BOSTON (WHDH) - The Boston Pops extended their music to a broader audience with a free concert in Franklin Park on Sunday.
Longtime conductor Keith Lockhart says it’s an opportunity to share something special with the public.
“It’s a perfect day, it’s kind of hard to beat a day like today,” Lockhart said.
The Pops partnered with the city for the free concert.
Last year marked the first time they played in Franklin Park in 17 years.
“We typically play everywhere, I mean, we play the middle of huge football stadiums, we play arenas, and we play outside at the Hatch Shell,” Lockhart said. “This is just another place, but it’s special in that it’s in the community and it brings people out whom I think probably haven’t seen the Pops before.”
Fans agree that a free concert in the park is more accessible than seeing the orchestra at a more typical venue, like Symphony Hall.
“Just a great time, great music, relaxed atmosphere, just a super way to spend a late summer/early fall afternoon,” Greg Andros, one audience member, said. “This is just a little more relaxed, it’s a little more comfortable, and it seems a little more accessible, and I think that’s nice.”
Lockhart has led the orchestra for almost 25 years and says he enjoys uniting the community with music wherever the Pops take the stage.
“Every musician at their heart has to be a missionary,” Lockhart said. “They have to care about what we have and want to share with people. And to share it with the people who are not the usual crowd is the best thing.”
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