Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
THE FIRE Brigade Band from Kropp, Germany, perform "Present of Love" at the fourth annual Marenisco "Milltown" Heritage Days Saturday evening. This is the fifth international band hosted by the people of Marenisco.
MARENISCO - The Fire Brigade Band of Kropp, Germany, held a concert Saturday evening as part of the fourth annual Marenisco "Milltown" Heritage Days.
The band played various styles of music, ranging from German folk songs such as "Trompetenecho" to modern pop songs like "Africa."
The band consisted of 29 members, with ages ranging from 14 to 74.
"Back in Germany, we have 48 people," said band leader Johannes Rasmussen. "But we couldn't all stay here for many reasons."
It is the fifth international band hosted by the people of Marenisco.
Other bands included the Lucie Kolsch Musikschule Orchester and the Symphonic Winds Orchester of the Musikschule Alzey-Worms.
The band's U.S. tour is sponsored by the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp of Twin Lakes.
The band members arrived in Chicago on July 14. They also performed in Milwaukee and Fond du Lac, Wis., before arriving in Marenisco.
The members stayed with various host families while in the area.
"It's not cheap," said Heritage Days spokesperson Bruce Mahler "These guys spent the last year and a half fundraising."
The band's last performance of the tour will be in Chicago on July 30.
"Everyone was kind," Rasmussen said, referring to the band members' experiences in the states "We could learn about American life in all these places."
