KINGFIELD — Dave Mallet, Maine’s iconic folk troubadour, and his band will play several numbers with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, June 25, at the ninth annual Kingfield POPS concert.

Mallet and his band will also play a set in the opening half of the concert.

The Kingfield POPS lineup also showcases the full sweep of Maine’s musical heritage, from its earliest Native American roots, through its Acadian traditions and New England fiddle heritage, to contemporary folk, R&B/soul and pops.

The BSO will play a set of upbeat, fun and familiar selections from the Beatles, “Sound of Music” and “Star Wars,” as well as patriotic favorites. Music director Lucas Richman, who received a Grammy in the Best Crossover Classical Album category for conducting London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on Christopher Tin’s album “Calling All Dawns,” will conduct. Richman is also well known as a composer and conductor for film, with credits including the Academy Award-nominated “The Village” and “As Good As It Gets.”

Orchestra members will also share the stage with the Acadian band Boreal Tordu and the Franklin County Fiddlers youth ensemble. Together, they will perform “Fortunes of the Fiddler,” a suite of three original Maine fiddle tunes arranged by Maine composer, teacher and performer Steve Muise, who also composed two of the pieces in the suite. The third was composed by Molly Flanagan and Seth Wegner, Muise’s former students at Mt. Blue High School.

Muise, who was named Maine Music Educator of the Year in 2007, founded and directs the Franklin County Fiddlers and performs with Boreal Tordu.

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Boreal Tordu plays lively, foot-stomping Acadian and Quebecois music. The Franklin County Fiddlers play traditional New England fiddle music with a contemporary twist and fine showmanship.

The Burnurwurbskek Singers, a men’s drumming and singing group from the Penobscot Nation, will sing to the beat of Maine’s most ancient musical heritage. The ensemble combines powerful drum sounds with singing and storytelling to communicate Wabanaki history.

R&B/soul singer Leah Tysse is the program’s “Maine export.” A graduate of Orono High School, she lives in Berkeley, Calif., where she has made a name for herself writing and producing original contemporary music. She has been awarded the prestigious Best R&B Song by the Billboard World Song Contest and has played with Taj Mahal, Maria Muldaur, Michelle Shocked, Muddy Waters, Will.I.Am, Rhianna, Sly and the Family Stone, Chaka Khan, Santana and Michael Franti’s Spearhead.

The festive sounds of the Western Mountain Trash Can Band, a local steel drum band, will welcome visitors to Kennedy Field, site of Kingfield Pops events.

“We really wanted to present a kaleidoscope of Maine’s music. We’ve done that and so very much more – we’re adding a verse of our own to Maine’s musical traditions. You’ll never see anything like this anywhere else,” said Donald Tranten, president of the POPS Board of Directors, referring to collaborations between the BSO, Dave Mallet, Boreal Tordu and the Franklin County Fiddlers.

The Kingfield POPS weekend will also feature a free Festival of the Arts from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when artists and artisans will display and sell their work. Live music will be performed throughout the day.

On Friday, June 24, there will be a POPS Friday Artwalk, with walking tours of galleries, museums and art studios taking place from 5 to 8 p.m.

Concert tickets and more details are available online at www.kingfieldpops.com. Adult tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the gate; youth 17 and younger admitted free.


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