Philly Pops – Free for 2000 military, fire and police depts
Event Date
12/04/2015
Event Time8:00 pm;
Location
Kimmel Center
.
Philadelphia, PA/NJ
The Philly POPS will kick off its holiday concert season with a free show for 2,000 members of the military, fire and police departments, and their families, on December 4, 2015.
The second annual Miller Lite Presents I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS: A Salute to the Military and First Responders program features Mayor Michael Nutter, Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, Fire Commissioner Derrick Sawyer and Rear Adm. Thomas Lynch.
The event is a highlight of the POPS’ Salute Series: concerts scheduled around American holidays in celebration of the American tradition of service, such as POPS on Independence on July 3. The Salute Series reached 31,000 people in 2015 – the largest audience for any POPS program.
“Three years ago, when the POPS played the song I’ll be Home for Christmas, I had a vision: in the movie White Christmas, when Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye open the door and all the soldiers salute their former general,” said Frank Giordano, President and CEO of the Philly POPS. “It hit me right then and there: next year, I’m giving away all the tickets to the opening night concert.”
Celebrated Conductor David Charles Abell creates a ‘winter wonderland’ in the Kimmel Center this December by leading the 65-piece POPS orchestra, guest vocalist (and Broadway veteran) Lisa Vroman, the Philadelphia Boys Choir, the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas Gospel Choir, the POPS Festival Chorus, organist Peter Richard Conte and a USO singing troupe through a new program featuring holiday favorites like Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and Hallelujah.
“It’s a holiday experience you simply can’t have anywhere else,” says Abell. “I always make sure that the program has something for everyone: grand symphonic arrangements of Christmas carols, popular holiday songs, Christmas music done in swing style, Chanukah favorites, rousing Gospel numbers, and the ever-popular audience singalong.”
Setting the scene inside the Kimmel Center lobby and outside on Broad Street will be military and police vehicles, roving Christmas carolers, Santa and Mrs. Claus and a bagpipe and drum corps.
The event is made possible by generous donors and sponsors, including presenting sponsor Miller Lite, Major Sponsor NewDay USA and many more.
HOW TO GET TICKETS
Members of the military register for NO COST tickets through the USO. Police and Fire department personnel register through their respective public affairs offices. All concert goers go the ‘Will Call’ Window in the lobby of the Kimmel Center prior to the concert and request their tickets. If you are a member of the service community and would like to sign up for tickets to this event, please email Christian Poarch cpoarch@phillypops.org.
The general public can purchase tickets to the nine subsequent Christmas Spectacular concerts following this event that run December 5-22.
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