This is the final week of the 2023 Municipal Band season–and we’re going out with bagpipes! Glenn Chatfield will perform the first bagpipes solos in Muni Band history. Plus, everyone should bring their favorite stuffed animals for a parade during “Teddy Bears’ Picnic.”

Music starts at 7:30 on August 2 in Noelridge Park and August 6 in Bever Park. You can also catch both concerts live on Facebook.

PROGRAM

Circus Days (Frank Piersol)
Danzon No. 2 (Arturo Marquez, arr. Oliver Nickel)
Scotland the Brave (arr. Steve Shanley), Glenn Chatfield, Bagpipes
Annie (arr. Michael Kamuf)

Scaramouche, Mvts. 2 & 3 (Darius Milhaud, arr. Andreas van Zoelen)
Charlotte Ottemoeller, Alto Saxophone, Young Artist Runner Up

Teddy Bears’ Picnic (John Bratton, arr. Paul Yoder)
Amazing Grace (arr. Steve Shanley), Glenn Chatfield, Bagpipes
Can-Can You Name These Tunes? (arr. Jerry Williams)
Go Galop (Henry Fillmore, arranged by Nicholas Contorno)

Dan Terrell takes to the podium this week to lead the band in a “Christmas in July” program!

Join us Wednesday, July 26, at LINN-MAR HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM and Sunday, July 30, at McGrath Amphitheatre. Music starts at 7:30 pm and the performances will be livestreamed on the band’s Facebook page.

The forecast says it will be hot, but we’ll keep things cool with holiday favorites.

Program:
Most Wonderful Time of the Year (arr. John Moss)  
Minor Alterations (David Lovrien) 
WEDNESDAY: Dormez Vous? Not You! (Steve Shanley) 
Marion Spolaore, soprano saxophone soloist 
SUNDAY: Sleigh Ride (Leroy Anderson)
Russian Christmas Music (Alfred Reed) 
Patapan (Shelley Hanson) 
Frozen 2 (arr. Michael Brown) 
Sussex Mummers Christmas Carol (Percy Grainger/arr. Goldman) 
Selections from Home Alone (John Williams/arr. Lavender) 
Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company March (John Philip Sousa) 

This week, we’ll feature two members of the band–Chris Hass on trumpet and Sara Danielson on piccolo–as well as Young Artist Contest runnerup Christian Maakestad on xylophone. The program also includes favorites from the musicial Wicked and the instantly recognizable music from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

The Wednesday performance at Cleveland Elementary School will be preceded by a 6:30 pm performance by the Cedar Rapids Flute Ensemble. The Muni Band will perform at 7:30 both Wednesday and Sunday night (Bever Park). The Municipal Band performances will also stream live on the band’s Facebook page.

Sara Danielson will be featured this week on piccolo on Le Merle Blanc. We’re also confident she’s looking forward to playing music from Raiders of the Lost Ark because John Williams always provides fun piccolo parts.

Program:

Montmartre March (Haydn Wood)
Stars in a Velvety Sky (Herbert Clarke) Chris Haas, Trumpet
Highlights from “Wicked” (arr. Michael Brown)
Slavonic Dance No. 1 (Antonin Dvorak, arr. Theodore Tobani)
Le Merle Blanc (Eugene Damare) Sara Danielson, Piccolo
“Raiders of the Lost Ark” Medley (John Williams, arranged by Jack Bullock)
March Of The Belgian Paratroopers (Pierre Leemans, arr. Charles, Wiley)
Helter Skelter (W. Lemon, arr. Ray Woodfield) Christian Maakestad, Xylophone, Young Artist Runner Up
In Storm and Sunshine (John C. Heed)

A message from Dr. Shanley on the passing of Jared Hills, a beloved member of our band family:

We are all mourning the loss of our friend, Jared Hills, who played in the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band for 54 years and also served as chair of the band commission.

The first thing that came to my mind when I heard he had passed was, “That man loved making music and loved this band more than anyone I’ve ever met–and that includes me (someone who very much loves this band).” Even as he was extremely weak from chemotherapy, he made his wife, Carol, drive him to our patriotic concert on July 4 and then also to our concert on July 5 to see Chris Bird (his fellow tuba section member) perform a solo with the band. I spoke with him after both concerts, and in spite of being a few pounds lighter and missing some strands of hair, he still had the same joy I’ve always known him to have while playing in or listening to our band.

He’s a role model for the happiness we should experience when making music, when working, and when living our lives. He and his wife have been some of the most generous people in the history of our city, giving their time and resources to many causes. He leaves shoes that cannot be filled and a legacy that I hope fills his family with pride. I plan to honor Jared by trying to find maximum joy whenever I am fortunate to make music with others.

Sincerely,
Steve Shanley, Conductor
Cedar Rapids Municipal Band

Read Jared’s full obituary here.

Visitation will be Thursday, July 13 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 520 Wilson Avenue SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

Jared’s funeral will be Friday, July 14, at 11:00 AM at Asbury United Methodist Church, 350 27th Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404

This week, Ryan Smith–perhaps best known as a jazz musician–will be featured on a classical saxophone solo and the band will present “Roma,” a challenging piece by Valerie Coleman that mixes styles from Latin jazz to Turkish music.

Other selections this week include an arrangement from Disney’s “Obi Wan Kenobi” series, a Duke Ellington medley, and Leroy Anderson’s “Belle of the Ball.”

The music starts at 7:30 p.m. on both Wednesday and Sunday nights with the first concert at the McGrath Amphitheatre and the second at Ellis Park. If you can’t attend in person, watch the livestream at www.facebook.com/crmuniband.

