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Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular

Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular 2024

Welcome from Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart

Dear Friends,

Each year, as we at the Boston Pops plan this concert, we confront a great responsibility: to carry on this treasured tradition, celebrating our country in the most spectacular fashion we can muster, of course! But also we must grapple with the ever-evolving nature of the American identity—to ask, as we embark on this evening of patriotic display, what does it mean to be a patriot?

Eleanor Roosevelt said that “true patriotism springs from a belief in the dignity of the individual, freedom and equality not only for Americans but for all people on earth…a constant striving toward the principles and ideals on which this country was founded.” Mark Twain put it another way, with his trademark curmudgeonly wit: “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” Both these quotes, each in its own way, defines patriotism as an abstract idea, one that transcends—and can be independent of—whichever party occupies the White House. We may be divided on issues of governance, but still we can all be patriots, together.

Today affords us the opportunity to remember this. To gather together—with friends and family, yes, but also with hundreds of thousands of strangers—and affirm ourselves as a community of patriots. Whether you’re sitting in the grass on the banks of the Charles River, watching at home from your favorite chair, or up on this storied stage, we all have the chance look upon the faces of our fellow Americans and remember what we have in common—that our beliefs, different though they may be, all spring from one shared hope that this country can become the best version of itself, upholding those ideals on which it was founded. And we can remember that, for many, it’s the fear that we’re not living up to those ideals that leads to the very hate and mistrust that stains them. 

Today we can choose hope and striving over fear and mistrust. We can choose patriotism. In doing so we honor the hundreds of thousands who gave their lives in its name, whether soldiers on the battlefield or those who have fought against oppression and injustice right here at home. In choosing patriotism, we declare a deeply rooted unity that rejects the divisions that appear on the surface.  

Happy Fourth of July!

Keith

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Program

Pre-Show featuring THE MAVERICKS, THE SINGING SERGEANTS, and DARLENE LOVE


BOSTON POPS ESPLANADE ORCHESTRA
KEITH LOCKHART conducting

Featuring THE SINGING SERGEANTS, SMSgt Taylor Armstrong conducting
The Star-Spangled Banner (Smith/Key—arr. R.R. Bennett)
Unclouded Day (Alwood)
Armed Services Medley (arr. Werle, ed. Romano)

Presenting DARLENE LOVE

I’m Shipping Up to Boston (Barr/Casey/Kelly/Guthrie—arr. Hollenbeck)
Caravan (Ellington—arr. Colón)
It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) (Ellington—arr. Sebesky)

Presenting KELLI O’HARA

Presenting THE MAVERICKS

Featuring THE SINGING SERGEANTS, SMSgt Taylor Armstrong conducting
Hymn to the Fallen (Williams)
One Voice (Moody—arr. Stone) 
Patriotic Sing-Along (arr. Hayman) 

Presenting KELLI O’HARA

1812 Overture (Tchaikovsky)
The Stars and Stripes Forever (Sousa)


Mugar Family Fireworks immediately follow the performance

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Performers & Hosts

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Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra

First Violins
Katherine Winterstein
Charles Dimmick
Lisa Crockett
Christine Vitale
Sasha Callahan
Sarita Uranovsky
Zoya Tsvetkova
Liana Zaretsky
Gregory Vitale
Cynthia Cummings
Judith Lee
Omar Chen Guey

Second Violins
Clayton Hoener
Jennifer Elowitch
Colin Davis
Dorothy Han
Stacey Alden
Julie Leven
Mina Lavcheva
EmmaLee Holmes-Hicks
Rose Drucker
Lisa Goddard

Violas
Abigail Cross
Scott Woolweaver
Susan Culpo
Sharon Bielik
Jean Haig
Donna Jerome
David Feltner
Barbara Wright

Cellos
Ronald Lowry
Andrew Mark
William Rounds
Jennifer Lucht
Eugene Kim
Leo Eguchi
Steven Laven
Francesca McNeeley

Basses
Susan Hagen
John (Bebo) Shiu
Elizabeth Foulser
Randall Zigler
Peter Walsh
Julianne Russell

Flutes
Renée Krimsier
Sarah Brady

Piccolo
Ann Bobo

Oboes
Andrew Price
Amanda Hardy

English Horn
Andrew van der Paardt

Clarinets
Ian Greitzer
Kai Yun Lu

Bass Clarinet
Ryan Yuré

Bassoons
Ronald Haroutunian
Adrian Jojatu

Horns
Kevin Owen
Hazel Dean Davis
Whitacre Hill
Kate Gascoigne

Trumpets
Terry Everson
Michael Dobrinski
Bruce Hall
Richard Kelley

Trombones
Hans Bohn
Alexei Doohovskoy

Bass Trombone
Angel Subero

Tuba
Takatsugu Hagiwara

Timpani
Richard Flanagan

Percussion
John Tanzer
Hans Morrison
Mike Williams
George Darrah, drums

Harp
Ina Zdorovetchi

Keyboard
Benjamin Cook

Guitar
Scotty Johnson

Electric Bass
Mike Rivard

The Singing Sergeants

Officer in Charge
Lt Col Michael Hoerber

Enlisted Conductor
SMSgt Taylor Armstrong 

Sopranos
SMSgt Mandi Harper
MSgt Ashley Keeks
MSgt Katie Edelman
TSgt Adrienne Kling

Altos
MSgt Julia Cuevas
MSgt Stacey Holliday
TSgt Amanda Palmeiro

Tenors
SMSgt Joe Haughton
MSgt Matthew Hill
TSgt Adam von Almen
TSgt Robert Hartfield

Basses
CMSgt Benjamin Park
MSgt (sel) Matthew Scollin
TSgt Michael Aiello 
TSgt Ben Edquist
TSgt Collin Power

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Military Information

Cannons

The 101st Field Artillery consists of 350 men and women from the 1st Battalion 101st Field Artillery Regiment, with Headquarters in Brockton, Alpha Battery in Fall River, and Charlie Battery in Danvers. Members of the 211th Military Police Battalion and the 1st Civil Support Team are also on hand assisting with public safety.

