July 1, 2020
This year’s special “Boston Pops Salute to our Heroes” will air on Bloomberg Television and Bloomberg Radio on July 4th at 8PM/EDT
Program will also stream on Bloomberg.com and Bloomberg QuickTake on Twitter
Today, Bloomberg Media announced that it will serve as a major sponsor and media partner of the iconic “Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular” for the fourth special in a row. This year’s virtual broadcast, “A Boston Pops Salute to Our Heroes” will pay special tribute to the COVID-19 frontline workers and honor those who have lost their lives during the pandemic. The special will air on Bloomberg Television and Bloomberg Radio, and stream on Bloomberg.com/live/stream and Bloomberg QuickTake on Twitter, on Saturday, July 4th at 8PM/EDT.
Bloomberg’s Kim Carrigan, Joe Shortsleeve and Janet Wu team up with Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart to host the special, which will feature both new content and retrospective highlights from beloved performers from the past three years. The program will include the Boston Pops’ newly released video production and viral hit of John Williams’ “Summon the Heroes,” paying tribute to the healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential service providers as heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic, and honoring the memories of those who have lost their lives during this crisis.
Opening with Brian Stokes Mitchell singing “America the Beautiful” and closing with the ever-popular fireworks display, the wide-ranging broadcast will also honor the great traditions of Boston’s Independence Day celebration with performances of Tchaikovsky’s “1812” Overture, “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” and the annual Patriotic Sing-Along, taken from broadcasts in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
“We are honored to once again serve as a major sponsor and media partner of the iconic Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular,” said Al Mayers, Global Head of Bloomberg Television and Radio. “This year’s re-imagined broadcast has added significance as it will pay tribute to the heroes on the frontlines of this crisis and to those who have lost their lives in the pandemic.”
“A Boston Pops Salute to Our Heroes” will air on Bloomberg Television (available on cable/satellite and streaming services) and Bloomberg Radio, and will stream on Bloomberg.com/live/stream and Bloomberg QuickTake on Twitter, on Saturday, July 4, 8-11 p.m., EDT. Repeat broadcasts will air on Bloomberg Television at 11 p.m. (7/4) and 2 a.m. (7/5). The show will be simulcast locally on Boston’s WHDH-TV on July 4, 8-11 p.m.
PERFORMERS FROM PREVIOUS BOSTON POPS FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR PROGRAMS (in order of appearance):
– Broadway legend Brian Stokes Mitchell sings “America the Beautiful” and “Wheels of a Dream”
– Amanda Mena, America’s Got Talent semi-finalist from Lynn, MA, sings Pink’s “What About US” and the national anthem with the U.S. Navy Sea Chanters
– American folk-rock singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge performs her mega-hit “I Wanna Come Over”
– Amanda Gorman, first-ever Youth Poet Laureate of the United States, performs a new take on the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” entitled “Believer’s Hymn for the Republic”
– Broadway star Leslie Odom, Jr, sings “Sarah” from The Civil War, and “Without You” from Rent
– Grammy Award-winning artist Rhiannon Giddens, lead singer, violinist, banjo player, and a founding member of the acclaimed country, blues, and old-time music band the Carolina Chocolate Drops, performs her hits “Pretty Little Girl” and “She’s Got You”
– Rita Moreno, iconic singer/actor/dancer and winner of the Academy Award for best supporting actress for the 1961 film version of West Side Story, narrates excerpts from Ellis Island: The Dream of America
– Great American folk singer-songwriter, Arlo Guthrie and The Texas Tenors sing “This Land Is Your Land
– The incomparable Queen Latifah, American rapper, singer, songwriter, actress, and producer sings “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”
– Multi-platinum Singer/Songwriter Andy Grammer performs his hit “Give Love”
– The U.S. Army Field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus join the Pops for “The Stars and Stripes Forever”
NEWLY CREATED CONTENT FOR A BOSTON POPS SALUTE TO OUR HEROES (in order of appearance):
– Boston Pops Viola Section in a virtual performance of an all-time favorite, “Over the Rainbow”
– Boston Pops in a viral hit performance of “Summon the Heroes” with a special introduction by composer and Pops Conductor Laureate John Williams
– BSO Trumpet Section in a virtual performance of Leroy Anderson’s Bugler’s Holiday
– Renese King (voice) and Keith Lockhart (piano) in a virtual performance of two songs—”Lift Every Voice and Sing” and “God Bless America”
– A special video message from General James C. McConville, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army and Quincy, MA native
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