Lockhart Speaks at Community Council Dinner

Keith Lockhart, the conductor of the Boston Pops, was in town March 24 to speak at the 81st Annual Needham Community Council Dinner at the

Lockhart will be conducting on June 11 in celebration of Needham’s 300th year as a founded community.

“This will be the first community night at the Symphony that I have ever done,” Lockhart said of Needham’s Night at the Symphony, which is expected to sell out all 2,200 seats at Boston’s Symphony Hall.

In his speech, Lockhart compared the similarities between The Boston Pops organization and the .

“The year 1930 was an important one for both The Boston Pops and the Needham Community Council,” said Lockhart as Needham Community Council was founded in 1930, which was also the year that Arthur Fiedler began his 50 year tenure as conductor and is credited with bringing national acclaim to the Boston Pops.

In closing, Lockhart stated that, "fifty percent of the people who come to Symphony Hall are from groups celebrating something. Boston Pops is a place where celebrations happen and I am looking forward to hosting you and the town of Needham in June.”

The Needham Community Council is a non-profit organization founded with the aim of supporting and extending hospitality to those in need in the town of Needham.

Run largely by volunteers, the annual dinner serves not only as a celebration, but also as a way to thank over 170 volunteers who donate their time each month and help to keep all their charitable programs running.

For more information about Needham Celebrates 300, or to order tickets for Needham’s Night at the Pops, visit Needham300.org.

For additional information on Needham Community Council or how you can become a volunteer, go to needhamcommunitycouncil.org.