MUNICIPAL BANDS KEEP MAKING MUSIC

Municipal bands once were part of the community fabric of virtually every town in the land. Some larger towns boasted more than one band, and the concerts were as much a part of summer evenings as muggy weather.

The tradition continues today, although fewer and fewer towns have municipal bands. Nowhere is the interest and support higher than in Jackson and Cape Girardeau. Both towns have bands, and they are among the jewels that both communities can boast about.

The Jackson Municipal Band, under the direction of Nick Leist, performs on Thursday evenings at the Jackson City Park. Leist has been at the helm of the band for 30 years.

In Cape Girardeau, the Municipal Band is led by Ronald Nall, and the performances are on Wednesday nights at Capaha Park. Some of the band members have been showing up for weekly rehearsals and performances for more than half a century.

But the band members are a wonderful mix of younger and older players. High school students sit alongside retired folks. Bankers and dentists join men and women who are music teachers.

And they take their playing seriously. Audiences continue to marvel at the professional sounds they hear each week during the summer. They appreciate the music all the more because they know most of the band members and see them throughout the week at their jobs, in their homes and at church.

Each of the municipal bands has a couple of traditions that spice up every performance. One of those traditions is inviting a guest conductor from the community. Many of these guests aren't necessarily musical, but few who are invited to stand up with a baton in hand ever turn down the opportunity.

The other tradition that makes the band concerts special is inviting special guests to perform. The local talent that shows its fine musical abilities and performing style never ceases to amaze the listeners.

The audiences themselves are special too. Many are regulars who bring comfortable lawn chairs out to the parks. Others are drawn by special guest or guest conductors.

All in all, the municipal bands in Cape Girardeau and Jackson represent the finest of small-town traditions. Their hard work and earnest performances are enjoyed and appreciated by hundreds of fans of band music.

Hats off to both bands for continuing to provide fine entertainment on sultry summer evenings.