We were so lucky to be given the gift of five tickets to the Boston Pops. Garry and I, my daughter-in-law Sandy, Kaity and her friend Steph had our own table in Boston’s gorgeous symphony hall where the ghost of Arthur Fiedler still hovers in the wings.
Arthur Fiedler was such a fixture in Boston for so long that it seemed that he would live forever and when he passed on and it was time for the Boston Pops to get a new conductor, it was hard to imagine that Keith Lockhart, who seemed such a kid when he first came to Boston … how could he fill those great big shoes?
But Keith has done beautifully as conductor of the Pops, taking it in new and delightful directions. He has brought a level of energy and excitement … and a sense of joy and fun … that has kept the Boston Pops the première destination for a holiday musical experience.
The choir was the same all volunteer Tanglewood Choir from years before, bringing their own passion and joy to the show that is always a delight.
I think people under-estimate how difficult some of the music done by the Pops really is. Here’s a taste for you.
Their version of “The 12-days of Christmas” is a tour de force. Constant changes of key, speed, rhythm …. well, it’s amazing and so much fun. You can download a full version of it, or get the entire CD.
Let us not forget the traditional performance of “The Night Before Christmas,” with incredible projected illustrations. Preceded by a visit from … guess who … Santa himself.
I got so many great pictures of the concert … and I did it all with my little point and shoot Canon because it was the only camera I had with a long enough lens. It did an astonishing job. I have a lot of respect for these little Canons. Over the years, they have served me very well indeed.
No way to put all the photos all into a single post, but there will be more to come! Meanwhile, enjoy the season, enjoy the music, and enjoy each other!
Related articles
- Shawn Thornton Narrates ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ at Boston Pops Holiday Concert (Video) (nesn.com)
- WBZ’s Jack Williams With The Boston Pops (boston.cbslocal.com)
- THE BOSTON POPS AND KEITH LOCKHART PERFORM AT McCOY STADIUM WITH SPECIAL GUEST KENNY LOGGINS ON SEPTEMBER 4 (prweb.com)
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Categories: #Photography, Arts, Holidays, Media, Music, Seasons
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Amazing, fantastic, superb, outstanding, etc. etc etc WOW! I enjoyed the music video immensely. What a wonderful opportunity you had to be there…LIVE concert! Awesome…. Thank you for sharing. Hey, all of that goes for the pictures too:>)
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Always nice to be able to include music when one is talking about music!
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Yeah, but you were THERE! Never been to a concert, not like that anyway.
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We don’t get out much these days … can’t afford it and Boston is no longer out the front door; it’s a 60 mile drive and there aren’t real concerts in the valley. But sometimes, we get freebies (in this case, we kind of begged them). I used to go to a lot of concerts in college. I was a music major and we were required to attend concerts … the school provided the tickets, and living in New York, there was no lack of activity. Carnegie Hall has a main hall (the biggest one) which is what people think of when they hear the name, but the building also has quite a few smaller “recital” halls used by up and coming people musicians. Vladimir Ashkenazi (piano) was one such when I was in school and there many were others. String quartets, singers, all kinds of instruments … We had to (and did) go to several concerts a week. When I got out of school and tickets weren’t free, we still went when we could. When Garry was working, we got free tickets for all kinds of things. Ironic that when you have the money, you get lots of free stuff, but as soon as you are poor … well … no one wants to give you anything. It ought to be the other way! Now, we get occasional freebies and then there’s Garry’s brother: when Anton’s in town or near enough to drive to, we see his concerts — always a treat!
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Did not know about the major in music…one instrument, many, vocal? I love music but definitely will not venture out of retirement in hopes of becoming a singer! hahaha Just barely got by in the church choir:>)
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Just piano and the usual very amateur guitar. I play around with some other instruments, but the piano, I played. Used to have a decent (not great) voice, but gone now. Have a mountain dulicimer, though. Have to find time to actually play it!
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Amazing photos with your little camera. It was a FUN time with Keith Lockwood, The Boston Pops and The Tanglewood Choir. “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, alone, was worth the price of admission.
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It was great!!
On Tue, Dec 11, 2012 at 10:58 AM, Serendipity
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