You have three chances to hear the Municipal Band this week:

Tuesday, July 4: Guthridge Park in Hiawatha — It’s our patriotic program featuring a wonderful performance by Young Artist Competition winner Jenna Scherrman, John Williams’ marches for the Star Wars series, the Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale, and of course plenty of music celebrating America! You can join us and still make it to downtown CR for the fireworks.

Wednesday, July 5: Kirkwood Community College — Find us in the Cedar Hall parking lot for an evening of wonderful music.

Sunday, July 9: Bever Park — We’ll repeat the Wednesday night concert in our usual lovely spot in the park.

All three performances will be livestreamed on the band’s Facebook page. Music starts at 7:30 p.m.

We were inside at Kennedy High School on June 28 for our patriotic performance. We’re looking forward to performing this music again on the Fourth of July!

It is time for one of the Municipal Band’s most anticipated concerts of the summer! Celebrate America with us on Wednesday, June 28, at Kennedy High School Auditorium (venue changed due to wildfire air quality issues) in Cedar Rapids and TUESDAY, July 4, at Guthridge Park in Hiawatha. Both performances will stream live on the band’s Facebook page.

The program will include:

Fanfare Prelude on “God of Our Fathers” (James Curnow)
Concerto for Flute and Wind Orchestra, Mvt. 1 (Derek Bourgeois)
Armed Forces Salute (arranged by Bob Lowden)
Salute to Louis Armstrong (arr. Eric Osterling)
America the Beautiful (Ward/Bates, arranged by Carmen Dragon)
Star Wars – The Marches (John Williams, arr. Jerry Brubaker)
The Greatest Generation (Robert W. Smith)
The Stars and Stripes Forever (John Philip Sousa)

Join the Muncipal Band for concerts at Johnson STEAM Academy and Ellis Park this week. Dr. Steve Shanley takes to the podium for the first time this season!

The Wednesday night concert starts at 6:30 p.m. with a prelude concert featuring the young students from the Harmony School of Music. The Muni Band takes the stage at 7:30 p.m.

The Sunday night concert at Ellis Park starts at 7:30 p.m. Both Muni Band performances will be streamed live on the band’s Facebook page.

This week’s program includes:

AYO (Katahj Copley)
Revival March (John Phillip Sousa)
Selections from “Phantom of the Opera” (Andrew Lloyd Webber, arr. Warren Barker)
Napoli (Hermann Bellstedt, arranged by Donald Hunsberger) – Ft. David Lang, Euphonium
Tuted Toucan Can-Can (Erika Svanoe)
Highlights from “Brave” (arranged by Sean O’Loughlin)
The Screamer (Fred Jewell)

Selections from “Phantom of the Opera” are part of this week’s program.

Join the Municipal Band this week at Cleveland Elementary School (not the park!) on Wednesday, June 14, and at the McGrath Amphitheatre on Sunday, June 18. The Muni Band performances (which will be livestreamed on Facebook) will begin at 7:30 p.m. The New Horizons Band will perform at 6:30 p.m. ahead of the Sunday night Muni Band concert.

This week, Jennifer Tiede, co-director of bands at Linn-Mar High School, will be on the podium. Bassist and vocalist Blake Shaw will be the special guest on two numbers–including one Shaw himself arranged for the Muni Band. The vocalist for the Star Spangled Banner and the Cedar Rapids Song of Dedication will be recent Linn-Mar grad Kyra Kanz.

Bassist, vocalist, and arranger Blake Shaw joins the band this week.

The program will include:

Declaration Overture by Claude T. Smith
Midway March by John Williams, arranged by John Moss
Moon River by Henry Mancini & Johnny Mercer, arranged by Michael Brown
Willow Weep For Me by Ann Ronell, arranged by Blake Shaw
Handel in the Strand by Percy Grainger, arranged by John Philip Sousa
Blue Mambo by Michael Sweeney
Radetzky March by Johann Strauss, arranged by Alfred Reed
Selection from “The Greatest Showman” arranged by Paul Murtha
Hosts of Freedom by Karl L. King

Listen to KCCK’s interview with Jennifer Tiede and Blake Shaw here.

The Cedar Rapids Municipal Band kicks off a new season with a concert on Wendesday, June 7 at The History Center and a performance on Sunday, June 11 at Bever Park. The Muni Band plays at 7:30 pm on both evenings; the Sunday night performance will feature a 6:30 pm prelude concert by the Cedar Rapids Metro Youth Ensemble. The Metro Youth Ensemble is sponsored by Coe College.

Aaron Nuss, co-director of bands at Linn-Mar High School, will be on the podium for week one. Hashim Taylor, director of the CR Parks and Recreation Department, will lead the band in a performance of Karl King’s “Iowa Band Law.” Emily Brennom, a graduate of Linn-Mar High School, will sing the National Anthem and the Cedar Rapids Song of Dedication. Ann Bradfield, an associate professor of saxophone at the University of Northern Iowa, will be the featured soloist.

Ann Bradfield will join the band for Serenade for Alto Saxophone

Hounds of Spring by Alfred Reed
Serenade for Alto Saxophone by Frank Bencriscutto — featuring Ann Bradford
Harry’s Wondrous World by John Williams/trans. by Paul Lavender
Gladiolus by Christian Maakestad
Danzon from “Fancy Free” by Leonard Bernstein/arr. Jay Bocook
L’ Inglesina by Davide Delle Cese
Pixar Movie Magic arr. Michael Brown

Christian Maakestad, composer of Gladiolus, is a 2023 Linn-Mar High School graduate who will study composition and percussion performance at TCU.

Pixar Movie Magic features music from Toy Story, Up, Ratatouille, The Incredibles, and Cars.

All Municipal Band performances are free and open to the public. They are also livestreamed on the band’s Facebook page.