47TH INFANTRY DIVISION
ARMY NATIONAL GUARD BAND
St. Paul, MN

1990 HONOR UNIT

Minnesota's 47th Infantry Division Army National Guard Band is performing as the featured "Honor Band" in today's Vikingland Band Festival. As honor band, the group will perform in the middle position of the parade and will not compete for awards.

Stationed in St. Paul, the 47th Division Band has compiled an extensive record of performances for government officials, ceremonies and events throughout the United States, Canada, Sweden and Norway. The group has been Minnesota's military and musical representative at the United States Presidential Inauguration ceremonies and at national Veteran's Day and Armed Forces Day ceremonies. The band has appeared at the National Governors Convention, the National Convention of the V.F.W. and the National Convention of Jaycees. In 1988 the band performed in Kroneberg County, Sweden, at the request of the King of Sweden.

The 47th Division Band is a federally recognized military Army band and is Minnesota's only National Guard band. The numerical designation "47" recalls the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. At one point in that crucial battle, the First Minnesota Volunteer Regiment was ordered to charge the Confederate lines. Of the 262 soldiers who charged the lines, only 47 survived.

Today the 47th Division Band consists of a concert band, marching band, stage band and several small instrumental ensembles. This versatility allows band members to perform at many types of civilian and military ceremonies.

The 38-member 47th Division Band will be only the second group to perform as an honor band in the Vikingland Band Festival. Response to last year's honor band, the Haukerod Skolekorps from Norway, was so overwhelming that Festival organizers hope to include an honor band each year.

"The Festival already features an incredible variety of marching bands," committee chairperson Bill Frost said. "Adding an honor band allows us to add even more variety in terms of music, uniforms and marching style. After all, this is a BAND festival, and a lineup like this is something people don't usually see at ordinary parades."

Bandmaster: Chief Warrant Officer Raymond Gove
Drum Major: Sergeant Robert Brodie
Band First Sergeant: Master Sergeant Steve Michaelis
Repertoire: Army Goes Rolling Along, Black Jack March,

Colonel Bogey March, National Emblem March