Joe Alme of Minot is in his 30th year with the Minot City Band. He’s been its director for eight of those years from 1977-78, 1980-81 and from 2017 to present.

The city band’s Sousa Concert tonight at 7 in Oak Park will be Alme’s last time to direct a city band concert. He also will direct the band on Saturday when it is in the North Dakota State Parade. Alme then retires as director and from the band.

Alme said he began playing with the city band in the summer of 1965 when Ira Schwartz was the band’s director.

“I enjoyed all of those years,” said Alme.

No one has been selected yet to replace Alme as director.

Selections to be performed at the concert tonight include “The National Anthem,” “The March of the Steelmen,” “Emperata Overture,” “King Cotton” march, “George Gershwin a Symphonic Portrait,” “High School Cadets,” “I Ain’t Down Yet” “Hands Across the Sea” march, “America the Beautiful” and “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

“I Ain’t Down Yet,” written by composer Meredith Willson for the musical, “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” is one of the pieces the city band will be playing in the North Dakota State Parade on Saturday.