Saturday's Cincinnati Pops concert at Riverbend was a mix — in content and quality. At times it worked — like when conductor Erich Kunzel addressed the audience with interesting trivia about the evening's featured All-American composers. But at other times, it did not.

        Several midtempo sugary renditions of movie classics sung back-to-back made the concert move slower than the barges on the Ohio River behind the stage. And the unusually hot summer evening didn't help.

        “A Richard Rodgers 100th Birthday Tribute” was the Pops last concert in the 2002 series at Riverbend. One might expect a final concert to go out with a bang, especially with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra reunited (after branching off to play in various orchestra for the summer), and also considering the enormously successful concert series opener with guest artist Michael Feinstein.

        Things did get swinging during the second half of the night, especially during some jazzy, sultry South Pacific numbers sung by soprano Kathleen Brett. (At least here, the heat helped set the mood.)

        There were a few comical moments, including baritone Daniel Narducci's visit to the stage during a song from South Pacific, clad in grass skirt and a bikini top made of coconut shells. But over all, the concert went out with a slow fizzle. The spark just wasn't there.

        The night belonged to singers. Three singers: Ms. Brett, tenor David Fischer, and Mr. Narducc. Ms. Brett and Mr. Fischer performed several duets together, and their voices blended well. Mr. Narducci, with his powerful deep voice, sang several solos that met with thunderous applause. His version of All Points West, a thirteen minute, one-act opera, was perhaps the best performance of the evening.

        The first part of the evening was dedicated to the lyrics of Lorenz Hart and the concert opened with a medley of some of his best collaborations with Richard Rodgers, including “Mountain Greenery” from The Garrick Gaieties and “My Heart Stood Still” from One Damn Thing After Another (both arranged by Robert Russell Bennett).

        Another medley (arranged by Gordon Langford), included songs like “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered”, from Pal Joey, and “With a Song in My Heart” from Spring is Here.

        The concert closed with two selections from the last musical Oscar Hammerstein II wrote - The Sound of Music - including the title song and “Climb Ev'ry Mountain,” during which the vocalists got a little help from the audience, as many sang along.

        Adding color to the program throughout the evening was the May Festival Summer Chorus, directed by James Bagwell.

        The night — and the summer season — ended with two encores, including Rodgers and Hammerstein's “Oklahoma!” and Irving Berlin's “God Bless America.”

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