Submitted Photo The 60-piece Minot City Band attracts many of the best musicians in the Minot area. The group presents its final concert of the season in Oak Park tonight.

The Minot City Band, under the direction of Joseph Alme will present its final concert of the season in Oak Park tonight at 7 p.m. in the old band shell.

The band’s traditional Sousa Concert includes a programmatic style of Sousa’s with a variety of concert pieces in addition to Sousa’s own works.

The concert will include “Hands Across the Sea” by John Philip Sousa, “The Message on the Rock” and “”Flight of the Piasa” by Robert Sheldon, “Irish Tune from County Derry” by Percy Grainger, “Fugue on Yankee Doodle” and “King Cotton” by John Philip Sousa. It will close with the patriotic trio of “Armed Forces Salute” by Robert Lowden, “America the Beautiful” arranged by Carmen Dragon and John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

A special event at the concert will be recognition of the Kiwanis Club of Minot’s 100th anniversary celebration in conjunction with the Minot City Band’s 100th anniversary. It is fitting that these groups celebrate together as the Kiwanis Club of Minot is the only Kiwanis Club in North America that has its very own band.

Follow the Minot City Band’s final performances of the season are in the North Dakota State Fair Parade on Saturday and at the Community Centennial Celebration on Saturday, Aug. 7, at 11 a.m. in Roosevelt Park Zoo.

The Minot City Band, now in its 100th season, was first organized in 1921 by G.C. Humphries with the purpose of providing entertainment at civic and community functions. During the early years the band experienced an on-again, off-again existence as needed until 1937 when Arvel Graving took the baton and directed the band until 1950. The band took a resting period and reorganization plans were started in 1958 under the name “Minot Musicians Association Band” under the direction of Art Jacobson. In 1962, the City of Minot approved financial support and the name was changed officially to “The Minot City Band.” The 60-piece band continues to attract many of the best musicians in the Minot area. This enables the band to perform summer concerts featuring over 70 pieces of new literature throughout the summer as well as the implementation of numerous artist soloists, both vocal and instrumental.