2025 Annual July 4th Curated Concert

Admittedly, this year was hard to get excited about creating my annual pops 4th of July "concert". But, we all need a little music so here is the program with some thoughts as well for this year.

The general theme for this year invites us to reflect on the great outdoors and our own fragile freedoms. The first half is more serious concert music and the second celebrates some historic musical milestones as well.

Head to hear the music on Spottify here.

First Half

We open with Copland's An Outdoor Overture. I first heard this work back in high school on a Boston Pops release with 3 other overtures. It is a classic blend of the composer's Americana style and kicks things off well.

On a more serious note we shift to Michael Daugherty's Reflections on the Mississippi. The work features a tuba soloist which is a bit rare and fun. Throughout the movements, Daugherty reflects musically on the many trips his family took along this might river.

We move a little further West first going "On the Trail" and then concluding with the "Sunburst" from Ferde Grofe's colorful Grand Canyon Suite. If you have more time, listen to the whole work!

Part Two

For the second portion of the program we shift to a slightly more pops-like atmosphere kicking of with the Liberty Fanfare by John Williams. The work was written to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty. We continue with a couple of film music works from the composer's vast output. Jaws turns 50 (!) this year and both the theme and the "Out to Sea/Shark Cage Fugue" are part of that celebration. On a different front and style, The Patriot was released 25 years ago. The folkish flavor of the main theme comes through in this film about the Revolutionary War.

We take a little palette cleanser then with Morton Gould's delightful American Salute. The piece is one of several that are familiar favorites. There are three Leroy Anderson works on this year's program. Two of these pieces are 75 years old this year celebrating mechanization in The Typewriter and the family pet in The Waltzing Cat. Rounding this off is one of Anderson's horse pieces, Home Stretch. This gets us back outside again for some baseball and Sousa's The National Games March written 100 years ago!

We conclude with a few patriotic moments in Edwin Frank Goldman's The Chimes of Liberty March and Woody Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land.

I had wanted to also add Jerry Goldsmith's concert piece, Fireworks, as the penultimate piece on the program, but that recording is apparently OOP even for Spottify. You can pop over to YouTube though to hear it if you like by clicking the title.

And of course we wrap up with Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever.

Enjoy the music and have a safe 4th!