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BSO, Pops, Tanglewood, and Symphony Hall Logos

2020-2021 Annual Report

A Tanglewood Fourth of July

After being unable to perform its traditional Fourth of July concert on the Esplanade in 2020 due to COVID-19, the Boston Pops returned for the 2021 July Fourth Spectacular, held live and broadcast worldwide from Tanglewood for the first time. Julian and Eunice Cohen Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart and the Pops were joined by special guests Jon Batiste and Mavis Staples, as well as the Six-String Soldiers of the U.S. Army Field Band and members of the United States Air Force Band’s Singing Sergeants. The program featured all the staples of the yearly celebration, mixing popular and patriotic favorites, including the Pops’ rendition of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” complete with fireworks broadcast from the Boston Common.