The Pops Orchestra offers a free concert Sunday in Sarasota

An evening of music in a cemetery may not sound like an especially uplifting experience. On Sunday, though, The Pops Orchestra (which used to be called the Sarasota Pops Orchestra) will perform a concert in Sarasota National Cemetery that promises to be inspiring and even fun.

The concert’s titled “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” and it’s a salute to Flag Day, which is actually two days later.

The orchestra performed a Flag Day concert in the same cemetery last year, and about 2,000 people turned out.

Joining the orchestra will be Gloria Musicae, a Sarasota-based professional vocal ensemble. The group’s artistic director, Joseph Holt, spent 20 years as the accompanist for the Army band, so he’s an expert in patriotic music. Gloria Musicae will join the Pops for “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” “Stars and Stripes Forever” and other selections.

The concert also includes a formal flag retirement and retreat ceremony overlooking Patriot Plaza.

It’s free and open to the public. A couple of caveats: If it’s as popular as organizers hope, there may not be room for everyone, so you might want to get there a little early to make sure you can get in. And the weather is unpredictable this time of year, so check starsandstripescelebration.com earlier on Sunday for advisories.

Details: 6 p.m. June 12, Sarasota National Cemetery, 9810 S.R. 72, Sarasota. Free. 941-926-7677, thepopsorchestra.org.

This story was originally published June 8, 2016 at 4:40 PM with the headline "The Pops Orchestra offers a free concert Sunday in Sarasota."