Karol Welcelean

Robert Bray

A longtime Howard County tradition continues next Saturday, July 26, with the 47th annual Roanoke Band Concert and Ice Cream Supper.

Serving of ice cream and cake begins at 6:30 p.m. with the concert at 7:30 in the historic 1906 Roanoke Bandstand. Lawn chairs are suggested. There is no charge.

Music will be provided by the Fayette Star Cornet Band directed by Robert H. Bray. Musicians are expected from Fayette, Columbia, Montgomery City, Fulton, Moberly, Boonville and Champaign, Ill.

Particularly with this being an election year, a number of candidates are expected to be circulating among the crowd on the historic grounds around the bandstand.

Bray began directing the Roanoke concert in 1968 when he conducted the legendary Forest Green Band, organized in 1886.

Music will include the “Poet and Peasant Overture” by Von Suppe and a number of marches by Henry Fillmore, John Phillip Sousa, Karl L. King and others.

The concert will honor Karol R. Welcelean, a retired CMU Swinney Conservatory of Music faculty member. He taught here from 1952 to 1988 and was a professor of string instruments and music theory, in addition to being a leading member of the old college-community orchestra.

The concert is sponsored by the Roanoke Band Association, Mildred Heiman, president. Nylah Beach is coordinator of the Ice Cream Social.

Roanoke is located at the far north edge of Howard County on Highway 3 near the Randolph County line.

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