IOWA BRIGADE BAND RETURNS TO OSKALOOSA BANDSTAND
Iowa Brigade Band 2018 (click for larger image)
Oskaloosa, Iowa – A special musical performance in downtown Oskaloosa features a reincarnation of the Iowa Brigade Band, as led at the turn of the 20th century by Oskaloosa’s most famous band musician, C. L. Barnhouse.
The concert will take place Friday, July 13, at 8 pm on the historic bandstand in City Park. In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be presented in the Penn Central Mall.
This special concert is being held in conjunction with the summer meet of Windjammers Unlimited. Founded in 1971, Windjammers Unlimited is a non-profit circus music historical society, performing, recording, and preserving music from the heyday of the great American circus.
The Iowa Brigade Band concert features a 30 piece band of the same configuration as led by C. L. Barnhouse in 1899.
The concert program includes many selections connected to Mr. Barnhouse, his long standing music publishing firm, and the city of Oskaloosa. Among the works on the program are “Harmony Heaven March” by Barnhouse, named for the building which housed his Oskaloosa music conservatory; “Iowa Brigade Band March” by Fred Jewell, named in honor of the band; “Ben Buxton’s Two-Step” composed for the superintendent of the mining operation in Buxton; “The Herald Two-Step” by John W. Casto, dedicated to Oskaloosa’s long-standing newspaper; and other works.
“Band music has a great history in Oskaloosa,” noted Windjammers Vice President Andrew Glover. “Before recordings, TV, radio, and digital technology, the town band was the main source of musical entertainments in thousands of communities.” Glover added, “Mr. Barnhouse was key in building the band in Oskaloosa, and his company is noted for publishing much of the music used by town bands all across America. It’s music designed for the enjoyment of the audience – tuneful, happy, and fun.”
The performance is free and open to the public.
Visit the Windjammers Unlimited website at www.circusmusic.org.
