The Boston Pops Orchestra was founded in 1885 as a subsection of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), founded four years earlier. Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based at Symphony Hall in Boston Massachusetts, USA Careful examination of the rosters of “pops" or “Festival" orchestras, which are associated with a co-resident symphony orchestra in the same community, shows that the principal players of a “pops" ensemble usually hold the post of assistant or associate principal of the “parent" ensemble. A Pops orchestra is an Orchestra that plays popular music and Show tunes as well as well-known classical works In general parlance, the Boston Pops is described as: “The Boston Players, a 12-member ensemble founded in 1964. These arrangements, and a similar one with the Tanglewood Festival provide year-round employment for the musicians. Tanglewood is an estate and Music venue in Lenox and Stockbridge Massachusetts and is the home of the annual summer Tanglewood Music Festival
Other cities have founded their own "pops" orchestras, but the Boston Pops remains the most well-known.
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History of the Pops
In 1881, Henry Lee Higginson, the founder of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, wrote of his wish to present in Boston "concerts of a lighter kind of music. Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Henry Lee Higginson (November 18 1834 - November 14 1919 was a noted American businessman and philanthropist " The Boston Pops Orchestra was founded to present this kind of music to the public, with the first concert performed in 1885. Called the "Promenade Concerts" until 1900, these performances combined light classical music, tunes from the current hits of the musical theater, and an occasional novelty number. Year 1900 ( MCM) was an exceptional Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music Allowing for some changes of taste over the course of a century, the early programs were remarkably similar to the Boston Pops programs of today.
The Boston Pops Orchestra did not adopt its own official conductor until 1930, when Arthur Fiedler began a fifty-year tenure as the Pops conductor. The Hatch Shell is an outdoor concert venue adjacent to the Charles River Esplanade near downtown Boston. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Arthur Fiedler should not be confused with Arthur Fielder, a Kent Fast bowler of the 1900s Fiedler's career as the conductor of the Pops brought worldwide acclaim to the orchestra. He was unhappy with the reputation of classical music as being solely for elite, aristocratic, upper-class audiences. Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations Fiedler made efforts to bring classical music to wider audiences. He instituted a series of free concerts at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade, a riverside public park along the Charles River. The Hatch Shell is an outdoor concert venue adjacent to the Charles River Esplanade near downtown Boston. The Charles River is a small relatively short River in Massachusetts, USA, that separates Boston from Cambridge and The Charles River is a small relatively short River in Massachusetts, USA, that separates Boston from Cambridge and Along with his insistence that the Pops Orchestra would play popular music alongside well-known classical pieces, Fiedler opened up a new niche in popular culture that encouraged popularization of classical music.
Under his direction, the Boston Pops allegedly made more commercially available recordings than any other orchestra in the world, with total sales of albums, singles, tapes, and cassettes exceeding $50 million. The orchestra's first recordings were made in July 1935 for RCA Victor, including the first complete recording of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. RCA Records (originally The Victor Talking Machine Company, then RCA Victor is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. George Gershwin (September 26 1898 &ndash July 11 1937 was an American Composer. Rhapsody in Blue is a musical composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band written in 1924 which combines elements of classical music with Of the many musical pieces produced over the years, the Pops' most famous and popular work is Fiedler's production of Leroy Anderson's composition "Sleigh Ride". Leroy Anderson ( June 29 1908 – May 18 1975) was an American Composer of short light concert pieces many of which were " Sleigh Ride " is a popular light Orchestral piece composed by Leroy Anderson They made their first high fidelity recording on June 20, 1947, of Gaite Parisienne (based on the music of Jacques Offenbach), and recorded the same music seven years later in stereophonic sound, their first venture in multitrack recording. Jacques Offenbach (born Jacob Offenbach 20 June 1819 in Cologne &ndash 5 October 1880 in Paris) was a German
Fiedler's respectful easy-listening arrangements on Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Play the Beatles, released in 1971, opened many eyes to the musical qualities of Lennon and McCartney. The Songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, usually referred to as Lennon/McCartney, is one of the best-known and
Fiedler is most widely remembered in Boston for having begun the annual tradition of the Fourth of July Pops concert and fireworks display on the Esplanade, one of the best-attended Independence Day celebrations in the country with regular estimated attendance of 200,000–500,000 people. In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July (or the Fourth) is a Federal holiday commemorating the adoption (This event is organized by Boston's Fourth of July celebration under the leadership of David Mugar. David G Mugar is an Armenian-American Businessman and Philanthropist from Belmont Massachusetts. ) Also during Fiedler's tenure, the Pops and local public television station WGBH developed a series of weekly televised broadcasts recorded during the Pops' regular season in Symphony Hall, Evening at Pops. Public broadcasting refers to radio television and other electronic media outlets that receive some or all of their funding from the public For the radio station specifically see WGBH (FM. WGBH is a non-commercial Television and Radio broadcast service located in Boston Symphony Hall in Boston Massachusetts is widely considered to be one of the two or three finest Concert halls in the world alongside Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Evening at Pops is one of the longest running programs on PBS.
