Who Can Stop The Pops?

A privately funded orchestra that's been operating successfully for 30 years: you're kidding me? Well, no.

Cue the Australian Pops Orchestra, the part-time but avowedly fun-loving orchestra dedicated to getting punters to the broaden their aural horizons. It's not a new idea but it's one that continues to attract the country's best players and wow the crowds. And no wonder; they're doing an ABBA medley this year.

Fronted by stage and TV staples Todd McKenney and John Foreman, APO's MO is foot-tapping, hand-clapping air violin favourites. According to their 22-year-old double bassist Emily Becker, it's “certainly not like playing angry Russian music for an hour-and-a-half”.

For Becker, touring with seasoned classical music pros and teaming up with mainstream entertainers has certainly expanded the young Taswegian's horizons. “It's so not what I'm used to,” she admits, “but I'm really loving it. APO definitely plays with a smile on its face.”

As someone trained in 'serious' music, the more contemporary APO setlist may appear, at first glance, to be somewhat unstimulating. “That's typically what you'd think,” she says. “Y'know, classical music is generally a bit more intricate but the more contemporary stuff has its issues, usually around the rhythm side of things. For a regular orchestra player it certainly represents a challenge. In some ways there's a little less room to hide.”

However, the 'pops' concept doesn't rest on technical perfection. It is very much a shop window for orchestral music. “We really want to reach those people who maybe have never thought about going to an orchestral concert before,” Emily Becker declares. “But also we're trying to show the people who are into classical music that there's so much more an orchestra can do.”

The big draw this year is undoubtedly Boy From Oz star Todd McKenney, a man well used to the musical stage and the popular entertainment spotlight. Indeed, McKenney is fitting his show-tune-loaded APO cameo around box-office-friendly turns in Annie and Dancing With The Stars.

It's all somewhat removed from the far more publicity shy activities of the fine music world. As Emily Becker attests, “There's certainly an entertainment side to this that's a bit different. If anything, I think all the musicians in APO are a little more conscious about being entertainers than they normally would be.”  

For Becker the pops experience is more than just crowd pleasing, it's a chance to work and play with some of Australia's finest. “I'm the youngest and so I'm getting the benefit of everyone's wisdom. It's an incredibly supportive atmosphere for a young musician to work in. And y'know, travelling around the country isn't bad either.”

Though we may prefer to think of 20-something musos wigging out in rock bands, Becker has always had her sights set on the orchestral scene. “I guess I just grew up surrounded by classical music and so it was kinda natural for me to go there. And now, y'know, I couldn't imagine not doing it really. I love what I do.”

Over the course of its 30-year lifespan, the Australian Pops Orchestra has loved it too. With alumni including Dame Joan, Sir Cliff and Guy Sebastian, and a string of successful tours under its belt, the pops are definitely not about to stop.