A great Fourth of July celebration requires a crowd, plentiful food and beverage, terrific music, and the cooperation of Mother Nature.

The culmination of Colorado Music Fest IV got them all for its Taste of the Fest and Fourth at the Fest events!

As everyone assembled for the grand finale concert, the ominous black clouds were behing us, and over the Rockies an expanse of Colorado blue opened for the bright sun. And before us was the grandstand, part of a natural amphitheatre incorporating the hills sloping down the USC buildings.

Five thousand are said to have attended last year's concert. Perhaps it was seven, eight or more this time. I only know that as far as the eye could see, where once there was grass, the ground seemed to be growing a dense crop of people.

And before us was an evening of 22 musical performance pieces.

Fourth at the Fest featured its maestro, Jacob Chi, the CMF orchestra, and the immense talents of three guest artists.

These included three vocalists from John Such BRAVO Broadway: baritone Douglas Webster, whose work ranges from "Don Giovanni" to Bernstein's Mass to "Les Miserables"; tenor Doug LaBrecque, best known as the Phantom in the Hal Prince production of "Phantom of the Opera;" and beautiful Jodi Benson, whose broad experience includes singing the title role of Ariel in Disney's "The Little Mermaid".

Also, Bernard Walz, Australian pianist and true entertainer, returned to the Fest stage for the third time in seven days.

Two large screens enabled the audience to see closeups, thanks to KTSC TV's broadcast, and also equipment from Pueblo Community College.

But the fabulous evening began with none of these things. After the Pueblo Police honor guard presented the flag and a 21-gun salute, Pueblo's own 15-year-old Brandy Varnell sang an unaccompanied "Star-Spangled banner," her voice ringing clear and lovely over the speakers.

Then Jacob Chi took stage to lead the CMF orchestra in Gershwin's "Strike Up the Band". The sound was true and full, and Chi was his usual kinetically charged self. In the six Gershwin works to follow, he kept the large group at pace and dynamically exciting.

Jodi Benson sang "Someone to Watch Over Me". Her appearance, her brightly winning and smoothly charming voice probably could have gotten hundreds of volunteers from the audience for this watchman's job. After this, she introduced Colorado native baritone Douglas Webster for a duet with her of "Our Love is Here to Stay". Mr. Webster's voice was bell-like in clarity and tone, but did not lack for baritone richness and warmth. The combination made for a phenomenal blend and remarkable stage presence.

As tenor Doug LaBrecque rendered "Love Walked In", the audience learned what a fine voice and sense of melodic drama can do for a song.

Now, with the trio of BRAVO Broadway performers complete, they captured all the once-upon-a-time, decades-ago zest of "I Got Rhythm" to a hot swing beat and accompaniment.

Here are three individuals who can really sell a song. And we were, understandly, buying, big time!

Fifteen works were presented in the second half of the performance, mostly musical comedy. Rodgers and Hammerstein led this parade with the overture to "The King and I", with the CMF orchestra, delivered with sweet strings and great heart.

"It's a Grand Night for Singing" featured the trio of singers again, showing them to all advantage in ensemble, as in "Oklahoma!" where the voices came sweeping off the stage in grand crescendos.

Baritone and tenor - Douglas and Doug - came together in "Nothin' Like a Dame" with Ms. Benson serving as the main, living property for their musical-comedy showmanship. The guys proved herein they could be brash and funny, eliciting, as one said, "A raucous response for a very politically incorrect song!"

Switching to Lerner and Loewe, the threesome provided flawless harmony and wistful characters for "Wouldn't It Be Loverly". Here, Ms. Benson's Eliza was superb, as later for "The Rain in Spain".

When the group reconstrusts the famous diction scene, it is excellent. But between these two songs, Mr. LaBrecque gave us "On the Street Where You Live", with such convincingly vital youthfulness and soaring voice that he momentarily stole the show.

But Benson and Webster won it back with "Tonight" from Bernstein's "West Side Story" with rich voices and sincerity of acting, thrilling the audience with this familiar urban balcony scene.

Benson shone like a star as Evita in "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" as we turned to Andrew Lloyd Webber. The trio, again amazing in the textural blend of their voices, returned with "Memory" from "Cats", all three gaining a visceral grip on the crowd. Then LaBrecque sang "Music of the Night" in his long spotlight, enthralling us with his invitation to the dark power of Webber's night melodies.

"Love Changes Everything" was the last of Webber, utilizing a driving beat and romantic optimism, and still capitalizing on the joint dynamism of the three vocalists.

This reviewer wound his way through the people, phrases in his head, hurrying to the newspaper office. But I could not help but be moved and grateful for the sun, the stars, the stripes, and a life with music and beauty in it.