♪ ANTHONY: POPS, THE NAME ALONE PROJECTS FUN, A NAME -- A TIME WHEN SYMPHONY HALL IS COLORFUL AND FESTIVE AND PHOENIX ARE REPLACED BY TABLES AND
CONCERTGOERS ENJOY FOOD AND DRINK.
POPS IS ONLY A PORTION OF THE YEAR FOR THE MUSICIANS.
♪ THEY ARE IN FACT THE BOSTON SYMPHONY, CONSIDERED ONE OF THE TOP ORCHESTRAS IN THE WORLD.
WITH THE SEASON CUT SHORT, THE MUSICIANS WENT SOLO IN A SERIES CALLED BSO AT HOME AND NOW.
FOR THIS VIOLIST, THIS WAS TO BE HER FIRST FULL POPS SEASON.
>> I WAS EXCITED TO PLAY WITH STAYING.
-- WITH STING.
[LAUGHTER] I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT AND I LOVE WHEN WE DO USE -- DO MUSICALS.
ANTHONY: HER DISAPPOINTMENT IS SHARED BY CARL ANDERSON, WHO JOINED THE ORCHESTRA THIS PAST SEPTEMBER.
>> I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAYING WITH SRING.
THAT WOULD -- STING.
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN COOL.
ANTHONY: THEY DID PLAY THE HOLIDAY CONCERTS AND GOT TO ENJOY THE EFFECT.
>> YOU EXPERIENCE IT WITH YOUR AUDIENCE IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
THERE IS NOTHING QUITE LIKE LOOKING OUT AND SEEING A KID WHO HAS NEVER SEEN AN ORCHESTRA EXPERIENCE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
>> IT IS A GREAT ORCHESTRA.
AS A CLASSICAL IS ISSUED YOU KNOW YOU MAKE IT WHEN YOU CAN HAVE PEOPLE CRY AT THE END OF POLAR EXPRESS.
♪ IT IS VERY TOUCHING.
I KNOW AFTER THE WINTER POPS HOW BIG OF A DEAL IT IS.
ANTHONY: THIS CALIBER OF MUSICIAN IS NOT ACCUSTOMED TO MAKING MUSIC.
TRULY -- MUSIC VIRTUALLY, BUT THEY DID WITH "SOME IN THE HEROES THERE -- "SUMMON THE HEROES." >> I GOT EMOTIONAL.
I HAVE THE MUSIC IN MY EARS AND I WAS PLAYING AND I HAVE THIS MOMENT WHERE I REALIZED I HAD NOT PLAYED WITH MY WORK FAMILY IN SO LONG I GOT EMOTIONAL.
>> IT IS AWESOME.
BIG KUDOS TO THE SOUND GUYS AT THE BSO.
♪ ANTHONY: MORE THAN ANYTHING THESE MUSICIANS MISS BEING HOME.
THIS HOME.
>> IS ONE THING PUTTING IN HEADPHONES AND HAVING VIBRATIONS PUT INTO YOUR YEARS, BUT -- YOUR EARS, BUT TO HEAR IT IN A CONCERT HALL, THERE IS ENERGY YOU CAN’T RE-CREATE OVER ZOOM.
>> YOU WON’T FIND ANYONE WHO WILL HAVE MISSED IT AND APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH WHEN WE GET BACK TOGETHER.
>> I THINK I WILL CRY.
I GET GOOSEBUMPS THINKING ABOUT IT.
I CAN’T WAIT TO BE ON THAT STAGE.
IT IS LIKE BEING ON THE MOON.
IT IS INCREDIBLE.
♪ ANTHONY: WHEN IT COMES TO HOMETOWN TEAMS, COUNT THE BSO AND POPS AMONG THEM.
QUINTESSENTIAL BOSTON IS HOW THE NHL PUT IT WHEN IT TAPPED THEM TO DO THE STANLEY CUP FINAL WITH THIS ARRANGEMENT OF SHIPPING UP TO BOSTON, COURTESY OF THE BASE PLAYER WHO IS CELEBRATING 50
YEARS IN THE ORCHESTRA.
>> BACK IN 1966, I WAS THERE TO HEAR A BASS SOLOIST.
I SAID I WILL PLAY THAT ONE DAY.
ANTHONY: HE WON AN AUDITION TO BECOME A MEMBER, BUT PLAYING IN THE POPS TOOK SOME GETTING USED TO.
>> I BECAME PRINCIPAL OF POPS AND WENT FROM THE BACK CORNER TO THE EDGE OF THE STAGE.
I STARTED TO REALIZE WHAT POPS MEANS TO LOOK OUT AND SEE PEOPLE ENJOYING IT.
CERTAIN CONCERTS I WILL TAKE MY BASS AND LIFT IT OVER TO THE AUDIENCE LEVEL AND LET THEM PLAY A WHILE.
BUT THAT IS WHEN I STARTED TO REALIZE WHAT POPS MEANS.
ANTHONY: IN HIS 50 YEARS, HE HAS PLAYED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF ARTHUR FIEDLER, JOHN WILLIAMS AND KEITH LOCKHART.
>> THE PROPS -- POPS PROGRAMMING REQUIRES THE REFLEXES OF A CAT, WHICH HE HAS TO GO FROM STYLE TO STYLE.
TO DOING THAT WHICH HE IS INCREDIBLE AND DOING, STOPS CONDUCTING, PICKS UP A MICROPHONE AND SPEAKS FLUENTLY AND LUCIDLY TO HIS AUDIENCE.
HOW DOES HE DO THAT?
POPS IS ENTERTAINMENT WITH DIGNITY.
WE ARE A WORLD-CLASS ORCHESTRA AND WE WOULD HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT AS CREDIBLE AND SONOROUS AS IT IS.
I AM A PROUD MEMBER.
ANTHONY: PROUD OF HOW HIS COLLEAGUES HAVE UNITED TO CONTINUE MAKING MUSIC IN THIS TIME.
>> YOU CAN’T KEEP A GOOD MUSICIAN DOWN.
WE WILL NOT CHANGE OUR W