Encore!

1	American Patrol / Keith Lockhart 3:53
2	Riverdance / Keith Lockhart 6:32
3	Mardi Gras / Keith Lockhart from Mississippi Suite 4:55
4	Song of the Volga Boatmen / Keith Lockhart 3:28
5	Magh Seola (The Level Plain) / Keith Lockhart 4:23
6	Farandole / Keith Lockhart 3:35
7	Doodletown Fifers / Keith Lockhart 4:44
8	Hymn to New England / Keith Lockhart 3:12
9	Sleigh Ride / Keith Lockhart 2:55
10	Stars and Stripes Forever / Keith Lockhart 3:31
11	Keith's Introduction to Long Live the King! / Keith Lockhart 1:28
12	Medley: Long Live the King (A Tribute to Elvis): Jailhouse ... / Keith Lockhart 6:33

Barnes & Noble

This greatest-hits album comes just half a dozen years into Keith Lockhart's tenure as conductor of the Boston Pops. But it's clear from this compilation that the young maestro has already made his mark, maintaining the orchestra's traditions while leading it in new directions. ENCORE draws on Lockhart's five recordings -- RUNNIN' WILD, AMERICAN VISIONS, THE CELTIC ALBUM, A SPLASH OF POPS, and HOLIDAY POPS -- showing off the ensemble's celebrated versatility. This band can play the classics with aplomb -- as demonstrated by their elegant performance of the "Farandole" from Georges Bizet's "L'Arlésienne" -- then turn around for a swinging rendition of Glenn Miller's "American Patrol." Along with music from "Riverdance" (featuring fiddler extraordinaire Eileen Ivers) and a rousing example of Americana in Ferde Grofé's "Mardi Gras" (from the "Mississippi Suite"), Lockhart includes a live version of "Long Live the King!," a daring orchestral tribute to Elvis that brought the house down in Symphony Hall. Andrew Farach-Colton

All Music Guide

The Boston Pops' spring 2000 album is called Encore because it offers encore appearances of some of the most popular tunes ever performed by the orchestra. In other words, it's a greatest-hits collection, featuring 50 minutes of highlights from the Keith Lockhart era -- the recordings the Boston Pops made for RCA during the '90s. There is only one new piece here: a tribute to Elvis Presley written by Patrick Hollenbeck. Since it's just a medley of oldies, however, it feels as familiar as anything else here, but that's not necessarily a complaint either. It's nice for casual fans to have such popular favorites as "Sleigh Ride," "Song of the Volga Boatmen," "Hymn to New England," "Farandole," "Doodletown Fifers," and "Stars and Stripes Forever" on one disc. Such a melodic, welcoming set list will be reason enough for most casual enthusiasts to acquire Encore. It's a good sampler, even if it doesn't have the cohesion of an actual Pops concert or record. Stephen Thomas Erlewine