The Landeskole Band, a 46-member marching band from Sarpsborg, Noway, Grand Forks' sister city, will visit Grand Forks from Sunday through Oct. 8 and play at least three public concerts.
The band will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday with the Red River High School Symphonic Band at the Red River High School gym. Wednesday, Landeskole will play at the Sons of Norway Lodge at 6:30 p.m., and Thursday at 2 p.m. at Valley Eldercare.
In Norwegian, the band's name is Lande skolemusikkorps, or LSMK, said Red River High School band director and instructor Bruce Morlock. The Landeskole marching band is one of about seven school marching bands in Sarpsborg, he said, and celebrated its 60th anniversary last year.
Today, the band has 46 members including it twirling troop. That breaks down to 34 girls and 12 boys from 9 to 20 years old. The band was founded Sept. 5, 1949, as the Lande Boys Band, supported by a fundraiser and by the municipality. Its first director was Alfred Lande and band members received their first uniforms in 1950, just in time for their first concert.
The band had no female members until the early 1960s when six girls joined as a twirling troop. May 1, 1963, the band surprised everyone by marching with the girls in the lead, and in 1964, three girls had their debut on the drums. A few years later, more than 20 girls were in the twirling troop, and by 1974, the band had so many female members its name was changed from Lande Boys Band to Landeskole.
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Today, the marching band recruits from several Sarpsborg schools, but it still practices at the Lande school every Monday and Wednesday evening.
In America, students in school bands practice during school hours and the conductor is employed by the school district. In Norway, student musicians rehearse and practice on their own two evenings a week. Parent volunteers operate the band and form a decision-making board that hires a director and raises money for uniforms, instruments and other expenses. Bands in Norway do receive some support from the municipality and are permitted to rehearse at the schools.
In March, Landeskoke Band won first place at the Østfold Championship, and its twirling troop placed high in competitions in 2007 and 2008. The band conductor is Fredrik Andreassen and its twirling instructor is Sigrid Fagerli. Lande skolemusikkorps has a Facebook page and a website, www.landeskolemusikkorps.no , both in Norwegian.
In May 2007, more than 100 Red River High School musicians, music directors and chaperones traveled to Sarpsborg to perform and participate in a Syttende Mai parade.
The Landeskole Band from Sarpsborg, Norway, will be in Grand Forks for Sunday through Oct. 8 and will perform Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
If you go
- What: Three performances by the Landeskole Band of Sarpsborg, Norway, which is a sister city of Grand Forks.
- Tuesday: Concert with Red River High School Symphonic Band, 7:30 p.m., Red River High School gym. Freewill offering.
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- Wednesday: Concert at 6:30 p.m., Sons of Norway Lodge, 1401 Ninth Ave. S., Grand Forks.
- Thursday: Concert at 2 p.m., Valley Eldercare, 2900 14th Ave. S., Grand Forks.
- Info: Bruce Morlock, bruce.morlock@gfschools.org .
