This Week's Concert -- Burlington Iowa Municipal Band

Note from the webmaster: We update this web site at least once a week during our summer concert season. Since the program for each Sunday concert is finalized at our rehearsal on Monday evening, we generally post the week's update sometime on Tuesday. Unfortunately, if you are viewing this page on a summer Monday, what follows will undoubtedly be the information for YESTERDAY'S concert.

For those specifically SEEKING web pages from past concerts, our recent concert archives are now available online.

This week's concert will be conducted by West Burlington band director Jeremy Henman. Jeremy has completed just his second year as the high school band director in West Burlington but he is well acquainted with the students there having been the general music teacher there for several years prior. He plays the trumpet in our band as well as in the Southeast Iowa Symphony, and often performs with other area orchestras including the Knox-Galesburg Symphony and the Quincy Symphony Orchestra.

Did we mention that this is the band's 100th year? One hundred years ago the citizens of Burlington voted to create a Municipal Band and we will celebrate the anniversary of the first actual concert next year. But, in recognition of the organization of the band, the City of Burlington has issued a proclamation which urges the citizens of Burlington "to recognize and celebrate the Burlington Municipal Band and its lasting contributions to the cultural and civic life of our community." We are grateful to the City for this honor and we couldn't agree more. Please come to beautiful Crapo Park and help us celebrate!

Jeremy has chosen the following selections for his concert: What's Up at the Symphony?, subtitled "Bugs Bunny's Greatest Hits," arranged by Jerry Brubaker including This is It, William Tell Overture, The Barber of Seville, The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down, Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, Brahms' Hungarian Dance No. 5, The Ride of the Valkyries, and Merrily We Roll Along; Motown Forever arranged by Johnnie Vinson including Stop! In the Name of Love, I'll Be There, and Shop Around; Rhythms and Riffs by Brian Balmages; Spanish Flea, a Herb Alpert favorite by Julius Wechter; The Teddy Bear's Picnic by John W. Bratton arranged by Paul Yoder; Salute to American Jazz arranged by Sammy Nestico including A Night in Tunisia, St. Louis Blues, It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got That Swing, and Birdland; The Whistler and His Dog by Arthur Pryor; Carmen Suite by Georges Bizet arranged by Jack Bullock; and our traditional closing march, The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa.

Links which may be of interest to members of our audience:

Motown - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motown

Carl Stalling, the composer/arranger of Warner Brothers cartoon music - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_W._Stalling

Arthur Pryor, composer of Whistler and His Dog - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Pryor

Carmen, the opera - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmen

The band began as it always does by playing for the Veterans Council Memorial Day ceremonies. We've had our first regular rehearsal and we're all practicing our music for Sunday night's Teddy Bear's Picnic concert, our season opener. The Teddy Bear's Picnic concert always includes the Teddy Bear Parade and kids of all ages are encouraged to bring their teddy bears or other stuffed toys for the march around the concert grounds during the performance of the Teddy Bear's Picnic music. The first concert of the season is always our "educational outreach" concert as well and we will feature an outstanding group of talented middle school students who will perform two selections with us. These talented students were chosen by their directors and, in a very real sense, represent the future of the band. We look forward to performing with them!