August 26, 2001

Director of the St. Joseph Municipal Band, Dr. Donald Moely, indicated the band concerts scheduled for Sunday, August 26 will feature Stacie Detgen, who will guest conduct two numbers; an appearance by "Special Request," a women’s barbershop quartet formed from the River Bend Chorus, which is the South Bend Chapter of the Sweet Adelines, International of South Bend; and a trumpet trio performed by Craig Heitger of South Bend, Steven Gruver, of St. Joseph and Jay Crouch of Niles, along with the entire trumpet section of the band in a special number..

Stacie Detgen goes to the podium to conduct the Gabriel Pares "Veteran’s March," and the Robert Jager "Third Suite." Stacie has been a member of the St. Joe Municipal Band for 23 years and is in her 14th year of teaching instrumental music education and her 8th year at Charlotte Junior High School. She is a native of Buchanan, and began playing the French Horn in 5th grade. Stacie has a Bachelors Degree from Michigan State University and a Master of Music Education degree from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. Ms. Detgen has been a member of the Greater Lansing Symphony Orchestra, the Lansing Concert Band, the Meridian Community Band, the Capitol Area Brass Quintet, the Charlotte Lawrence Avenue Methodist Church orchestra and brass choir.

"Special Request" a women’s vocal quartet will perform "The Chordbuster," "I Don’t Want To Walk Without You",  "Zing!" and "Went the Strings of My Heart." In 2002, River Bend Chorus will celebrate it’s 25th Anniversary in the Michiana community. Members of the groups are: Gale Wood-Ward, Mishawaka; Jean Smith, South Bend; Cilla Meachem, South Bend; Sharon Piechorowski, Elkhart . Gale, Jean, Cilla and Sharon have over 50 years combined experience in barbershop singing. River Bend Chorus has been entertaining audiences with their four part barbershop harmony music for over 20 years. Under the direction of Debi Miller, the chorus has performed for corporate and private functions, as well as: Pops at the Cove; Firefly Festival; Plymouth Blueberry Festival; Berrien County Youth Fair; Elkhart County 4-H Fair; Elkhart Municipal Band Summer Concerts; and the Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival. Chorus members come from the immediate Michiana area, La Porte, Michigan City, Plymouth, Buchanan, Niles, New Buffalo, and Stevensville, Michigan.

Five members of the band have formed a Woodwind quintet composed of Charlotte Burch, Flute; of Bridgman; Dixie Detgen, Oboe; of Buchanan; Dave Ratajik, Clarinet; of Stevensville; Stacie Detgen, French Horn, of Charlotte, and Lisa Bubar, Bassoon, of St. Joseph. Their group performs three numbers including: March Funde’bre d’une, by Gounod; "Allegro Movement" from Sonata in B Flat, by Mozart; and Theme and Variations, by Brophy.

The concerts give a chance for the trumpets to take center stage by first featuring a newly composed trumpet trio entitled Roller Coaster, by Johnny Cowell. The band’s trumpet trio consists of Craig Heitger, Steven Gruver and Jay Crouch. Craig Heitger is a professional trumpet player and teacher from South Bend, Steven B. Gruver is Conductor of Bands at St. Joseph High School, and Jay Crouch is Director of Bands at Brandywine High School. Next, the entire trumpet section comes forward to perform Cornet Carillon, by Ronald Binge, arranged for band by Floyd E. Werle.

Other music rounding out the concert is the theme from the popular TV show "The West Wing." and a Karl King March entitled "Trombone King."

The concerts are free to the public and are held at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m., each Sunday. The band finishes its summer week end concerts its regular double concerts Sunday September 2, followed by a 9:00 p.m. big band concert and concludes with its last set of double concerts on Labor Day, Monday, September 4, which close the 2001 season. All events are held at the John E. N. Howard Band Shell across from the Whitcomb in downtown St. Joseph.