Pyrotechnic Salute--<i> Sans</i> Color

Most people get a bang out of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” but few get quite the same bang as Van Nuys pyrotechnician Gary Brown. He’ll be firing the cannons for the Glendale Symphony Orchestra during its seventh annual free concert under the stars Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Glendale High School stadium, 1440 E. Broadway.

“This is one of my favorite things to do,” said Brown, a licensed pyrotechnician for seven years. “There’s something really thrilling about being part of a symphony.”

Instead of real cannons, Brown will fire aerial salutes, which are like traditional fireworks with a big bang--but no color. “The sound just spreads to the ground,” Brown said.

He’ll be working a block and a half from the stadium, on the other side of the stands, communicating with the orchestra by radio. He has to ignite the charge three to four seconds before the note is to be played. He admits the cannon is an imprecise musical part and says that Tchaikovsky wrote it off the beat to allow for mistiming. “I frequently achieve that goal,” Brown joked.

The overture is the traditional finale to the program, which this year is titled “Music of the Americas” and will include such favorites as “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” songs from the movie “The Little Mermaid,” the theme from “Mission: Impossible” and “The Washington Post March” by Sousa.

The gates open at 6 p.m. as a benefit to picnickers; food and beverages will be available at concession stands. No alcoholic beverages are permitted on school grounds.