Esplanade Concert Review

In the old days (two or three years ago) the Globe would have a review of the Boston Pops Esplanade Concert in the paper the next morning. Now the edition that reached the hinterland on Tuesday morning was probably published Monday afternoon. Thus, dear reader, as a public service I will write a review of last night's televised spectacular. In the interests of full disclosure I will tell you I have no training, experience, or ability as a music critic; I'm surprised the Globe hasn't tried to hire me.

Each year we are told that this year's Pops Concert is better than the year before, and finally they may have delivered on that promise. The military choir which performed with the orchestra throughout the evening was outstanding. The soloist who sang the National Anthem gave one of the most thrilling performances of that difficult to sing piece I have ever heard. The Pops orchestra was in good form throughout the evening despite the challenges of having Lionel Ritchie (who knew Nicole Ritchie's dad could sing?) drop out at the last minute. Their first time performance of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody was a fine choice well performed. With its classical overtones, it should stay in the Pops repertoire. The concert featured two patriotic singalongs. The first, early in the evening, featured some more modern tunes that didn't seem to go down as well with the crowd as the traditional songs that were saved for the national audience in the last hour. The orchestra was in top form for the 1812 Overture. I've been told the Pops has two versions of the score including a shorter version for rainy nights. The crowd got the full version last night, and it rang all the emotional changes that this old warhorse is capable of. The traditional Stars and Stripes Forever never quite seems to reach the heights that Arthur Fiedler could take it to, but last night's performance was enhanced by having had the regular Esplanade flag flown in Kandihar, Afghanistan earlier in the year.

Sorry I missed the name of the soloist who performed early in the show. He is in town for performances of Porgy and Bess and his two songs showed a powerful classically trained voice with a warm tone. Michael Chiklis doesn't have a classically trained voice, but he is more of a singer than many actors and did a good version of his own song. Martina McBride is one of my favorite country music singers. I have to admit that my taste in country includes Faith Hill, the Dixie Chicks, Martina, and a small dose (or is that toke?) of Willie Nelson and nothing else. Martina is the champ with 41 cuts on my IPod and her studio work is fine stuff indeed. She does a great job with typical country songs like "Cry on the Shoulder of the Road," but her best work shows social concerns absent from most country tunes. Last night she performed three songs, God Bless America, and two of her own "Independence Day" and "This One's for the Girls." GBA was well done with McBride's trademark vocal power and range. Her own selections connected with the audience, but suffered a little in comparison to the recorded versions-probably due to the late connection with the orchestra. I would have loved to have been there to hear her in person, however.

The fireworks were very well done with a strong connection to the music. The finale version of the Star Spangled Banner was a fitting and spectacular conclusion to the program.

One gripe. Doesn't anyone ever listen to the lyrics anymore? Springsteen's "Born in the USA" is a angry tune about a poor guy who gets screwed in Vietnam and has no job when he comes home. Accurate storyline, but how did that become the power anthem of the present? McBride's Independence Day uses patriotic words ironically in telling a story about a wife who burns her abusive husband to death when he's asleep. My Mock Trial teams have tried "burning bed" defense cases twice and the defendant has lost every time. Come on, people, check out more than the catchy music and the title.

If you get a chance to see a replay of the concert, it's definitely worth a space on your TIVO machine.