This week, we’re featuring instruments that don’t often get the spotlight. What’s more, our featured soloists are all members of the Municipal Band!

But if you want to hear them, make sure you go to the right place: BEVER PARK on Wednesday at the usual time, and Sunday at Ellis. The original Wednesday venue was cancelled late last week due to construction schedules. But Bever is only a mile away from it, so if you planned to attend because it was in your area, you still can.

What’s more, Bever has plenty of shade, making it ideal on a hot summer night.

We have a great lineup this week:

• Star Spangled Banner with guest vocalist Lincoln Ginsberg from Washington High School
• The Corcoran Cadets March (Sousa)
• Morceau de Concert (Saint-Saens), featuring Andy Harris on French horn
• Gershwin! (arr. Barker), conducted by CRMB sound technician Alex Shields
• The Old Sore-Head or “Der alte Brummbar” (Fucik), featuring Greg Morton on bassoon
• Alamo (King)
• Sandpaper Ballet (Anderson), featuring our percussion section: Alan Lawrence, Tom Mackey, Doug Krejci, Luke Swearingen, and Nathan Benya
• Glenn Miller In Concert (arr. Scott)
• Blue Bells of Scotland (Pryor), featuring William Carson on bass clarinet
• Rolling Thunder (Fillmore)
• Song of Dedication with guest vocalist Lincoln Ginsberg

Bring a chair and a beverage and enjoy!

OUR WEDNESDAY CONCERT IS AT BEVER PARK! As stated, we cannot play Washington HS as originally scheduled. This is due to delays to the construction at the school. Instead, we are playing at Bever Park, which is a mere mile from Wash. Tell your friends!

We have a couple of late-breaking schedule changes for you. First, Die Tiefen Keller Kinder WILL NOT present a prelude concert on 14 July at Bever. We were informed on Friday that due to some other schedule changes, they cannot play this weekend. We apologize for the inconvenience. BUT THE MUNICIPAL BAND CONCERT IS STILL ON and will take place at 7:30 PM at Bever, just as scheduled!

Second, due to changes in the construction schedule at Washington High School, we cannot play there this coming Wednesday. The power at the facility is not available. We are working on getting a different venue. Check this site, Facebook/Twitter, or KMRY Radio for updates. (This could be the band’s first-ever “ninja gig.”)

As in MARS, from Holst’s famous “The Planets,” of course, conducted by no less a personage than Jason Weinberger, conductor of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra.

We’ll be at Taft Middle School on the NW side on Wednesday, and it looks like the weather will be much more clement than it was the last time we played Taft. It’s a bit sunny there, but it will be quite cool for July, so don’t be shy! Come out at 7:30, or listen on KMRY radio.

Sunday, we’re at Bever Park, one of the band’s favorite venues. And we have a special treat for you, a prelude concert at 6:30 by Die Tiefen Keller Kinder! My German is rusty (nay, non-existent), but that translates roughly as The Deep Cellar Children. If you’re as intrigued by that as I am, you’ll be there right at the downbeat.

This week, we’re featuring Keith Hammer on xylophone, playing the ridiculously challenging (and fun) “Helter-Skelter” by W. G. Lemon. Keith is the winner of this year’s Young Artist Competition, and when you hear him on this piece, you’ll know why.

The lineup for the week:

• Star Spangled Banner
• Overture for Winds (Carter)
• The Free Lance March (Sousa)
• Mars (1st Movement of The Planets, Holst)
• March Slurrioso (Rosenkrans)
• James Bond Suite (arr. Erickson)
• Helter-Skelter (Lemon)
• The March From “1941” (Williams)
• The Girl in Satin (Anderson)
• Circus Days (King)
• Song of Dedication

UPDATE: WE ARE STILL ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS! The application process on the city website has closed, but the Commission is still taking applications. Please look at the job description on the city’s site, then mail your application to maestrolaw@gmail.com. Please note that this is NOT a volunteer position, but a contract position.

The City Band Commission is accepting applications for a Publicity Manager for the Municipal Band. Duties may include (but are not limited to) working with sponsors, advertising, website management, social media, etc. The official description of the position can be found on the Cedar Rapids official site — just click here. (Pops to new window.) All who are interested are encouraged to apply.

We have a great program for you this week. Wednesday, we’re at Sokol Park in the Czech Village at 7:30. Our theme this week is quite international, with music from Spain, Latin America, Russia, Scotland, the USA…and of course we’ll have Czech music as well! Walk, ride, or bike on down.

On Sunday, we’ll be once again at Bever Park, and there will be a prelude concert at 6:30 by the Cedar Brass, a group of young brass players. They’re quite good.

