Story originally printed in the Holmen Courier or online at www.holmencourier.com

Published - Friday, June 27, 2008

Pertzsch wins pops conductor contest

Evelyn Pertzsch will get the chance to conduct the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra’s Pops Concert Sunday as part of the 19th annual Festival Foods Salute to the Fourth.

Pertzsch won the chance by raising more money than her two competitors, Onalaska Fire Chief Don Dominick and Onalaska Alderman Bob Muth.

The event, which will take place at the Onalaska High School soccer fields east of the Onalaska OmniCenter on Riders Club Road and is free and open to all.

In addition to the orchestra, two other groups will perform. The Coulee Region High School Jazz All-Stars band will perform at 6 p.m., and bluegrass band String Ties follows at 7 p.m. The La Crosse Symphony Orchestra Pops Concert begins at 8:30 p.m.

The symphony will play Wagner’s “Overture to Rienzi,” Brahms’ “Hungarian Dance No. 5,” a fiddlin’ tune by Leroy Anderson, Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” patriotic selections including John Phillip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” and Pertzsch conducting Sousa’s “The Thunderer.”

Guest vocalist Tim Wilson will sing “This Is America” and “The Last Full Measure of Devotion” as part of a salute to military veterans. Wilson also will sing the “Armed Forces Salute,” “Rocky Top,” “Satchmo” and a jazz version of “On the Street Where You Live” from “My Fair Lady.”

Food is available throughout the evening, and fireworks at 10 p.m. will top off the celebration.

All stories copyright 2006 Holmen Courier and other attributed sources.