Orchestral "Pops" Music

Lucy Manning was orchestra director and professor of violin at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia and performed in many orchestras from community through professional level across the country. She received a B.M. in violin from West Virginia University, an M.M. in violin from the University of Illinois, and a D.M.A in Orchestral Conducting from the University of South Carolina. She is the author of the original Orchestral “Pops” Music: A Handbook (Scarecrow Press 2009).

This welcome second edition adds more than 1,000 new entries to update the earlier (2009) one. Manning embraces a very broad definition of 'pop' music, drawing from genres including rock, jazz, and classical repertoires, among others. Works included are generally available for purchase or rental. The author gathered information on currently available scores and parts through various sources including publisher catalogs, music indexes, and an onsite visit to Luck's Music Library, one of the world's largest orchestral music distributors. Content is organized alphabetically by composer, and accompanied by appendixes including an instrumentation index, a duration list, a topical index (e.g., holidays, sports), a title list, and information on publishers. The entries include title, duration, instrumentation, themes or topics, and publisher. The thematic list includes holidays, ethnic derivations, sports, travel, and other subjects useful for programming. The instrumentation index and duration index also facilitate programming, matching repertoire with available instrumental forces and time slots within concerts. A list of publishers and sources provides contact information for many of the more important vendors. This resource is a necessary tool for librarians, music directors, and others responsible for programming music ensembles. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.