Nearly a century ago, the music critic for the St. Paul Dispatch pronounced himself well pleased with the Minnesota State Band's conductor, a Mr. Selling.
Members bring variety to the group.
Then comes style. The 65-piece Minnesota State Band, made up of state employees, lawyers, insurance agents, a maker of roller skates, doctors and teachers, will mark its centennial Sunday with a concert at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. When it started, it joined state bands in Illinois, New York and seven other states. Now it's the only state band left in the nation, according to Joseph Komro, since 1975 its conductor. In membership, it reflects the community, and in performance it responds to what the public would like to hear, yet tries also to make the audience aware of other types of music.