PRINTER'S NO. 2356
No. 260 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY L. I. COHEN, BARD, BELFANTI, CALTAGIRONE, DAILEY,
FLICK, HARHAI, HARHART, HERSHEY, JOSEPHS, LEDERER, MANDERINO,
MELIO, PESCI, RUBLEY, B. SMITH, E. Z. TAYLOR, WILLIAMS,
WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD AND ZIMMERMAN, OCTOBER 4, 1999
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
OCTOBER 4, 1999
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the Philly Pops as the official pops orchestra of
2 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Marked by youth and verve, the Philly Pops has been
4 endowed from the start with an extraordinary group of
5 instrumentalists from the musically rich Philadelphia area--all
6 conservatory educated, with the finest classical training. They
7 perform year round with baroque-oriented as well as contemporary
8 musical ensembles and are well represented in the orchestras of
9 the Pennsylvania Ballet, Concerto Soloists, the Opera Company of
10 Philadelphia and numerous chamber groups. Many have made their
11 mark as soloists; and
12 WHEREAS, Created in 1979 and presented at the Academy of
13 Music by All Star-Forum, the Pops plays a blend of jazz, light
14 classics and music from Broadway and Hollywood, plus excerpts
15 from the international symphonic repertoire, which has appealed
16 to a broad public and virtually sells out all performances at
1 the Academy of Music. Some concerts feature guest artists;
2 others are built around popular themes or composers. Audiences
3 are warm and involved and formed an organization called "Friends
4 of the Philly Pops" in support of All Star-Forum; and
5 WHEREAS, A highlight in the history of the Philly Pops was
6 their live coast-to-coast appearance on CBS as part of
7 Philadelphia's "Wee The People" concert celebration of the
8 signing of the Constitution. Other important milestones have
9 been their appearances on tour and the open-air concert at
10 Independence Hall on July 4, 1981, which was telecast nationally
11 over PBS; and
12 WHEREAS, During the summer of 1983, the Philly Pops again
13 performed before hundreds of thousands at the Art Museum on the
14 4th of July with Julius Erving (Dr. J.) reading from the
15 Declaration of Independence, and on July 4, 1984, an estimated
16 one million turned out for the combined Pops/International
17 Fireworks show which made history in Philadelphia; and
18 WHEREAS, The Pops made their New York debut on February 6,
19 1984, at Carnegie Hall. Responding to the popularity of the
20 Pops, the University of Pennsylvania College of General Studies
21 has twice given a course called "Meet the Philly Pops"; and
22 WHEREAS, Peter Nero leads the Philly Pops into the beginning
23 of its eighteenth season; and
24 WHEREAS, The extraordinary group of instrumentalists known as
25 the Philly Pops are drawn from the orchestras of the Opera
26 Company of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Ballet, Concerto
27 Soloists and numerous chamber groups. Under Peter Nero's
28 guidance, the Pops bridge the symphonic and the popular with
29 innovative programs and outstanding guests; therefore be it
30 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
19990H0260R2356 - 2 -
1 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania designate the Philly Pops as the
2 official pops orchestra of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
E28L82JS/19990H0260R2356 - 3 -