CITY BANDS READY FOR NEW SEASON

In Cape Girardeau and Jackson, municipal bands serve up summer's sounds of music.

The two bands are readying for another season of weekly concerts.

The Cape Girardeau Municipal Band will hold its first concert at 8 tonight at the Capaha Park Band Shell.

Jackson's band will holds it first concert of the season on Thursday at 8 p.m. in the City Park.

Both bands date back to the 1920s. Jackson's started in 1920. Cape Girardeau's Municipal Band began in 1926. The city had a band prior to that, but it wasn't an official municipal band.

Nick Leist has directed the Jackson Municipal Band for the past 30 years.

Ronald Nall is in his fifth year as director of the Cape Girardeau Municipal Band.

But he played in the band for years. "I started with the band when I was in college around 1966," said Nall, who played French horn.

This will be Nall's 20th consecutive summer with the band.

Both Nall and Leist recently retired as band directors at Cape Girardeau and Jackson high schools, respectively.

But neither of these music men is ready to retire from their municipal band jobs.

"I don't dare retire from municipal band," said Leist. "I would go bonkers."

Leist is close to the band members. "We are all just like a big family," he said.

Nall said that serving as municipal band director allows him to remain in "the band business" even in retirement.

Leist and Nall each get paid about $100 a week during the band season. Band members make $30 a week in the Jackson Municipal Band. Cape Girardeau Municipal Band members get $25 a week.

A few of the summer musicians play in both bands.

Both municipal bands have about 50 members.

Nall said the Cape Girardeau Municipal Band operates on a budget of about $20,000 each summer. The budget includes advertising and other expenses.

The Cape Girardeau band does 13 weekly shows during the summer.

The outdoor concerts regularly draw 250 to 400 people at Capaha Park.

Jackson's weekly concerts run through mid-August, culminating with the Homecomers celebration. The Jackson concerts typically draw 150 to 200 people.

Cape Girardeau's band rehearses on Monday nights and performs on Wednesday evenings. Jackson's band rehearses on Tuesday nights and performs on Thursday evenings.

Both municipal bands boast a wide age range when it comes to the musicians.

Leist said his band has members ranging from high school students to senior citizens. "I have some band members who are 60-years-old."

The same holds true for the Cape Girardeau band.

Nall said, "We have high school students. We have college students. We have area band directors play and then some local musicians."

Homer Gilbert is in his 73rd year with the Cape Girardeau Municipal Band. His first year with the band was in 1926 when he was 14 years old.

Nall said the adult musicians have a variety of day jobs. They include a banker, a dentist and a state lobbyist.

"We have them from all walks of life," he said.

Decades ago, many towns had municipal bands. But today there are few such bands.

Nall said Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Ste. Genevieve are the only cities in the region that have municipal bands.

Leist blames television in part for the demise of municipal bands.

Nall said the Cape Girardeau and Jackson bands benefit from being able to draw on the talents of Southeast Missouri State University college students, faculty and others.

Leist said, "We are very fortunate in this area. The local people are all fine musicians."

The theme of the Cape Girardeau concert Wednesday will be "Strike Up the Band."

The guest singer will be Christy Hey. Mayor Al Spradling III will be the celebrity guest conductor.

The band will perform various selections, including a medley of Frank Sinatra tunes. The band also will perform "Emblem of Unity March," "Emperata Overture," "Them Basses," "Bullets and Bayonets March," "His Honor March" and Richard Rodgers' melodies.

Jackson's first concert of the season will feature guest singer Jonathan Stewart, music director for Centenary United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau.

The band will perform "By Loch and Mountain," "Themes Like Old Times II," Sousa's march "The Gladiator," the "Feuverst" and "Lictstinstiner" polkas, Sousa's seldom played composition "Willow Blossoms" and various other pieces.