The threat of rain daunted no one. They came with chairs. They came with picnics. They brought their dogs and children and honeys. And the people of Bangor and surrounding towns parked themselves in a field at Husson College to listen to the Bangor Symphony Orchestra perform its first “Pops on the Green” concert yesterday. Gray skies suited this crowd just fine because all the color and brightness of the day emanated from a blue and white half-dome that housed the musicians.

Under the suave leadership of guest conductor Isaiah Jackson, who recently completed a two-week tour with the Boston Pops, the Bangor Symphony sparkled from the first quaking bass drum of Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” until the crashing patriotism of John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever,” which was played as an encore.

In between was Edward Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1, Franz von Suppe’s “Light Cavalry,” and Ralph Vaughan Williams “Fantasia on Greensleeves.” The well-known melodies appealed to the wide range of listeners who must have numbered near 1,000.

The children in the audience were particularly taken with “Night on Bald Mountain” which they recognized from the Walt Disney film “Fantasia.” One little boy even wanted to know when Mickey Mouse was going to show up.

And it’s likely that more than a few people had to hold themselves back from getting up to dance for George Gershwin’s “Girl Crazy” overture, Leroy Anderson’s “Syncopated Clock,” and Richard Rodgers’ “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue.” Suffice it to say that feet were tapping along to these American tunes.

During the intermission, the Bangor Band played a selection of upbeat band songs and marches, including one by Bangor’s homegrown composer, R.B. Hall. Surely the favorite piece of the afternoon was Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” in which the National Guard, the Bangor Band and Husson’s carillon bells joined the symphony for a spectacular musical collaboration. When the whole machine of music was pumping along — thrusting violins, powerful brass, ringing bells, and banging cannons — the experience was exciting enough to make your heart burst right out of your chest. Talk about pops on the green! Well before the song was over, people were standing, clapping and whistling with delight.

But it wasn’t just the spectacle of the show nor was it simply the community spirit that made this event something participants will want every summer. The quality of the performance, enhanced by the charm and skill of Jackson as music director-cum-emcee, was tops. The Bangor Symphony had uncommon energy and spunk, particularly the brass, percussion and woodwind sections which aren’t always in the forefront of the music played during the regular season.

There was something special, too, about seeing the musicians in their sunglasses and short sleeves, with the hefty wind blowing the corners of their scores that made the performance seem more personal and celebratory. The music was easy, the parking was close, the price was right (free), and the sound was good (thanks to sound engineer Gary Massey of Klondike Sound Portland).

The other joint effort of the pops concert was with the sponsors of Eastern Maine Health Care, Husson, Bangor Savings Bank and Irving Oil. This is the second summer event — the first was a production of Shakespeare on the waterfront — that local businesses have rallied to present this year, and in doing so have shored up the place of the arts in Bangor’s summer cultural scene.