After Fiedler's death in 1979, the conductorship of the Boston Pops was taken over by Academy Award-winning composer John Williams in 1980. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. John Towner Williams (born February 8 1932) is an American Composer, conductor and Pianist. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Williams continued the Pops' tradition of bringing classical music to a wider audiences, initiating the annual "Pops-on-the-Heights" concerts at Boston College and adding his own considerable library of well-known movie soundtracks (including the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies) to its repertoire. For similarly-named academic institutions see Education in Boston MA. Star Wars is an epic Space opera franchise initially conceived by George Lucas during the 1970s and significantly expanded Dr (also Col Henry Walton Jones Jr, better known as Indiana Jones or Indy after his pet dog is a fictional Adventurer, Soldier
Keith Lockhart assumed the post of principal Pops conductor in 1995. For the baseball player see Keith Lockhart (baseball Keith Lockhart (born November 7, 1959, Poughkeepsie, New York Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Lockhart continues to conduct the Boston Pops today, adding a touch of flamboyance and a flair for the dramatic to his performances. Williams remains the Laureate Conductor of the Pops and conducts a week of Pops concerts most years. Lockhart brought in numerous pop-music acts to play with the orchestra, including Ben Folds, Rockapella, Guster, My Morning Jacket, Aimee Mann and Elvis Costello. Benjamin Scott Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American Singer-songwriter and the former frontman of the Band Ben Folds Five Rockapella is an American A cappella musical group best known for their series of Folgers Coffee commercials and the Where in the World is Carmen Guster is an American Jangle pop band that is known for its live performances humor and cult following and was formed by Adam Gardner, Ryan My Morning Jacket is an American rock band known for their reverb -heavy sound their eclectic mix of Country rock, Indie rock, Aimee Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American, rock Guitarist, bassist, Singer, and noted Songwriter Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick MacManus 25 August 1954 is an English Musician and Singer-songwriter, with Irish ancestry
POPSearch
POPSearch is the Boston Pops' nationwide talent competition that offers amateur singers the chance to perform with the orchestra at Boston's Fourth of July Extravaganza, as well as on the orchestra's national tour. POPSearch is the Boston Pops ' nationwide talent competition that offers amateur singers the chance to perform with the orchestra at Boston's Fourth of July Extravaganza as well The winner also receives a $5,000 cash prize. In its third year, the American Idol-style competition has expanded into a nationwide contest through video submissions on YouTube and voting through BostonPops. American Idol, with the full title American Idol The Search for a Superstar for the first season only is an American reality-competition YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload view and share Video clips YouTube was created in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees org[1]. Deadline for applications is May 23. This year's competition opened on May 9, and the winner was announced at the Boston Pops concert on June 28. For more information, visit bostonpops. org[2].
The POPSearch process
Singers may audition for POPSearch 2007 in any one of three ways: by posting a two-minute performance video on YouTube's POPSearch page[3]; by sending a two-minute audition video (DVD, mini-DVD, or VHS tape) to POPSearch, 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115; or by coming to Symphony Hall on May 18 or 19, 10 a. m. to 2 p. m. , to tape a live audition. (There will be no judges present, and all participants will be judged solely on the merit of their videotaped performance. ) All entrants must be 18 years or older and will be required to sing unaccompanied in the initial round. The deadline for submitting a video audition is May 23 by midnight. For complete competition details and an application, visit BostonPops. org[4].
On May 29, the top 16 POPSearch contestants selected by conductor Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops artistic staff will be announced, and their video auditions will be posted online at www. YouTube. com/group/popsearch07[5]. From May 29 to June 4, music lovers from across the country will be invited to vote for their six favorite POPSearch contestants at bostonpops. org. Online voting results will be combined with votes from Keith Lockhart, a panel of judges, members of the Boston Pops, and the Symphony Hall audience at a special POPSearch concert hosted by Keith Lockhart at 7 p. m. on June 4. This concert will feature the top 16 contestants performing with the Boston Pops rhythm section, from which six semi-finalists will be chosen for the next round.
From June 4 until June 12, videos of the six semi-finalists will be posted at www. YouTube. com/group/popsearch07[6], and music lovers nationwide will vote for the three POPSearch finalists at bostonpops. org. Online voting results will again be combined with live voting results from Symphony Hall when the six semi-finalists return to the stage for the second POPSearch concert at 8 p. m. on June 12. The six semi-finalists will perform with the Boston Pops rhythm section that evening to determine which three finalists will proceed to the final round of the competition.
