�POPS on Independence� celebrates
America�s birthday:
Peter Nero and the Philly Pops� performs on July 3 at Independence Hall
06/27/2008Philadelphia�s premier historic re-enactors, Ralph Archbold (Ben Franklin) and Linda Wilde (Betsy Ross), tie the knot on stage prior to concert �
Peter and The POPS provide music for the ceremony
Peter Nero and the Philly Pops� celebrates America�s birthday with �POPS on Independence,� the annual free concert at Independence Hall, Thursday, July 3, at 8:30 p.m.� One of Philadelphia�s most popular Fourth of July traditions, �POPS on Independence� features the Voices of The POPS, and a stirring reading of the Declaration of Independence by �Thomas Jefferson.� The concert is part of Sunoco Welcome America!
A new historical moment will be added to the city�s rich past when Philadelphia�s premier historic re-enactors, Ralph Archbold and Linda Wilde, also known to Philadelphians as Ben Franklin and Betsy Ross, exchange vows in a public marriage ceremony officiated by Mayor Michael Nutter prior to the concert. Mr. Archbold and Ms. Wilde will wear the official dress of their counterparts. Peter and The POPS will provide music for the processional and recessional.
�POPS on Independence� celebrates the birth of our nation with a free performance of great American music including stirring patriotic anthems, rousing marches, and the quintessentially American sounds of big band, Broadway, and film scores. Seating is first come, first served, and the concert will be performed without intermission.� This annual concert has traditionally drawn a picnic-loving crowd and as in previous years, the audience is encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and picnic baskets to the lawn of Independence Mall and celebrate America�s birthday with �the best orchestra of its kind in the entire cosmos.�
Peter Nero
�If the perfect pops conductor could be conjured, � he might answer to this description,� wrote Philadelphia Inquirer music critic Peter Dobrin.� �Huge talent with polymath abilities and catholic tastes. Musician who actually enjoys giving audiences what they want. Plays piano like a dream. �� [H]e might look something like Peter Nero.�
�Nero � plays with the energy of a 20-year-old rock and roll drummer,� noted the Palm Beach Daily News on March 26, 2008. ��His Juilliard training shows in the cleanliness of his technique and in his control of the tone of the piano. His technical arsenal includes brilliant passage work, rapid bass lines, arpeggio-like figures ascending and descending, and subtle dynamic variations. His fast playing is thrilling, and his slow playing is marked by a beautiful lyricism.�
�Nero�s love for the idiom, of course, couldn�t be clearer, and it�s hard to fault his touch, tone production and technical facility, all bespeaking a high level of achievement,� said David Adler of the Philadelphia Inquirer about Nero during a recent solo performance in April 2008.
A two-time Grammy� Award winner and 10-time nominee, Mr. Nero has built an impressive career as a conductor, arranger, composer, and master pianist.� For his ability to pick just the right material, he most recently was dubbed �Dr. Feelgood.�� Named �the epitome of the Pops Conductor/Performer� by the Washington Post, Mr. Nero won the Grammy� Award for �Best New Artist� in 1961, another in 1962, and since that time has garnered 10 additional nominations and released 67 albums.� His recent guest performances include engagements with the Indianapolis Symphony, the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, the Charlotte Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, and the Baltimore Symphony, among others.� On January 27, 2007, Mr. Nero performed at the Academy of Music 150th Anniversary Concert, joining rock icon Rod Stewart from the piano on �They Can�t Take That Away from Me.�� Maestro Nero was a guest soloist on Mr. Stewart�s second of four recordings, As Time Goes By ... The Great American Songbook, Vol. 2. �He has made numerous television appearances on national networks as well as PBS.� He is the recipient of six honorary doctorates and in 1999 received the Pennsylvania Distinguished Arts Award.
The Voices of The POPS
The Voices of The POPS is the featured vocal ensemble for Peter Nero and the Philly Pops. A member of The POPS family since 2000, they have become an integral part of The POPS� programming, performing a wide range of music and styles. This multi-talented group adds a new dimension to the already imaginative arrangements of the Philly Pops, bringing vibrant melodies to life amid the rich sounds of the orchestra.
Consisting of professional singers and led by choral director Jeffrey Kern, the Voices of The POPS strive for excellence in the performance of a broad repertoire.� The ensemble consists of three sopranos, three altos, three tenors, and two baritones, all of whom possess an extensive array of theatrical, operatic, and choral experience.
Peter Nero and the Philly Pops
One of America�s premier pops orchestras, Peter Nero and the Philly Pops was founded in 1979 under the musical leadership of Mr. Nero, whose unique talents and innovative programming blending all musical genres have made their concerts widely popular in the pops world. POPS concerts run the gamut from great classics to jazz improvisation, big band to Broadway hits, ragtime to rock �n� roll. Mr. Nero�s participation as piano soloist has been received with boundless enthusiasm and acclaim. Guest artists�both established stars as well as outstanding new vocalists from Broadway and the concert stage�join The POPS each season. The Voices of The POPS, the resident vocal group, has become a member of the Philly Pops family as well.
Peter Nero and the Philly Pops is the Official Pops Orchestra of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a significant part of Philadelphia�s cultural scene. The POPS has produced continuously growing and loyal audiences and performs to regularly sold-out crowds as a resident company of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.�
Peter Nero and the Philly Pops has played a role in the City of Philadelphia�s Fourth of July celebration for over 20 years. On July 3, 2007, for the fourth consecutive year, Peter Nero and the Philly Pops performed a free outdoor concert in front of Independence Hall. This immensely popular annual event, which includes a musical tribute to all branches of the armed forces, draws thousands of attendees.� On July 4, 2006, Peter Nero and the Philly Pops performed a free outdoor concert on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Their concert on the Parkway the previous Independence Day, featuring Sir Elton John, Patti LaBelle, and Bryan Adams, reached over a half million people. Other notables who have joined them for past city celebrations include James Earl Jones, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, Ray Charles, Boyz II Men, and Dionne Warwick.�
Peter Nero and the Philly Pops celebrated its 25th anniversary during the 2003-04 season and is looking forward to celebrating its 30th anniversary during the 2008-09 season. Peter and The POPS had the honor of performing at the opening of the National Constitution Center in 2003, and participating in National Public Radio�s nation-wide radio broadcast on July 4, 2002. Another highlight took place in April 2002, when Astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn made a guest appearance in a special performance of Peter�s original composition Voyage into Space. Peter and The POPS were featured on ABC-TV�s �Independence Day 2001,� a live, star-studded national broadcast, sharing the stage with such luminaries as Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Whoopi Goldberg, and Garth Brooks.�
POPS on Independence!
July 3 at 8:30 p.m. � Thursday evening � Independence Hall at Independence Mall, 6th and Chestnut Streets
Peter Nero and the Philly Pops
Peter Nero, conductor and pianist
The Voices of The POPS
�POPS on Independence,� The POPS� annual concert celebrating America�s birthday, is a free performance of great American music featuring stirring anthems, rousing marches, and holiday favorites set against the majestic backdrop of Independence Hall.�
FREE!� For more information, visit www.americasbirthday.com.� Seating is first come, first served.
�POPS on Independence� is presented by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Once Upon A Nation, Independence Visitor Center Corporation, Independence National Historical Park, and Sunoco Welcome America.
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