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
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
Performers & Hosts
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Keith Lockhart
Keith Lockhart is the second longest-tenured conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra since its founding in 1885. He took over as conductor in 1995, following John Williams’s thirteen-year tenure from 1980 to 1993; Mr. Williams succeeded the legendary Arthur Fiedler, who was at the helm of the orchestra for nearly fifty years. Keith Lockhart, who occupies the Julian and Eunice Cohen Boston Pops Conductor chair, has conducted more than 2,000 Boston Pops concerts and annual Boston Pops appearances at Tanglewood, as well as 45 national tours and 5 international tours to Japan and Korea. The annual Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular conducted by Mr. Lockhart draws a live audience of over half a million to the Charles River Esplanade and millions more who view it on television or live webcast. He has led eight albums on RCA Victor/BMG Classics; recent releases on Boston Pops Recordings include A Boston Pops Christmas–Live from Symphony Hall, The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers, and Lights, Camera… Music! Six Decades of John Williams. The list of nearly 300 guest artists with whom Keith Lockhart has collaborated represents performers from virtually every corner of the entertainment world. Having recently completed an eight- year tenure as principal conductor, he is now chief guest conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra in London; he is also artistic director of the Brevard Music Center summer institute and festival in North Carolina. Prior to his BBC appointment, he spent eleven years as music director of the Utah Symphony. He has appeared as a guest conductor with virtually every major symphonic ensemble in North America and many in Asia and Europe. Before coming to Boston, he was the associate conductor of both the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops orchestras, as well as music director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. For more on Keith Lockhart, visit www.bso.org/keith-lockhart or bostonpops.org.
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Kelli O'Hara
Kelli O'Hara has established herself as one of Broadway's greatest leading ladies. The Tony Award-winner, Emmy- and Grammy-nominated actress has appeared in 11 Broadway shows for which she has garnered seven Tony Award nominations.
She won the 2015 Tony Award for best leading actress in a musical, along with Grammy, Drama League and Outer Critics nominations for her portrayal of Anna Leonowens in The King and I. O’Hara’s other Broadway credits include Kiss Me Kate, The Bridges of Madison County, Nice Work if You Can Get It, South Pacific, The Pajama Game, The Light in the Piazza, Sweet Smell of Success, Follies, Dracula, and Jekyll & Hyde.
O’Hara received an Emmy Award nomination for her portrayal of Katie Bonner in Topic's hit web series "The Accidental Wolf" and can currently be seen on HBO’s "The Gilded Age." Additional film and television credits include Showtime's "Master of Sex," "13 Reasons Why," "Blue Bloods," "All My Children," "All the Bright Places," "Peter Pan Live!," "Sex and the City 2," Martin Scorsese's "The Key to Reserva", "The Good Fight," "N3mbers," and "Car Talk."
In 2015, she made history as the first artist to make the crossover from Broadway to opera when she made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Lehar's The Merry Widow opposite Renee Fleming. In 2018 she returned as Despina in Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte. She was last seen at the Metropolitan Opera in the world premiere of Kevin Puts’ The Hours as Laura Brown.
O’Hara is a frequent performer on PBS's live telecasts, The Kennedy Center Honors, and performs often alongside the New York Philharmonic and the New York Pops. Along with her two Grammy nominations, her solo albums "Always" and "Wonder in the World" are available on Ghostlight.
O’Hara recently completed a critically-appraised limited Broadway engagement of the new musical Days of Wine and Roses which also garnered rave reviews during its off-Broadway run at the Atlantic Theatre Company last summer and has been a labor of love for O'Hara and composer Adam Guettel, who dedicated the last 21 years to its development. She will next be seen in The Hours at the Metropolitan Opera and season three of "The Gilded Age."
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Darlene Love
Throughout the years, Darlene Love has continued to captivate audiences worldwide with her warm, gracious stage presence and superb performances. Her film "Twenty Feet from Stardom" was not only awarded with an Oscar, but also a Grammy Award for the soundtrack. Her Billboard hits include He's a Rebel, The Boy I'm Gonna Marry, Wait 'Til My Bobby Gets Home, He's Sure the Boy I Love, and the legendary No. 1 holiday classic, Christmas (Baby Please Come Home). Love received her industry's highest award when Bette Midler, a great fan of her work, inducted her into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. During the celebration, the two ladies enjoyed performing He's a Rebel together. As part of the festivities, Love also sang He's a Fine, Fine Boy backed by another distinguished fan, Bruce Springsteen. Rolling Stone has proclaimed Love to be "one of the greatest singers of all time," and that certainly rings true, but perhaps Paul Shaffer says it even more concisely: "Darlene Love is rock n' roll!"
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The Mavericks
The Mavericks have always been explorers.
For decades, they've created the kind of multicultural Americana that reaches far beyond America itself, blending their favorite stateside sounds — including rock-and-roll, country, and R&B — with Tex-Mex twang, Cuban rhythms, Jamaican ska, and other Latin influences. The exploration continues on "Moon & Stars," a progressive album that finds Raul Malo and company continuing to push the envelope, exploring the outer orbits of an organic, otherworldly sound that remains entirely their own.
