Burlington Iowa Municipal Band

The Burlington Municipal Band plays a one hour concert each week during the summer. Most of our concerts take place at the band shell in beautiful Crapo Park, overlooking the Mississippi River. While the band concerts begin at 7:30 PM, there is occasionally other entertainment preceding the concert, and families are encouraged to come early to enjoy the fine summer evening in the park.

We are interested in finding additional photos of the band or band members which have historic or human interest value to include on this web page. If you have such a photo or photos, and would be willing to share them, please contact Jim Priebe at 752-7305. You will, of course, get the photo back unharmed, and we will gladly credit our source.

The Burlington (Iowa) Municipal Band is a community concert band which has served and enriched the life of this city for seventy years. The band's first concert was presented in Crapo Park in May of 1927 after the citizens of Burlington had expressed the desire that such a band be formed. The band's roots extend back to the nineteenth century since it was formed through the combining of the existing Orchard City Band and the privately operated Fischer's Band under the leadership of J. Henri Fischer, a prominent musician of the era.

The band today enjoys a membership from a wide variety of backgrounds. The band contains homemakers, physicians, music teachers, business men and women, ministers, retired people, college students, and a few outstanding high school musicians. All share the common enjoyment of playing their instruments and providing the community with a wholesome family activity.

With continued support from the City of Burlington, and with additional corporate support from Midwest Federal Savings and Loan, the Municipal Band continues to perform free Sunday evening concerts in Crapo Park during the summer months. These concerts are presented from 7:30 until 8:30 P.M. at the Crapo Park Bandshell, located on Grandview Drive within the park. This site provides concert goers a magnificent view of the Mississippi River and the Illinois farmlands spread below, and a wide lawn where listeners can choose to sit on park benches provided near the bandshell, or bring their own lawn chairs or blankets, perhaps to sit near the illuminated Foehlinger Fountain. The concerts are well attended by people of all ages, and many visitors to Burlington make it a point to return each summer to hear at least one concert. Again this season the concerts are being broadcast live by radio station KBUR AM 1490.

The selections played by the band will be chosen from among the following: The Star Spangled Banner, arranged by Paul Yoder; National Emblem March by E.E. Bagley; Victory at Sea by Richard Rodgers, transcribed by Robert Russell Bennett; You're a Grand Old Flag by George M. Cohan; A Tribute to Glenn Miller including Tuxedo Junction, Jersey Bounce, American Patrol, and Little Brown Jug, arranged by Henry Gass; The Liberty Bell March by Sousa; American Patrol by F.W. Meacham; Armed Forces Salute, arranged by Bob Lowden; Victory Garden by Harold Walters; Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree by Lew Brown, Charlie Tobias, and Sam H. Stept, arranged by Paul Yoder; America the Beautiful by Samuel Augustus Ward arranged by Carmen Dragon; God Bless America by Irving Berlin; Americans We March by Henry Fillmore; and our traditional closing march, The Stars and Stripes Forever by Sousa.

SATURDAY evening, July 7, will feature the annual Crapo Park performance of the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra, followed by a magnificent fireworks display. The concert officially begins at 8:00 PM, but note that this is traditionally one of the best-attended events at the Crapo Park band shell. For a good parking space, you will need to arrive early, and be prepared for HEAVY traffic on the way home.

The concert will begin as usual at 7:30 P.M. Prior to the concert, however, the Southeast Iowa Brass Quintet will perform beginning at 6:45 P.M. Members of the quintet are Derrick Murphy, trumpet; Susan Hucke, trumpet; Steve Rod, horn; Jim Priebe, trombone and Arnold Rabe, tuba. Derrick, Jim and Arnie are members of the band. Susan is from Fairfield and Steve is from Mt. Pleasant. The quintet is well known in the area, often performing for weddings and appearing each year with the Bel Canto Chorale as a part of their Lessons and Carols program during the holiday season.

The conductor this week is Jim Priebe, band director at James Madison Middle School. Jim regularly plays the trombone in the band.

Because of the proximity to the July 4 holiday, Jim has chosen a patriotic theme for the concert, with particular emphasis on honoring World War II veterans.

Again this year, we are privileged to begin the concert with the presentation of the colors by the Burlington Police Department Honor Guard, which will be followed by the National Anthem.

The concert will feature a special appearance by Uncle Sam (aka Robert Murphy, who is BHS band director and trumpeter Derrick Murphy's dad) who will lead a "flag parade" for the kids. We encourage you to bring your flag: kids of all ages are invited to march in the parade or, if the "more mature kids" would prefer, they can wave their flags from their seats.

Another special event, which has become a tradition for this concert, will be the performance of Armed Forces Salute. We will ask veterans of each branch of the service to stand and be recognized as the band plays their service's theme.