i love morris: Concert at Appleton park nothing but joy

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Concert at Appleton park nothing but joy


"Bob's Big Band" performs from the Riverview Park Bandstand, Appleton. (photo by Del Sarlette)

Many people enjoyed the concert Tuesday evening at Riverview Park. (photo by Paul Raymo of KLQP Radio)

What a perfect night for a concert in the park on Tuesday! Such an event might be held at our East Side Park in Morris where we have the Killoran stage. But the event of which I speak was in Appleton.

The small towns close to Morris can outdo Morris on so many things. You might say Tuesday was exhibit 'A' for this. It was the classic concert in the park in front of a very nice turnout. The stage there is not like our Killoran stage. It is open on all four sides. It was the perfect stage for the band that assembled.

It was a unique night of music with a surprisingly eclectic element. The "artsy" side of the concert went over as well as anything else. Like even with, would you believe, a Miles Davis number? We shouldn't pigeon-hole rural Minnesota people as not being receptive to such fare.

Miles Davis means "Harmon mute." Nothing to do with Harmon Killebrew. It produces a distinctive sound on the trumpet. I have watched the biopic about the life of Miles Davis starring Don Cheadle. Even blogged a review.

Illustrious guest

Trumpet player Doug Woolverton was true to the style and ability of Miles Davis Tuesday in Appleton. Appleton was blessed getting this fellow to come and perform. Probably not a hard sell, because the guy is from these parts. He's a graduate of Lac qui Parle Valley High School. Could someone tell me where the valley is over there?

Dale Lien (left) and Doug Woolverton

Anyway, Mr. Woolverton graced the stage as a guest with "Bob's Big Band" named for the late Bob Sorseleil. The event was part of Appleton's Summer Concert Series. The audience was truly large and assembled with lawn chairs.

The concert was long but had everyone engaged throughout. Kudos to the musicians for being so enthusiastic. It was infectious.

Woolverton is a professional musician, composer and band leader. Let's salute Dale Lien, area farmer, who oversees the Summer Concert Series. Paying attention, Morris people?

The band personnel had Morris people or people with a Morris background. I shouldn't name names because I could omit someone. Oh heck I'll mention Marty Sarlette who I hadn't seen in a long time. Same with Joe Johnson. Joe's late father Clyde was an early and long-time UMM music faculty member. And my late father Ralph was the founder of the department. Their pictures are on display at the bottom level of the UMM HFA. As a bonus, a picture of my father directing is on the main floor!

Current UMMers Wes Flinn and Mike Odello were in the group.

I was fortunate to attend because of an invite from Marty's brother Del. I was fortunate that Del initially invited two people who declined. Lucky me, I got to take it in! I have nothing but superlatives to share all around.

Let's not overlook that the park setting has an "amphitheater" design so the people further back are a little elevated, so to have a good vantage point. Appleton gets a grade of A-plus for presenting something like this.

What about Morris? We had the Killoran stage built many years ago and it has never come close to being utilized up to its possibilities. Things have gotten worse. It had some value for the summer Prairie Pioneer Days but there is no more summer Prairie Pioneer Days. The talent shows had a run but those appear to be over. It was a "fad" I guess.

Let's give credit to the recent first-ever Makers Art Festival in Morris. Some musical talent was shared from the Killoran stage. Use of that stage has become as rare as seeing a dodo bird. One day hardly fixes things but it's a start? Maybe I'm skeptical about any follow-up.

I have argued that high school musicians should have some sort of ensemble to play regularly in summer. Del and I were once in marching band but that epoch of Morris history is long-gone. Marching band was once a significant institution in Morris and for our youth. The band put on a show and instilled discipline in the kids. As for the music element, it wasn't that enriching because the kids played the same tune or "chart" all the time, like "Marcho Vivo" from the late 1960s. As a kid I could hear that melody way out on Northridge Drive while the band practiced.

Director John Woell had to be careful about the loud sounds close to the hospital. I remember him talking about that.

Woell could get by being a disciplinarian - the kids accepted it. The kids might just take a hike today. But I think a group could start something very interesting and fun for regular performances at the Killoran stage. I've shared this suggestion off and on for years but you know how Morris is. Appleton can do something 100 percent dynamic and the public loves it, but in Morris, a town of over 5000 population? People just think about going to the lake or else it's softball, I guess.

It's the softball obsession as illustrated with the strange and awkward project east of the UMM campus. Wait until the funeral home gets its lights put up at "Holmberg Field." I suppose we'll see cars jamming up Prairie Lane over a long distance after dark. Frankly it's inexcusable.

Priorities shifted

Marching band died in Morris partly because kids were getting pushed toward summer sports camps. Their coaches pushed them. Football coaches wanted their players to lift weights in the off-season, so as to be able to physically punish the athletes from other schools. Isn't music a superior alternative to this? No concussions? No banged-up knees?

A trumpet player only has to practice enough to "stay in shape." We're talking the "embouchure."

Girls plunged into sports starting in about 1973. So they most certainly got committed to sports camps too.

The Killoran stage has sat there for so long, utilized to a negligible extent - it's a loser. It was a waste of money, wherever the money came from. I suppose giving money just makes people feel good.

My original concern about the stage was that it was very close to residential neighborhoods. Could be a sound annoyance issue, but that sure hasn't happened. It sits there basically like a big mausoleum now. It must cost the City of Morris $ to maintain. It's a waste unless things change. In the meantime, Appleton knows how to do this kind of thing.

It was fun seeing Doug Moe again. He will be leaving us for Arizona. Get ready for the heat, Doug. But it's a dry heat? The weather Tuesday night for Appleton's concert in the park was perfect. Everything was perfect. The audience was ready for everything from Glenn Miller to Miles Davis.

Woolverton was at the top of his game playing his horn. He's a high-level professional at this. His college studies were at Northern State, Aberdeen SD.

The stage at Appleton is called the Riverview Park Bandstand. We're talking the Pomme de Terre River which gets wider as it goes south as all rivers do. So it's wider than in the Morris area. The Appleton Lions served refreshments. Business sponsors were "Home-2-Home" and "Appleton Dental Care."

So, the funeral home in Morris is "lighting up" the new softball field? A sum of $15,000? If you feel funerals are overpriced, now you know where some of the money is directed. Don't you feel the pandemic has de-valued the funeral experience because of the diminished in-person? Don't you increasingly wonder about the cost?

My personal philosophy is that when a family member dies, that person is gone from this life and the main priority is a dignified disposal of the remains. My mom and dad are in heaven and hopefully they were aware of the Tuesday night event and enjoyed it. Ditto for Joe's dad. Oh, and for the late Walt Sarlette who was a big Morris music maven.

It was a thrill or even a shock to be with a big public gathering again. Knock on wood? The current covid news is a little concerning. Fall conditions will spell increased risk with cool and dry air. Again, knock on wood.

Addendum: Legend has it that Lac qui Parle Valley got the "Valley" tacked on because of local politics. These matters used to be more sensitive than they are now. When the new combined school was being bandied over, there was concern that "Lac qui Parle" by itself might suggest Madison favoritism because Madison had hosted the combined wrestling program with that name. "Valley" was coined to ensure that something completely new was being created.

Seems incredibly petty, right? But this is how small towns once jockeyed vs. each other. I saw a lot of this from my perch at the Morris newspaper. Remember the "Cyrus Task Force?" It ended up with far more power than the Cyrus school board intended.

Creating a task force just means the people in real authority positions don't wish to take responsibility!