When The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra performs each June in Glenn Millerís hometown of Clarinda, IA, fans from the five-state region flock to Iowa to hear the music.

Come Tuesday, June 7 many of the loyal followers of this legendary ìBig Bandî orchestra will be headed to Forest Lake.

Thatís when The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, directed by Larry OíBrien, will make a special performance at the Forest Lake High School Auditorium. The concert is a fund-raiser for the high school music department.

A two-hour concert is planned in Forest Lake starting at 7:30 p.m. The doors to the high school auditorium will open at 7 p.m.

The Forest Lake concert will be one of some 300 live dates for the orchestra in 2005. The band logs more than 100,000 miles each year.

The groupís complete music library contains over 1700 compositions, including all the original charts from both the Glenn Miller civilian band and the Army Air Force Band during World War II. The ìRoad Bookî carried by the band for travelling has over 300 charts, many from the original Glenn Miller library.

Based in Clarinda, the band is owned and operated by Glenn Miller Productions, Inc., under license from the Miller Estate. Glenn Miller Productions has the sole and exclusive right to use the Glenn Miller Orchestra name.

The band is a fully self-contained orchestra with its musical director, five saxophone players, four trumpeters, four trombonists and three rhythm musicians (piano, bass and drums). Two vocalists, one male and one female, perform individually and as a part of The Moonlight Serenaders vocal group.

The traveling Glenn Miller group today carries on the tradition of the music made popular by Miller in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1942, Miller volunteered for the Army and organized the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band.

On Dec. 15, 1944, Major Glenn Miller took off in a single airplane from England to precede his band to France.

The plane went down and he was never seen again. Miller was officially declared dead by the Army one year later.

FL concert details

The bandís decision to play a benefit in Forest Lake happened with the encouragement of Jim Gessell, St. Paul, a former Forest Lake resident and mayor. Gessell has been a fan of the music for many years and has known OíBrien for the past 12 years.

Thanks to that friendship, the benefit was arranged here on June 7. The band is returning from a performance in Detroit and will head home to host the Glenn Miller Festival in Clarinda June 10-12.

Tickets for the June 7 concert can now be purchased at the Yellow Bus, 826 S. Lake St. and The Music Connection, 77 SW 8th Ave. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students.

Tickets orders also may be placed by calling the high school activities department and Ann Skoglund at 651-982-8525.

During the June 7 concert, the Forest Lake High School Jazz Band will entertain in the cafeteria prior to the performance. Cookies, coffee and soda will be sold during the intermission. Merchandise from The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra will be available for purchase.

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Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
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