The sound of a band refuses to be limited by its own legacy. Three days after receiving the Trailblazer Award at the 2021 Americana Music Honors & Awards, the Mavericks hit the highway once again, resuming the busy touring schedule that's kept the band in sharp shape. Joined by longtime co-producer Niko Bolas, they recorded portions of "Moon & Stars" while on the road, setting up camp at studios in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Maurice, Louisiana, before finishing the record at home in Nashville. Tracking sessions were fast and inspired, built around the chemistry of four musical brothers — Malo, guitarist Eddie Perez, keyboardist Jerry Dale McFadden, and drummer Paul Deakin — who've logged thousands of hours onstage together, racking up multiple Grammy, ACM, and CMA Awards along the way.
On the 11 tracks on "Moon & Stars," the Mavericks are larger than life, not only musically, but literally, too, thanks to an expanded roster that features a three-part horn section, an accordionist, and a guest list stocked with powerhouse singers like Nicole Atkins, Maggie Rose, and Sierra Ferrell. Songs like the album's tropical title track prove there's strength in numbers, with Ferrell and Malo piling their voices into thickly-stacked harmonies over a Cuban charanga groove. Rose appears on Look Around You, an album highlight that splits the difference between timeless country-soul and classic R&B. Saxophonist Max Abrams takes centerstage on Here You Come Again to channel the steamy 1980s textures of George Michael's Careless Whisper, while Atkins adds sauce and swagger to Live Close By (Visit Often), a roadhouse roots-rocker whose horn arrangement nods to the influence of Stax Records and Muscle Shoals.
Malo co-wrote Live Close By (Visit Often) with K.T. Oslin, and it's not the only high-powered songwriting collaboration to fuel "Moon & Stars." None other than Bernie Taupin, the iconic lyricist behind countless Elton John hits, contributed to the record's opening track, The Years Will Not Be Kind. A brooding song that evokes western trail rides one minute and Quentin Tarantino film scores the next, The Years Will Not Be Kind dates back to the early 2000s, when the Mavericks were still riding high on the success of songs like All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down (their genre-bending hit with Flaco Jiménez) and the Grammy-winning Here Comes the Rain. It's a song about exhaustion and rough-and-tumble durability, and Malo — a road warrior who's seen plenty of both — delivers each line with a low register that channels Johnny Cash.
"Moon & Stars" doesn't spend much time looking backward, though. Look Around You is a modern-day rallying cry for brotherhood, aimed at a society threatened by violence and partisan bickering. "Our differences are what will make the world go on," Malo sings, his velvety voice backed by Maggie Rose and Kaitlyn Connor's harmonies. He goes even deeper with And We Dance. The song's operatic vocals and tremolo guitars may channel Roy Orbison, but its message — inspired by a poignant, emotionally-charged news segment about Russia's invasion of Ukraine — is a contemporary call for strength, resistance, and resilience.
Everything comes full circle with the album's final track, Turn Yourself Around. Heavily inspired by the Beatles, the song was recorded on Ringo Starr's birthday at Nashville's Blackbird Studios. For Malo, it represents a blending of past and present — as a commitment to whatever the future may hold.
To the moon and back, the Mavericks are still exploring.
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Singing Sergeants from The United States Air Force Band, Washington D.C.
Stationed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., the Singing Sergeants is one of six musical ensembles from the United States Air Force Band. The Singing Sergeant's 24 active-duty musicians support ceremonial and diplomatic functions, education outreach events, and perform concerts throughout Washington, D.C., and the United States.
Formed initially as a men's chorus in 1945, the Singing Sergeants became the first premier military chorus to enlist women in 1973, increasing their musical versatility. Today, the group's members use music to bridge language and cultural differences and to help advance positive diplomatic relations through song. The chorus is regularly featured at national music education conferences, including the American Choral Directors Association, the Music Educators National Conference, and Chorus America.
Through the U.S. Air Force Band’s mission, the Singing Sergeants honor those who have served, inspire American citizens to heightened patriotism and service, and connect with the global community on behalf of the U.S. Air Force and the United States. The excellence demonstrated by the Singing Sergeants represents all Airmen stationed worldwide, whose sacrifices and selfless service ensure the freedom enjoyed by citizens of the United States of America.
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Romaine Bostick
Romaine Bostick is an award-winning journalist and multimedia presenter who has interviewed the biggest names in the worlds of business, politics, entertainment, and sports. He is currently the host of the daily television program "Bloomberg Markets: The Close."
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Carol Massar
Carol Massar is an award-winning business and financial journalist who has anchored and reported around the globe interviewing leaders who are impacting business, financial markets, politics, society, and culture. Massar joined Bloomberg in 1999, and currently co-hosts the daily broadcast and podcast "Bloomberg Businessweek." She began her broadcast career delivering business news over Columbia University’s radio waves.
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
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.
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.
Donate NowFriends 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)