Peabody-Burns school bands will host the Spring Music Extravaganza, an annual barbecue meal and evening of music, on Tuesday. The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with food service and music by the elementary school band, followed by the junior high, the high school band, and culminating with all the Peabody-Burns musicians playing together.
“The band barbecue goes back to when I was a member of the bands. I don’t remember when it started exactly, but I know that for the 8 years I was in band, we had the barbecue,” band director Steven Glover, said.
Glover returned to his alma mater to teach music in 1998 after completing a bachelor of music education degree at Kansas State University. Glover’s father had been the elementary principal and superintendent of schools at Peabody-Burns for 22 years.
In addition to hosting the spring barbecue event, this group of musicians is one of the only bands in the area that dances as they march in parades. In addition to performing before the hometown folks at half-time shows and local parades, each year they march at the state fair in Hutchinson and at parades in Marion, Newton, McPherson and Emporia. Since 1985, they have escorted Santa Claus to his workshop in Towne West Square in Wichita and in the past decade have added the same service for Towne East Square.
The concert portion of the evening will feature the combined bands performing the traditional finale, “Wabash Cannonball.”
“I remember the combined bands portion of the concert when I was in grade school and we played ‘Wabash,’” Glover said. “The first year was a little scary with all those older kids there, but they were nice and helpful and made us all feel at ease.”
Students who took solos and ensembles to Kansas State High School Activities Association state competition will also perform and awards will be presented.
Glover also remembers his days as a soloist.
“I remember playing my solo from music festival and our saxophone ensemble performing at the spring concert. I had worked hard to get good ratings at contest. To me it was a big deal to perform those compositions in front of all the people at the concert. My senior year, the high school saxophone quartet played a piece I wrote just for us — it was exciting to be able to do that,” he said.
The evening’s menu is as extensive as the entertainment with smoked pork and beef, baked beans, potato and pasta salads, and pie or cake for dessert. Tickets are $9 in advance or $10 at the door with discounts for senior citizens and students. For more information, contact Sharlene Brooks at (620) 983-2198.