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By David Amos
 SAN DIEGO—The less formal mood of the summer months has become synonymous with lighter forms of entertainment. Of course, particularly in our part of the country, the exceptional weather permits many of these leisure activities to take place in the great outdoors.
But specifically, in classical music, there is the opportunity to hear the lighter fare, the music that is not serious enough for the winter series, but with sufficient substance to justify the use of a symphony orchestra. These concerts are invariably well attended, sometimes by concertgoers who may or may not be winter-spring concert supporters.
Some performing organizations, in order to attract new and larger audiences go a bit too far, trying to fuse pop and rock music with the classical symphony orchestra. The results vary. At times it makes for worthy entertainment, but more often than not, it can be a dreadful mix which is neither classical music or believable pop music.
But, thankfully, there is a vast repertory of light orchestral music, some from the recent and distant past, and some of it newly composed, music which can make an orchestra sound the way it was meant to be, and is enthusiastically received by the audiences. Practically all of the recognized and great composers which you can name have lighter music which is a pleasure to hear in a summer pops concert.
Add to this mix a dose of Broadway, film music, selections from the Great American Songbook, patriotic music and novelty numbers, and you may have a winning, entertaining combination.
But, let us not forget the other element which is not mentioned too often. The musicians in orchestras generally dislike playing musical arrangements of pop tunes where there is no substance or artistic challenge. Not all music has to be a mountain waiting to be climbed, but good music, well orchestrated, and yes, well conducted, is far more inspiring to the musicians who are playing it. And this is translated into more focused, dynamic performances.
With these thoughts in mind, my colleagues and I at the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra are programming pops concerts which are a mix of the familiar, the traditional, the vibrant, and always, a touch of something new and fresh. The next in the series of these concerts will take place in two venues: Sunday, July 19, 7:00 p.m., at the Allied Gardens Recreation Park , and on Sunday, August 2, 3:00 p.m. at the orchestra’s home base, the Synagogue’s Cohen Social Hall.
For these concerts TICO will be augmented by around ten talented high school orchestral musicians from the San Diego
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Unified School District, bringing the total forces of the orchestra to 75 players.
The outdoor, Allied Gardens concert is admission free; this informal setting is ideal for bringing the entire family and enjoying a picnic before the concert. It is recommended that you bring blankets and folding chairs. Last year’s concert at this venue attracted over 1,000 people, and its popularity keeps growing.
Here are some of both program’s exciting highlights:
There will be three marches by John Philip Sousa: King Cotton, which will be conducted by this year’s TICO Golden Baton Honoree, Beverly Tesch. In The Liberty Bell, which you will recognize as the theme from the classic television comedy Monty Python’s Flying Circus, there will be an interesting addition; the sound of the bell, provided for us through the digital magic of Jack Star, will be a recreation of what the original Liberty Bell in Philadelphia must have sounded before it was cracked and damaged in 1846. You can hear how the bell may have sounded before the nasty fissure, and how it would sound if you rang it today. As always, the concert will conclude with The Stars and Stripes Forever.
Soprano Sylvia Lorraine Hartman will sing two songs: The humorous I Cain’t Say No from Oklahoma, and a world premiere of a beautiful song by Joseph Leniado-Chira, You Are My Love.
TICO will play two pops favorites: The rousing Parade of the Charioteers from the film Ben-Hur, and a work which I consider to be the best American concert waltz ever composed, the Carousel Waltz, by Richard Rodgers, from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Carousel.
Richard Hayman composed a delightful work for Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops, namely, the Pops Hoedown. It contains barnyard melodies, Scotch and Irish tunes, humor, and lots of “fiddlin’”. Another novelty number is The Whistler and His Dog.
For more substantial fare is the orchestral premiere of John Barnes Chance’s Incantation and Dance, which features no less than seven percussionists, and a perennial pops favorite, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Festival Overture, with digitized canons and bells.
“Mr. L.A. Pops," Shelly Cohen, has prepared, exclusively for TICO, an arrangement titled The Gershwin Years, with quotations from his hit songs, American in Paris, and Rhapsody in Blue.
For more information, directions, ticket reservations and group rates, call the Tifereth Israel Synagogue office, (619) 697 6001.
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