Pops in the Park all about having fun

Pops in the Park all about having fun
Written by Review Valerie Giles
Special to The Citizen  
Monday, 08 September 2008

The glorious warmth of autumn sunshine beat down over Fort George Park Sunday and added to the fun of a pleasant afternoon.

This was Prince George’s version of Pops in the Park involving lots of lively children and dogs on leashes peacefully sleeping at their masters’ feet.

The performance was all about having fun with music and connecting with an audience ranging from young families through to seniors with everyone out enjoying the day.

Prince George-Mount Robson MLA Shirley Bond, brought greetings from the province and announced a much-appreciated grant to support the PGSO.

Conductor Les Dala took a high-energy approach to kick off the season’s launch. Attired in what seemed a perfect outfit for the park - a black PGSO T-shirt over jeans and topped with a brilliant white jacket, he led the orchestra through the introductory piece - music from Star Wars - and then through very recognizable music scores from the movies. In a nod to his own heritage and that of other Hungarians in the audience, Dala conducted the more traditional Hungarian Dance No. 1 by Brahms, the hauntingly elegant Moon River”from the 1961 Breakfast at Tiffany’s movie, and the Evening Prayer from the Hansel and Gretel opera voiced by Prince George singers Amanda Spurlock and Melanie Nicol.

Children really took notice of the upbeat tempo and recognized music from Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Potter.

The RCMP Safety Bear was introduced as a special guest conductor and led a lively march. He must have held the baton just right because Dala commented afterwards, “Is he great or what?!?!” That bear doesn’t miss a beat!

The audience was treated to late 1960s movie music like that familiar in the 007 James Bond films and to some more traditional Vivaldi.

Nearing the concert’s end, the conductor announced they were about to play the song which is the very personification of summer. The orchestra played the perennially popular Good Vibrations, which was the Beach Boys’ 1966 hit. That eventually made the list of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. After another Beach Boys’ number, California Girls, Dala made an exuberant leap to punctuate the end of the song. The audience reacted enthusiastically and the orchestra responded with a few encores. An enjoyable concert, performed in a matchless setting, with the audience enveloped in warm sun - all added up to a memorable event.

This season, the PGSO welcomes back to Prince George and the orchestra a player who first belonged in the 1980s. Stephen Collins rejoins as principal viola.

Three more free concerts are planned with the 2008-09 season. Watch for a performance of Peter and the Wolf at Exploration Place in November; a special Christmas with Santa and the PGSO in December; and Carnival of the Animals at Vanier Hall next April.

Tickets are required so that a gift bags can be prepared for each child. Complimentary tickets will be available at the symphony office, at Books & Company, and Studio 2280.

Contributed by Valerie Giles, 7 September 2008