Pop songs may come and go, but the music of the Beatles seems well-night eternal.
Over the past three years, some of the nation’s top orchestras have discovered a real crowd-pleaser with the symphonic tribute known as “Revolution: The Music of the Beatles.”
“Revolution” arrives on March 10 at the Peace Center as a part of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra’s Pops series.
The show spotlights a seven-member rock band, including three singers, surrounded by the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, adding lush grandeur to the Beatles’ biggest hits.
“We really explore the breadth of the catalogue, from 1963 to 1970, everything from the early stuff through Sgt. Pepper’s and Abbey Road,” said Paul Loren, a singer/guitarist with “Revolution.”
The evening includes 25 chart-topping hits, including “Ticket to Ride,” “Penny Lane,” “All You Need Is Love,” “Get Back,” “Here Comes the Sun,” and “Hey Jude.”
“Revolution” is a celebration of the Beatles, though the onstage band doesn’t imitate the Beatles like the many tribute bands that tour the country.
Timeless tunes
What accounts for the continued popularity of the Beatles’ music?
“There’s a timelessness in their songwriting,” Loren said, speaking from his home in Brooklyn, New York. “The lyrics and gorgeous melodies are not married to a certain place in time. You don’t need to be in the Summer of Love to appreciate ‘All You Need is Love.’ It’s an eternal message.”
The songs readily lend themselves to symphonic treatment, Loren said. He points out that Beatles producer George Martin often added strings and brass arrangements to the original songs.
‘Something’ about that song
“Revolution” has been touring the nation for three years, despite a pandemic-driven hiatus of several months in 2020. The core group of rock musicians has collaborated with orchestras in Dallas, Nashville, Pittsburgh and many other cities. The show is under the direction of Broadway and Pops conductor William Waldrop.
Loren’s favorite song is George’s Harrison’s “Something.”
“There’s something, no pun intended, about that song — the melody, and when the orchestra kicks in — it’s just really beautiful.”
Paul Hyde, a longtime Upstate journalist and English teacher, writes about the arts for the Greenville Journal.
If you go
What: “Revolution: Music of the Beatles — A Symphonic Experience”
When: 7:30 p.m. March 10
Where: Peace Center
Tickets: $28-$80
Info: 864-467-3000 or peacecenter.org
