BOSTON (WHDH) - On Sunday night, Pops conductor Keith Lockhart will lead a night of patriotic performances.
From timeless classics like the 1812 Overture to Fourth of July fan favorites, Lockhart says he and the members of the famed orchestra are ready to perform in front of a live audience since before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020.
Joining the Pops on stage is Jon Batiste, bandleader of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
Lockhart said Batiste, who was was part of the Oscar winning team to compose the score to Disney Pixar’s hit movie “Soul,” is a great get.
I just think he’s one of the most interesting musicians on the scene right now,” he said. “A fascinating artist who really works across all sorts of genres.”
Legendary gospel singer Mavis Staples will also make a special appearance.
“She is probably the living definition of an icon in the world of Gospel and R&B,” Lockhart said.
Staples is a Grammy award winner who has sung for former President Barack Obama at the White House and performed at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration.
During her storied career, Staples has been inducted in both the Rock and Roll and the Blues Hall of Fame.
Besides being a pioneer in the music industry, she is also a civil rights icon who marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Lockhart will lead the concert from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and the fireworks finale will follow. The event will air on Bloomberg television and it will be broadcast locally on WHDH-TV.
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