEAM Academy and Ellis Park

This week, join the Municipal Band at Johnson STEAM Academy on Wednesday, June 12, or Ellis Park on Sunday, June 16 (or both!).

On Wednesday, the New Horizons Band will perform at 6:30 p.m. followed by the Muni Band at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. The concerts will also be livestreamed on the band’s Facebook page: facebook.com/crmuniband.

The Muni Band will feature Josh Duffee on drum set honoring the 100th birthday of Louie Bellson. Young Artist Competition runner-up Jace Whitham will perform on alto saxophone. And kids of all ages will feel like superheroes as the band play music from The Incredibles.

Eric Liang from Linn-Mar High School will sing the National Anthem and the Cedar Rapids Song of Dedication with the band.

Program:

Wedding Dance (Jacques Press, arr. Herbert Johnston)

Pequeña Czarda (Pedro Iturralde, arr. Roger Niese)
Jace Whitham, Alto Saxophone, CRMB Young Artist Competition Runner-Up

Music from “The Incredibles” (Michael Giacchino, arr. Jay Bocook)

Salute to American Jazz (arr. Sammy Nestico)
Josh Duffee, Drum Set

Entry March of the Boyars (Johan Halvorsen, arranged by Clifford Barnes)

Blue Goose Rag (Raymond Birch, arranged by Timothy Broege)

Thundering Drums (Louie Bellson)
Josh Duffee, Drum Set

Storming of El Caney (Russell Alexander, arranged by Andrew Glover)

How to find the Muni Band livestreams!

In 2024, all Muni Band concerts and prelude concerts will be streamed live on Facebook.

To find our livestream:
1. Go to our page just before 7:30 pm on Wed. or Sun.
(facebook.com/crmuniband)

2. If you haven’t already, “like” our page to make it more likely you will receive notifications when we go live.

3. This season, we will also livestream prelude concerts. To see those, go to our page just before 6:30 pm.

4. Remember: The livestreams are only viewable live. They do not remain up after the performances.

5. You can help more people find the Muni Band livestreams by the link above or by sharing the livestream itself during a performance.

The 2024 Muni Band season is here!

Bring your friends and family (and your lawn chairs or blankets) out to The History Center (Wednesday, June 5) or Bever Park (Sunday, June 9) for the first concert of the 2024 Cedar Rapids Municipal Band season!

Highlights will include music from Encanto; an Eighties Flashback (Thriller! You Give Love a Bad Name! Eye of the Tiger!); the amazing David Lang on euphonium; marches by Frank Piersol, John Philip Sousa, and Karl King; and a clarinet feature you won’t want to miss.

Music starts at 7:30 each evening. On Sunday, join us at 6:30 p.m. for a performance featuring the Cedar Rapids Metro Youth Wind Ensemble ahead of the Muni Band’s concert.

Carlie Robertson of Prairie High School will perform the Star Spangled Banner and the Cedar Rapids Song of Dedication with the band.

Conductor Steve Shanley definitely has the eye of the tiger!

PROGRAM:
Five Seasons (Frank Piersol)
Overture to “Candide” (Leonard Bernstein, arranged by Clare Grundman)
Selections from “Encanto” (Lin-Manuel Miranda, arr. Paul Murtha)
The Green Hill (Bert Appermont) ft. David Lang, Euphonium
Clarinet Candy (Leroy Anderson)
The Old Boatman (Florence Price, arr. Dana Perna)
Semper Fidelis (John Philip Sousa)
Eighties Flashback (arr. Paul Murtha)
Rough Riders (Karl King, arranged by James Swearingen)

A Message from Steve Shanley

Catch the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band on Thursday, May 9, at 7 p.m. at IBA!

Iowa Band Director Friends: Going to IBA this year? Please join us for this year’s headline concert, presented at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, evening, May 9, by the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band.

Enjoy complimentary beer, soda, and snacks while you hear one of the nation’s finest community bands (featuring many of your band director colleagues) perform some classics (“Overture to ‘Candide'” and Jager’s “Esprit de Corps”), newer works from Michele Fernandez and Lisa DeSpain, and the Grade VI transcription of the original “Star Wars (Main Title).”

The concert will also feature UNI trumpet professor, Randy Grabowski, on Rachmaninoff’s beautiful “Vocalise,” as well as a live audience vote to determine one of the selections. Don’t miss it!

Will you be able to resist requesting Freebird?

The Piersol Project: COMPLETE!

Frank Piersol conducted the CR Municipal Band from 1971 to 1993. He came to us as an internationally known band leader and was the perfect choice to continue the good work of his predecessor, Roland Moehlmann.

In addition to being a conductor, he was also a composer. During the 1980s, he composed a series of marches. One, the Celebration March, was composed to celebrate the band’s 50th season. Sadly, recordings of these marches were not readily available…until today! With the kind permission of his estate, the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band recorded all of Frank’s marches, and they are now available on YouTube, including a delightful performance of Pavilion March by the Cedar Rapids Metro Youth Wind Ensemble (our special guests that day!).

These are the only reference recordings available right now, so please share the links and spread the word. Frank’s work deserves to be heard!

Click here to see all CRMB videos on YouTube!

Commission Meeting 22 March

The City Band Commission will meet at 5:15 PM in the band room at Washington High School (2205 Forest Drive) on Friday, 22 March 2024. This will be followed by auditions.

Agenda includes:

  • Minutes of Previous Meeting
  • Financial Reports
    • Explanation of reporting changes as necessary
    • FY24 to date
    • FY24 proposed budget amendment
  • Committee Reports
    • Community Engagement
    • Compensation Committee
    • Audition Committee
    • Assets Committee
  • Old Business
    • Equipment Upgrades
      • Staircase for bandshell
    • CRMB performance at 2024 IBA conference
  • New Business
    • none
  • Public Comment

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.