From June 12 until June 28, videos of the three finalists will be posted at www. YouTube. com/group/popsearch07[7] and the national audience will cast their votes for the POPSearch 2007 grand prize winner at bostonpops. org. The final round of POPSearch will take place during the June 28 Boston Pops concert at Symphony Hall, when the three finalists will perform with the entire orchestra for the first time in the competition. Online votes and live voting at Symphony Hall will be combined to determine the POPSearch 2007 winner, who will be announced live as well as to the press and on YouTube. com[8] immediately following the concert.
The POPSearch 2007 grand champion won $5,000 and performed with the Boston Pops on July 3 and 4 in the annual July 4 Extravaganza seen by a live audience of almost a half-million people on the Charles River Esplanade and several million more on WBZ-TV. WBZ-TV, channel 4 is an owned-and-operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Boston Massachusetts.
POPSearch History
Now transitioning into an ambitious national competition, POPSearch is building on a precedent of successful competitions in 2004 and 2005. Hundreds of singers lined up outside Symphony Hall both years for the competition's live auditions, bringing together a diverse array of amateur talent and drawing the community into its beloved Boston Pops like never before.
Previous POPSearch finalists have come from all walks of life - bank vice-president to bartender to van driver for special needs children - and have specialized in such diverse genres as opera, gospel, and jazz. Special needs is a term used in clinical diagnostic and functional development to describe individuals who require assistance for disabilities such as medical mental or psychological Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States
Tracy Silva, a mother of two from Taunton, Mass., and van driver for special needs children, won the inaugural POPSearch contest in 2004, wowing judges with her soulful rendition of "Fools Fall in Love" from the hit Broadway musical Smokey Joe's Cafe. Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Smokey Joe's Cafe is a musical theatrical Revue showcasing 39 Pop standards, including Rock and roll, Rhythm and blues songs written She beat out more than 700 contestants from across New England for the chance to perform "Your Daddy's Son" from the musical Ragtime with Mr. History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the Ragtime is a musical with a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty. Lockhart and the Boston Pops at the orchestra's marquis event: the annual July 4 Extravaganza. Ms. Silva has since sung with the Pops as a guest soloist three times in 2005 and 2006, in addition to performances at Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots games, at the Democratic National Convention, and as the opening act for Broadway star Maureen McGovern. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. The New England Patriots, commonly called the " Pats " by sports writers and fans are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Maureen Therese McGovern (born July 27, 1949) is an American Singer and Broadway actress, widely known for her premier
Frances Botelho-Hoeg, an elementary school principal from Kingston, Massachusetts, was knocked out in the second round of the inaugural POPSearch, but returned in 2005 to sweep the competition by singing "When You're Good to Mama" from the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Chicago. Kingston is a coastal town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American Theatre and are presented Chicago is a Kander and Ebb musical set in prohibition era Chicago. Ms. Botelho-Hoeg performed with the Pops on July 4 and traveled with America's Orchestra that summer on a national tour that included stops in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Ms. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Botelho-Hoeg has since performed with the Plymouth Symphony and at such local events as Bunker Hill Community College's commencement.
Finalists in 2004 and 2005 included Wayne Hobbs, a bank vice-president from Vergennes, Vermont (2004); Ellen O'Brien, a sales representative from Winthrop, Massachusetts (2005); Kathy Porter, a marketing manager and grandmother from Braintree, Massachusetts (2004); and Joseph Rucker Jr. Vergennes is a city located in the northwest quadrant of Addison County, Vermont, in the United States. Winthrop is a Town in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States. For geographic and demographic information on the Census-designated place Braintree please see the article Braintree (CDP, Massachusetts. , a social worker from Brockton, Massachusetts (2005). Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States.
High School Sing-Off
In early spring of 2008, Keith Lockhart announced "Boston Pops High School Sing-Off A Best of Broadway Challenge," the first-ever Boston Pops musical theater competition for Massachusetts High school students, slated for the Pops' spring season in May and June of 2008. Students from high schools throughout the state of Massachusetts, working closely with their music and drama teachers, are encouraged to submit audition videos of musical theater vocal works for solo, duet, trio, quartet, or quintet to the Boston Pops anytime between now and May 9. The live portion of the competition will take place during four concerts in June 2008, at which time the contestants will have their first chance to sing accompanied by the orchestra at a Boston Pops concert at Symphony Hall. The winner will be featured in the Boston Pops Fourth of July concert on the Charles River Esplanade. "The 'Boston Pops High School Sing-Off' is a project that is near and dear to my heart, as I have been a musical theater fan since I was a kid in junior high school," said Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart. "This is a great opportunity for some wonderfully talented hard-working young singers to share their music with a broad audience and show the world just how important music is to their lives. All of us at the Pops welcome the chance to share our love of this great music and to bring students from high schools across the state to experience the Boston Pops. I hope that all of the talented young high school singers throughout Massachusetts will seriously consider auditioning for this competition. "
The Boston Pops High School Sing-Off will start with a round of taped auditions to be submitted any time between now and May 9. Keith Lockhart and the Pops management team will evaluate the taped auditions and choose up to 20 contestants to compete in the competition, the names of which will be announced on May 19. The live competition will begin on June 2 when the contestants perform their audition selection on the stage of Symphony Hall with piano accompaniment; six semifinalists will be chosen from this round of the competition.
