Independence Day Concert
Celebrating 165 Years of John Philip Sousa
Thursday, July 4, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.
The Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado, Monterey.
Free admission (as always). No tickets are required. Doors open at 6:00.
The Monterey County Pops! is pleased to present this musical extravaganza free of charge to the community. In addition to the orchestra playing patriotic favorites and “pops” classics by Rossini, Saint-Saëns, and Offenbach, the 90-minute program will feature world-renowned guest conductor, Paul Goodwin, the Monterey County Pops!/Palenke Arts Youth Chorus, violin and viola soloists from the Youth Orchestra of Salinas (YOSAL), vocalist Chris Martinez, and 16 year-old violinist Clarece LaMarr.
The event will celebrate the music of The March King, John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) with performances of his marches Hands Across the Sea, High School Cadets, Semper Fidelis, and Stars and Stripes Forever.
The 40-member fully professional orchestra conducted by Monterey County Pops! Music Director, Dr. Carl Christensen, will present a program of pops, patriotic, and Americana favorites. Musical highlights will include Armed Forces Salute, a medley of the official songs of the five branches of the United Stated armed services, The American Frontier, a suite which includes The Girl I left Behind Me, Chester, Oh Susanna, Shenandoah, and America the Beautiful, and This Land Is Your Land by Woody Guthrie.
The concert will include the first professional performance of the Presidential Suite, a special arrangement by Scott Seward, Monterey County Pops! trumpeter and Carmel Bach Festival Director of Marketing and Communications. The suite features music by John Williams from the movies Saving Private Ryan, The Patriot, and Lincoln.
Pops light classics will include Bacchanale from Samson & Delilah by Saint-Saëns, and the Overture to Orpheus in the Underworld by Offenbach, which concludes with the famous Can-Can.
The program will conclude with the finale of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture complete with electronic church bells and cannons with colorful projections of fireworks and patriotic images.
A pre-concert performance on the theater’s mighty Wurlitzer Organ will be presented by noted local organist, Tom Delay.
A very special feature of the concert is a guest appearance by the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Carmel Bach Festival, Paul Goodwin. In celebration of the July 13 opening of the two-week Carmel Bach Festival, Maestro Goodwin has been invited to conduct the Overture to William Tell by Rossini. This work will also be performed on the Friday evening concerts of the Festival.
Featured soloists include the Monterey County Pops!/Palenke Arts Youth Chorus conducted by Juan Sánchez, youth soloists on violin and viola from the Youth Orchestra of Salinas, and young violinist Clarece LaMarr.
The Monterey County Pops!/Palenke Arts Youth Chorus is conducted by Juan Sánchez. The mission of Palenke Arts is to educate and inspire the community through the arts. The vision is to create a vibrant and inclusive multicultural arts center in the City of Seaside, offering courses and performances in a multitude of art forms.
Young violin prodigy Clarece LaMarr will help us celebrate the season with a performance of a portion of the Summer Concerto from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. This music graphically portrays how a shepherd’s summer afternoon nap is interrupted by flies, hornets, and a summer thunderstorm.
Violin and viola soloists from the Youth Orchestra of Salinas (YOSAL) will perform music of Antonio Vivaldi. YOSAL is non-profit organization committed to transforming the lives of our youth and communities through the inspiration, discipline, and performance of classical ensemble music. Founded in the Summer of 2010, YOSAL is an El Sistema-inspired orchestral and choral education program.
