Turner Hall of Monroe

Band from Kropp, Germany!

Fire Brigade Band
(Band der Freiwilligen Feuerwehr Kropp)
Tuesday, July 29, 2014; 7:30 pm

$5 suggested free-will donation


The Swiss Heritage Series of the Turner Hall of Monroe is pleased to present a performance from Kropp, Germany by the Volunteer Fire Department Band (Band der Freiwilligen Feuerwehr Kropp) on Tuesday, July 29 at 7:30 pm in the Grand Hall, 1217 17th Avenue; Monroe, Wisconsin.

Known also as the Fire Brigade Band, the group is the musical ambassador of the town of Kropp, population 6500, in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Established in 1892 by some musical firefighters just for their own entertainment and for marching, today the band consists of an interesting mix of 38 musicians, ages 15 to 74, directed by Johannes Rasmussen. The band’s repertoire includes not only traditional brass band music, but marches, rock, pop, and swing. The musicians’ light and entertaining programs are enjoyed by over 40 audiences annually, particularly their spring and Christmas concerts.

The band’s appearance in Monroe is part of a mini-cultural exchange program through the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp located in Michigan’s Manistee National Forest. In 2013, Kropp hosted 150 young American musicians, also through the Blue Lake Fine Arts exchange program. In return, 29 members of the Fire Brigade Band will experience a two-week slice of American life by staying with host families and performing concerts in several locations in Michigan, Milwaukee and Fond du Lac before arriving in Monroe on July 27, their last tour stay and performance before returning to Germany. While in Monroe, the band members will also have the opportunity to attend the final summer concert of the Monroe City Band at 7:30 pm on July 28 in Twining Park with their host families.

The public is cordially invited to attend the concert, with a small reception following the concert in the lower level Ratskeller. Admission is a $5 suggested free-will donation. Doors to the Grand Hall will open at 7:00 pm for general seating. The Turner Hall of Monroe is handicapped-accessible, with an elevator to the Grand Hall.

More information on Turner Hall's Swiss Heritage Series is available here.