The six semifinalists will compete three at a time, accompanied by the Boston Pops, during the June 17 and 18 concerts, resulting in the selection of three finalists who will compete in the final round during the July 1 Boston Pops concert, accompanied by the orchestra. The winner, to be chosen at the conclusion of the July 1 concert, will perform with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra on July 3 and at the 2008 Fireworks Spectacular on July 4, which will be broadcast live on Boston area television.
The top 20 have been selceted they are:
Soloists: Lauren Boltz, 17, from Sturbridge, a student at Tantasqua Regional High School, sang "Easy As Life" from Aida.
Molly Evans, 17, from Needham, a student at Walnut Hill School where she majors in Theatre, sang "Broadway Baby" from Follies.
Olivia Buckley, 17, from Wellesley, a student at Wellesley High School, sang "Forget About the Boy"from Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Robert Cadwallader, 18, from Princeton, a student, at Wachusett Regional High School, sang "Giants in the Sky" from Into the Woods.
Caroline Cronin, 16, from Norwell, a student at Norwell High School, sang "Astonishing" from Little Women.
Katy Early, 15, from Boxborough, a freshman at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School sang "Out of My Dreams" from Oklahoma.
Bonita Ho, 16, from Cambridge, a senior at Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School sang "Feed Me" from Little Shop of Horrors.
Mariah MacFarlane, 16, from Duxbury, a student at Duxbury High School, sang "With One Look" from Sunset Boulevard.
Katie Mayhew, 16, from West Tisbury, a student at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, sang "Being Alive" from Company.
Kelly McCue, 18, from Lancaster, a student at Nashoba Regional High School, sang "Love Look Away" from Flower Drum Song.
Mark Nimar, 15, from Concord, a student at Concord-Carlisle High School, sang "She Loves Me" from She Loves Me.
Travis Nunes, 18, from New Bedford, a student at New Bedford High School, sang "Feeling Good" from The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd.
Samara Oster, 17, from Brookline, a student at Milton Academy, sang “Your Daddy’s Son” from Ragtime.
Emily Palena, 17, from Brookline, a student at Brookline High School, sang "On My Own" from Les Misérables.
Christina Rodriguez, 18, from West Roxbury, a student at the Boston Arts Academy, sang "Don’t Cry for me Argentina" from Evita.
Andrew Rowe, 17, from West Roxbury, a senior at Brookline High School, sang "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" from Oklahoma.
Javelle Stephens, 17, from New Bedford, a student at New Bedford High School, sang "Run and Tell That" from Hairspray.
Ensembles:
Duets Leslie Jamison, 18, from Topsfield and Ashley Walker, 17, from Danvers, both students at Lexington Christian Academy sang "What is This Feeling?" from Wicked.
Caitlin Teely, 17, from North Egremont and Harry Wilken, 15, from Stockbrige, both students at Monument Mountain Regional High School sang "A Song That Goes Like This" from Spamalot.
Trio Emma Irvine, 15, from Easton, and Nicholas Maggio, 15, and Lauren Maggio, 18, from North Easton, all students at Oliver Ames High School sang "A Step Too Far" from Aida.
Quintet Adam Randall, 17, Meghan Ryan, 15, and Michael Ryan, 17, all from Braintree and students at Braintree High School, joined with Brianna Shetler, 15, and Kirsten Shetler, 17, of Quincy and students at North Quincy High School to sing "One Day More" from Les Misérables.
6 Finalists: Olivia Buckley
Caroline Cronin
Molly Evans
Katie Mayhew
Samara Oster
The Quintet: Adam Randall, Meghan Ryan, Michael Ryan, Brianna Shetler, and Kirsten Shetler
Music Directors
- 1930-1979 Arthur Fiedler
- 1980-1993 John Williams
- 1993-Present Keith Lockhart
See also
External links
- Boston Pops' official home page at bso.org
- Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart's Home Page keithlockhart.com
- Boston Symphony Chamber Players' official home page at bso.org
- Boston Pops roster, 1st Violins
- BSO roster, 1st Violins (for comparison with the above)
- Discography at SonyBMG Masterworks
- Official Myspace page for POPSearch 2007