Pops Party returns to Governor’s Mansion in Carson City

The beautiful back lawn of the Governor’s Mansion is the site of the Carson City Symphony’s 31st annual Pops Party concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, when a program by the Carson City Symphony, Carson City Symphony Chorus, and guest singer Cindee LeVal will be presented.

Grounds open with pre-concert entertainment by Regency Strings, a duo featuring Cecilia Twain, violin, and George Worth, bass, at 2 p.m. The Naughty Tea Mistresses will be featured as well.

In honor of Flag Day, June 14, the concert will open with a capella version of The Star Spangled Banner sung by the Carson City Symphony Chorus, directed by Michael Langham. The Symphony, directed by David Bugli, will play Entrance of the Gladiators, April in Paris, The Great Locomotive Chase and Hoe-down from Copland’s Rodeo.

As a tribute to Nat King Cole, who died 50 years ago, Cindee LeVal will sing new arrangements by David Bugli of “Straighten Up & Fly Right” and “Unforgettable” with the orchestra. Both songs were made famous by Cole, who also wrote the original music for “Straighten Up & Fly Right.”

The Carson City Symphony Chorus will sing “When You Wish Upon a Star,” “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” “I’ve Got the Sun in the Morning and the Moon at Night,” and selections from “The Sound of Music.” The concert closes with John Philip Sousa’s march, “Hands Across the Sea.”

Seating will be on the lawn; the audience will be welcome to bring blankets or lawn chairs, but some chairs will be provided, as well as food. Snacks, beverages, and raffle tickets will be on sale before and during the concert. Proceeds from sales benefit the Carson City Symphony Association’s artistic and educational programs and Carson High School’s instrumental music programs.

The free concert is supported, in part, by public funding through the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Nevada Commission on Tourism. For rain location, call the Symphony at 775-883-4154, or go to CCSymphony.com.