July 29, 2001

"Soloist to have electricity this year"

"Oboe Duet specially arranged by band member"

"Clarinet Candy" features the clarinets of the band"

"St. Joe graduate returns from Army bands to perform with Band Sunday"

Director of the St. Joseph Municipal Band, Dr. Donald Moely, indicated the band concerts scheduled for Sunday, July 29 will highlight an oboe duet arranged by Jerry Lackey of the band for principal oboist Dixie Detgen and visiting oboist from a United States Army Service Band, Gayle Petrick, a former graduate of St. Joseph High School. Also performing will be vocalist Jeff Cramer who returns this year to sing songs from "Oklahoma." In addition he will repeat his songs of Sammy Davis Jr. which were cut short during his last year’s appearance with the band when the electricity service was interrupted to the band shell by an accident.

The principal oboist of the band is Dixie Detgen, who retired after teaching band for 29 years in the Buchanan Community Schools. She currently teaches instrumental music in a private school, lessons and sectionals at Lakeshore Middle School, is the oboe instructor in the Salvation Army Arts and Education Program, plays organ and directs the choir at her church, plays oboe with the Southhold Wind Ensemble (South Bend, IN) and the St. Joseph Municipal Band (completing her 44th year) and owns her own business called Detgen Seminars and Clinics, working with bands and directors throughout the state. She holds memberships in MENC, where she is a nationally registered teacher, ASBDA, serving on the Foundation Board, NBA, IDRS, MSBOA, AF of M, SAI and was nominated to Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers in 1992. She was also the MSBOA Band Teacher of the Year in 1996.

Joining Ms. Detgen on oboe will be Gayle Petrick, who is a St. Joseph native. She is the daughter of Virginia Petrick and the late William Petrick. Gayle is a graduate of St Joseph High School, Western Michigan University with a Bachelors of Music, and the University of Akron with a Masters of Music. For 17 years she has been a bandsman in the United Sates Army, holding the rank of Sergeant First Class. She has been stationed in Germany, Korea, The Armed Forces School of Music in Norfolk, Virginia, and is currently stationed at Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia. Her teachers include Jan Eberle, Dixie Detgen, and John Mack.

The vocal soloist for the concerts this week is Jeff Cramer who is from Osceola. He has completed his classroom work and is a senior at Bethel College majoring in vocal performance and music education. He is President of the Bethel concert choir and is involved in several other groups at Bethel. Jeff has been touring this summer with his group called "Affinity" to churches around the mid west. He has been involved in musical theater, holding the roles of Freddy in "My Fair Lady," and also Tony in "West Side Story" and Curly in Oklahoma, at Bethel. Jeff was a 1996 graduate Penn High School, and he is finishing his college work in preparing his performance major degree by doing his practice teaching this coming fall at Elkhart Memorial High School.

Dr. Moely said the concert begins with a march entitled "The Crosley March" by Henry Fillmore. A major classical work for band follows in Gustav Holst’s "Second Suite in F for Military Band."

Jerry Lackey has arranged a George Frederick Handel work into a duet for two oboes with a concert band accompaniment. Oboes Dixie Detgen of the band will be joined by her former student Gayle Petrick in "The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" with Mr. Lackey conducting his arrangement. The band follows with "Puerto Alegre," by William E Rhoades.

Last year during the concert when guest soloist Jeff Cramer was featured singing songs of Sammy Davis Jr., and the lights went out. Director Dr. Moely said Jeff’s appearance here this year allows a chance to allow Jeff to sing his songs of Sammy Davis Jr. with a microphone. He will later return in the program to sing songs from "Oklahoma."

The entire clarinet section is featured with the band as they play "Clarinet Candy," a piece written by Leroy Anderson. The band finishes the program with answering a request by performing "The Pride of the Wolverines," by John Philip Sousa.

The concerts are free to the public and are held at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m., at the John E. N. Howard Band Shell across from the Whitcomb in downtown St. Joseph.