The lineup:

• Star Spangled Banner featuring Molly Brandt, Voice
• Procession of the Nobles (Rimsky-Korsakov, trans. Leidzen)
• Hoop-Dee-Doo Polka (Loesser & DeLugg, arr. Paul Yoder)
• Madrid Inspiration (arr. by Masanori Kato), featuring Kenneth Tse on Alto Saxophone
• Entry of the Gladiators (Fucik, arr. Balent)
• Ye Banks and Braes O Bonnie Doon (Percy Grainger)
• Lerner and Loewe in Concert (arr. Warren Barker)
• Lassus Trombone (Henry Fillmore)
• Oliver’s Birthday (Bruce Broughton), featuring Lee Stickney, Trumpet
• Golden Jubilee March (Sousa)
• Cedar Rapids Song of Dedication, again featuring Molly Brandt’s vocals

This concert will be broadcast LIVE on KMRY radio, 1450 AM and 93.1 FM.

The City Band Commission will meet on Wednesday, 26 June, at Sokol Park. Time is 6:45 PM, just prior to the concert.

Proposed agenda:

Call to Order – Chair Robert Sadilek

Minutes of previous meeting – Law

Financial Report – Law

New Business:

• Approve proposed budget for 2013-2014
• Rewrite Business manager job description.

Additional items for Discussion

Concerts this week at Ushers Ferry Historic Village on Wednesday and Ellis Park on Sunday. Featured artists are Slayton Thompson on harmonica, euphonium players David Neff and Blaine Cunningham, and vocalist Rosa Lemos.

You can hear Wednesday’s concert LIVE at 7:30 PM CDT (12:30 AM GMT) on KRMY 93.1 FM, 1450 AM, and http://www.kmryradio.com/listen-live/

On Sunday, be sure to show up early! Prelude concert by the New Horizons Band, under the direction of Alan Lawrence, on Sunday at 6:30 PM.

We have a great lineup of tunes this week, including:

• Star Spangled Banner, sung by Rosa Lemos
• The Hounds of Spring by Alfred Reed
• Galaxy March by Frank Piersol
• Duke Ellington! by Duke Ellington, arr. by Calvin Custer
• Stardust by Hoagy Carmichael, arr. by Warren Barker, featuring Slayton Thompson on harmonica
• The Fairest of the Fair by John Philip Sousa, edited by Frederick Fennell
• Variations on a Korean Folk Song by John Barnes Chance
• The Wrong Note Rag from “Wonderful Town” by Leonard Bernstein, arr. by Ted Ricketts
• The Days of Wine and Roses by Henry Mancini, arr. by Steve Shanley, featuring Slayton Thompson on harmonica
• The Melody Shop by Karl King, arr. by Andrew Glover, featuring David Neff and Blaine Cunningham on euphonium
• Cedar Rapids Song of Dedication by Larry Barrett, sung by Rosa Lemos

Be assured that the band worked very hard to make sure every “wrong note” in The Wrong Note Rag is exactly the CORRECT wrong note! And you absolutely need to hear Slayton…the man is amazing.

We have another great week of music for you! Wednesday (12 June), we will be at Taft Middle School on E Avenue NW. We’ve not been able to play there for a while due to the geothermal system installation, so we’re looking forward to being in that part of town again.

Sunday, 16 June, we’ll be at Bever Park. If you’re not regularly in that area, please be aware that parts of Blake Boulevard and Bever Avenue are closed due to construction. Bever has a relatively well-marked detour, but Blake does not. (Blake is closed between Forest Drive and Grande Avenue, but otherwise open.) Please check a map as necessary.

This week, our program is dedicated to the fathers in the crowd and in the band. Our selections are:

• Star Spangled Banner, sung by Erin Coker, Kennedy High School
• Eternal Father, Strong to Save (Claude T. Smith)
• U.S. Field Artillery March (John Philip Sousa)
• Andrew Lloyd Webber: A Symphonic Portrait (arr. Jerry Nowak)
• Your Father’s Mustache (Wes Tompkins)
• The Sea Shells Waltz (Frederick Neil Innes, edited by Chris Buckholz) Featuring Chris Buckholz, trombone (http://chrisbuckholz.com/)
• Louis Armstrong Revival Selection (arr. Willy Hautvast)
• Alligator Alley (Michael Daugherty)
• His Honor (Henry Fillmore)
• Cedar Rapids Song of Dedication, sung by Erin Coker, Kennedy High School

See you there! And remember…if in doubt concerning the weather, call the hotline at 261-2762 (261-CRMB).