M102 Howitzer Cannon Specs

Caliber 105mm (4.13 in)
Width 6.4ft (2m)
Weight 1.5tn (1.4t)
Range 11,500m (7.1 miles)
Length 17.1ft (5.2m)
Height 5.2ft (1.6m)
Crew 8
Rate of fire 10 rounds per minute maximum

Extension of Enlistment Ceremony

The Boston Pops is honored to welcome the following individuals, who will extend their service with the United States Armed Forces tonight.  The ceremony will be conducted by Rear Admiral Derek A. Trinque, who is a native of Holliston, Massachusetts, a 1992 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, and currently the Director of Strategic Plans, Policy, and Logistics at U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. 

STS3 Shane Kelley, 23, US Navy
MMN1 Timothy Hall, 25, US Navy
Staff Sergeant (SSG) Melissa Chermely, 32, US Army

The Extension of Enlistment ceremony extends the current contract of active members of the military.

We invite you to join us in celebrating their commitment to serving our country and protecting our freedoms.

Event Information

Additional information is available at bostonpopsjuly4th.org.

Public Safety
For your safety, 25 federal, state, and city agencies are onsite in Boston and Cambridge and in the event’s Unified Command Center. Emergency Medical Services, first aid stations, and personnel are onsite in Boston and Cambridge.

Bathrooms
There are over 200 bathrooms located in Boston and Cambridge.

Weather
Updated weather forecasts will be announced periodically over the event’s public address system. Please follow any instructions given by public safety or via the sound system.

Remember, “If You See Something, Say Something”™ 
If you see something suspicious at all, please report it to one of the many uniformed public safety officers onsite or call 911.

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Donate to Keep the Music Playing!

Help the Boston Pops present music at free concerts like this one. Your gift directly supports our talented musicians and programing, enabling access to music for thousands of kids and families across the state of Massachusetts.

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Three children gather at a gate to watch fourth of July fireworks

Friends of the Fourth

Friends of the Fourth is a new fundraising initiative tied to the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular. These civic-minded donors respect and admire the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular and want to make a significant and meaningful impact in the city of Boston.

With several important milestones coming up in the next few years — the 50th anniversary of July 4th on the Esplanade (2024), conductor Keith Lockhart’s 30th anniversary with the Boston Pops (2025), and the USA’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence (2026) — this special fundraising effort will provide the funding needed to honor these upcoming events. 

List reflects giving as of June 1, 2024.

Diane M. Austin and Aaron J. Nurick
Lloyd Axelrod, M.D.
Michael and Ellen Berk
Ted Berk and Naomi Weinberg
Tom and Lisa Blumenthal
David and Cassie Bordeau
Cathy and Jack Brennan
Lorraine Bressler
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Bryant
Lauren Budding
Gregory E. Bulger Foundation/Gregory Bulger and Richard Dix
Alan Carrier
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Chertavian
Chiles Foundation
Roberta L. Cohn
Ms. RoAnn Costin
Faith Cuenin
Cynthia and Oliver Curme
Milo Dee and Jessica Alex
Jan Devereux
Mrs. Azi Djazani
Deborah and Philip Edmundson
Mr. and Mrs. Michael R. Eisenson
Thomas and Winifred Faust
Andrew Flessel
Myrna H. Freedman
Mr. Nathaniel Gardiner and Mrs. Nancy Gardiner
Martha and Todd Golub
Dr. Rachel Haims
Rev. Ray Hammond and Rev. Gloria White-Hammond
Ms. Barbara Hanson
Albert A. Holman III and Susan P. Stickells
Barbara and Amos Hostetter
Mr. David C. Howse
Ms. Ming Min Hui
Stephen Kelleher
Mr. Eric Krauss
Tom Kuo and Alexandra DeLaite
Ms. Taneshia Laird
Catherine Lang and Andre Girard
Mr. and Mrs. Hal J. Leibowitz
Margaret Low
Josh and Jessica Lutzker
Ann Merrifield and Wayne Davis
Jo Frances Meyer
Deborah Moe
Mr. Stephen J. Monk
Sara Ofosu-Amaah
Ms. Miriam Ortiz
Lisa Owens, M.D.
Peter Palys
Graham and Sarah Pingree
Plimpton Shattuck Fund
Peggy Reiser and Charles Cooney
Seán Rush and Carol C. McMullen
Matthew Ruzzano
Mr. Darryl Settles
Barbara and Peter Sidel
Aneesh Singhal
Donna and Jim Stearns
Ricki Tigert Helfer and Michael S. Helfer
Mr. Jonathan Tushman and Mrs. Maggie Tushman
Dr. Gregory L. Verdine
Mr. Lecolion Washington
Howard and Karen Wilcox
Joanne Zervas Sattley
Brooks and Linda Zug
Anonymous (6)

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