Stars and Stripes

I love fireworks. I always have - well, except those snakes that would grow when you'd light them? Any of you remember those? Maybe they were just an Oregon thing. 

 That isn't a smile on my face. 

My little brother likes it though.

(notice we're wearing coats - that's the 4th in Oregon)

 

Hammering out these ones made me happy though

Besides lighting our own fireworks, we'd watch the Boston Pops 4th of July on PBS. We watched a lot of Boston Pops growing up.  I've enjoyed watching the Pops 4th concert each year I remember to record it (since I'm rarely home on the 4th these days.)

A few years back, I remember driving from SLC to Provo one night.  For some reason I'd decided that I was going to listen to 89.1 that night, the local classical station. As I rounded Point of the Mountain, I first noticed the sky lit above American Fork. It wasn't a holiday, but it appeared the city was practicing for the approaching 4th of July.  As I made my way south, a number of areas were lighting off aerials.  Listening to the classical music, watching the fireworks.  It was an awesome drive.

After the fires all throughout Utah, including in our own neighborhood (the unfortunately named Dump Fire started in our neighborhood - I purposefully selected this story to use for the hyperlink because they got it so wrong, there weren't 9,000 evacuees) - I think anyone doing fireworks, yes including those of you on our own street, were foolish.  I knew what I was going to do.  Boston Pops 4th of July.  

But I couldn't find it in the listing for PBS.  PBS was broadcasting the Capitol 4th - no thank you.  I found it though. On one of the major networks. I should have taken it as a sign.  Non-PBS means commercials. Non-PBS needs they need a show to attract a general television audience.  I was disappointed.  Not only did we not get a lot of music from the orchestra, the music that played during the fireworks, was all radio music - prerecorded music. 

I still love the 4th.  I still love classical music playing while I watch fireworks. I think attending the Boston Pops 4th of July concert in person may have fallen off my bucket list this year though.  At least until Keith Lockhart leaves, maybe then we'll have another conductor who is more concerned with the orchestra then using celebrities and radio music to sell the concert - maybe another conductor like John Williams who also writes music.  That would be nice.