POPS AND THE VICTORS  

If you have attended a recent Pops concert, you were probably thrilled to hear a fantastic version of The Victors at the end of the performance. Ever wonder where this arrangement came from?

We have Ben Cher (Pops Class of 2017) to thank for this wonderful addition:

“We had always played a version provided by the marching band. I had always thought it was fun but a little thin. One year, the New York Philharmonic came into town and played a version of The Victors that sounded much more exciting and orchestral. It was the encore after their performance of Beethoven Symphony No. 7 at Hill Auditorium. I remember thinking that it would be very cool for Pops to get their hands on that arrangement. So I emailed them! I couldn't believe they actually responded to me. Their librarian forwarded my request to Max Raimi, a violist in the Chicago Symphony, who had arranged the work. We rented the parts from him! And I met him a few months later when the CSO came to Ann Arbor.”

Thank you Ben for bringing this new tradition to Pops!