by Cori Hilsgen
news@thenewsleaders.com
The Store Bergan Skolekorps school band from Norway will perform in this year’s July 4 parade, organized by the St. Joseph Lions Club.
The band includes 42 members who will march in the parade. A support team of adult companions will travel with the band during its Minnesota tour.
The traveling group will consist of about 60 people who will stay at St. John’s University.
Established in 1965, the Store Bergan school band is comprised of young people, ages 10-19, from two public schools in Sandefjord, Norway, which is located south of Oslo.
Because the band is not part of a school, parents handle all fundraising, organizing and hiring of music teachers.
Bjorn Havard Brenden, a band-board member who is responsible for arranging the Minnesota tour, said in an email that the band is comprised of 50 musicians in the head band, junior band and beginning band.
“The youngest play one year in the beginning band before they play two years in the junior band,” he said. “(The) Main band practices two nights a week and is solely operated by parents in the band. When the musicians have graduated from high school at the age of 19, they will leave the band.”
The band is celebrating its 50th anniversary and is scheduled to perform in Alexandria’s Vikingland Band Festival June 28.
One of the St. Joseph Lion’s Club parade committee co-chairpersons, Mary Stommes, said when the Norway band organizers asked Ken Martinson, who coordinates and works with large parades such as the Rose Bowl, what other parade they might be able to perform in while they were in Minnesota, he recommended the St. Joseph parade.
“When they asked us, we felt it would be an honor to have a group from that far away,” Stommes said.
She said it also was wonderful to know the St. Joseph parade has such a good reputation to have been recommended by Martinson.
The school band will arrive in Minnesota Friday, June 26 and will return home Sunday, July 5. Besides performing in Alexandria and St. Joseph, they also plan to visit Valleyfair Amusement Park.
The chairman of the band is Paal Bye Johansen, and the band conductor is Bjorn Haugen.
While in Minnesota, the band hopes to experience some of Minnesota’s culture.
“The celebration of the Constitution Day is important for Norway and the marching bands are central in this tradition,” Brenden said. “All students and support team are looking forward to participating in the 4th of July parade and to learn about American culture and traditions.”
Other co-chairpersons of the parade are Mary’s husband, Ken Stommes, and Joe and Joanne Bechtold. All four have helped organize the parade for a number of years.
“We are very tired when it is finished because we start at 7 a.m. and go until the parade is finished, but we have a good time and it’s exciting,” Stommes said.
Stommes said there will be about 120 units in the parade. This year’s parade line-up includes the 34th Infantry Division “Red Bull” Band, Alexandria High School Marching Band, Store Bergan Skolekorps from Norway, Solar Sound Marching Band (formerly the All City Marching Band), Blue Jackets Junior Marching Band, Wild Creek Entertainers, Freedom Flight, Wildwoods Riding Band, Just 4Laffs Entertainment and more.
The parade is scheduled at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 4 in St. Joseph.
The Store Bergan Skolekorps school band from Norway will perform in this year’s July 4 parade. The band, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, is visiting Minnesota. It will also perform in Alexandria and visit Valleyfair Amusement Park.
The Store Bergan Skolekorps school band from Norway will perform in this year’s July 4 parade. The band, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, is visiting Minnesota. It will also perform in Alexandria and visit Valleyfair Amusement Park.
