MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
The Hutchinson Municipal Band is preparing for one of its most ambitious performances in recent years, joining forces with the Reno Choral Society for a free patriotic concert celebrating America's 250th anniversary.
The special performance will take place Tuesday, June 30, at 7:30 p.m. at the Fox Theatre in downtown Hutchinson. Doors open at 7 p.m., and organizers encourage attendees to arrive early as a large crowd is expected.
The concert marks a departure from the band's traditional summer format and represents months of planning between the two organizations.
"We've been working on this literally since February," said Charles Johnston, vice president of personnel for the Hutchinson Municipal Band. "Together we will have put, I would say, hundreds of hours into this to bring it to the community."
The performance is part of nationwide America 250 celebrations commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Johnston said he wanted Hutchinson residents to experience something unique, leading him to propose the collaboration with Reno Choral Society Director Scott Logan and President Ellen Lane.
The evening will feature performances by both ensembles individually before they join together for several patriotic selections. Among the collaborative pieces are "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "An American Hymn," an arrangement of "America the Beautiful," and a special choral version of John Philip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever."
"I think it's going to be a very special event," Johnston said. "You don't hear 'Stars and Stripes Forever' with a chorus very often, and that's going to close out the concert."
The municipal band's portion of the program will also celebrate Kansas with selections including "Home on the Range," a medley from The Wizard of Oz, Sousa's "Semper Fidelis," and musical tributes reflecting both the Civil War and Vietnam War. The Reno Choral Society will perform a variety of American choral favorites, including spirituals, early American folk music and Shaker melodies.
The concert also marks the band's return to the Fox Theatre for the first time in nearly seven years. Johnston praised the venue and its partnership with the band, saying the historic theater provides an ideal setting for the patriotic celebration.
"It's just going to sound glorious in this hall," he said, noting that nearly 100 musicians and singers, along with percussion and a grand piano, will fill the stage.
Admission is free, continuing a tradition the Hutchinson Municipal Band has maintained since 1875.
"I'm most proud to say that this concert is completely free," Johnston said. "The municipal band, since 1875, has been providing those free performances for the city of Hutchinson. It's special not only because of the 250th, but also because we get to continue providing that free service to the city of Hutchinson."
Following the June 30 performance, the band's final regular concert of the 2026 summer season will be held July 7 at 8 p.m. in the recital hall at Stringer Fine Arts Center, before concluding the season with a performance during Hutch Rec's Final Friday concert series.