Fourth Of July Celebration In Bucks Co. Begins With A Bang As Music, Fireworks Fill The Air

TINICUM TOWNSHIP, PA — This year's Fourth of July celebration in Bucks County started with a bang Saturday night with a Concert Under the Stars and a fireworks display at Tinicum Park.

Hundreds gathered on the grassy lawn for a picnic supper before being treated to a pre-Independence Day weekend performance by the Riverside Symphonia under the direction of Mariusz Smolij.

Considered one of the most exciting conductors of his generation, Smolij has directed the symphonia for more than 30 years.

As darkness descended and lightning bugs emerged from the grass, Aaron Copland’s immortal, “Fanfare for the Common Man" opened the evening’s performance followed by a “Salute to the Big Apple” featuring themes from “New York, New York,” “42nd Street” and“Lullaby of Broadway.”

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

The concert continued with “A Tribute to Louis Armstrong,” Gershwin’s jazz standard “Embraceable You,” “Amazing Grace,” and a “Salute To Ol’ Blue Eyes.”

The concert also served up Broadway Showstoppers including “That’s Entertainment,” “Cabaret” and “There’s No Business Like Show Business” and “Gershwin by George” featuring “Strike Up the Band,” “I Got Rhythm,” “Summertime" and “Rhapsody In Blue.”

The concert reached a crescendo with a patriotic musical celebration featuring America the Beautiful, a Salute to the U.S. Armed Forces, the 1812 Overture and John Phillip Sousa’s immortal, “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

As the symphonia closed out its performance with the stirring patriotic chords of the National March of the United States, brilliant fireworks lit up the sky in a dazzling display of color and sound.

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

For 20 minutes, streams of light shot high into the night sky raining down from above in a dazzling color display as loud bangs and flashes of lights punctuated the show.

The special evening was made possible by the Thompson Organization, the evening’s presenting sponsor, and the following sponsors: Holland Floor Covering, Withum, In Place Cabinetry, NJM Insurance Group, Van Horn McDonough, Calloway Henderson, The First National Bank of Newtown,
Sotheby’s, Arthur Judson Foundation, Presbyterian Living Pine Run Village, OMG Local Life, ICON, Cantor Design, The Presser Foundation, Arts & Letters Foundation, and Golden Blossom Honey.

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)