Getting ready to celebrate

Elia Powers

Richard Kaufman is accustomed to working on the Fourth of July.

For many of the past 10, Kaufman has led Orange County’s Pacific

Symphony through a series of patriotic tunes and has watched a

fireworks finale from his perch on stage.

The concerts have become such a staple of his holiday routine that

Kaufman, the symphony’s principal pops conductor, admits he can’t

imagine where else he would be.

“Probably looking for a concert like this,” he said.

The same is true for banjoist George Grove, a Las Vegas resident

and a member of folk music band the Kingston Trio. Grove said it’s

customary for his family to attend a hometown philharmonic

performance on the Fourth of July.

The artists will commemorate the country’s birthday together this

year, with a joint concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in

Irvine.

Fusing musical genres is nothing new for the Pacific Symphony,

which regularly performs at Costa Mesa’s Orange County Performing

Arts Center. Kaufman said he enjoys inviting new bands each year to

play at pops concerts.

This year’s special guest is best known for its prolific

discography and its chart-topping hit song “Tom Dooley,” about a man

hanged for killing a young woman. The Kingston Trio has toured for

nearly 50 years with a changing cast of characters.

Grove, who joined the group in 1976, worked on orchestral

arrangements for this concert. Among the songs that will be performed

are “Road to Freedom,” a Kingston Trio original, and “This Land Is

Your Land.”

The program also includes a musical tribute to Orange County

legend John Wayne and a salute to American folk heroes, such as the

Lone Ranger and Atticus Finch of “To Kill A Mockingbird.”

“This is a concert that features many styles,” Grove said. “If the

performance were a painting, it would be made of lots of different

colors.”

“Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak will narrate Randol Bass’

composition of “Casey at the Bat,” based on the poem, written by

Ernest Lawrence Thayer, that celebrates America’s love of baseball.

As Sajak speaks, the orchestra will accompany him.

Sajak has performed the piece before with the Pacific Symphony,

including a 2001 appearance in Orange County.

Kaufman said the concert also includes a collection of Fourth of

July favorites, including “America the Beautiful,” “God Bless

America” and John Philip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

The Pacific Symphony also has planned a tribute to military

troops.

“We talked about how it’s more important to celebrate our

country’s independence than for us to just celebrate being on stage

for a pops concert,” Grove said.

Grove and Kaufman said that although they are veterans of Fourth

of July concerts, they still get caught up in the moment when the

fireworks mix with the audience’s cheers.

“It’s a memorable celebration,” Kaufman said. “Especially for

families, it’s a good place to spend the evening.”

Tickets half price for active military members.