BOSTON `CELTIC'; THE GRAMMY-LESS POPS ORCHESTRA AND CONDUCTOR KEITH LOCKHART HOPE TO TURN THINGS AROUND WITH CLASSICAL CROSSOVER DISC.

Byline: Fred Shuster Daily News Music Writer

This year's Grammy Award nominations provide several firsts - a new category for best classical crossover album and the first nod for the Boston Pops Orchestra and its conductor, Keith Lockhart.

Lockhart, only the 20th conductor of the orchestra since its inception in 1885, led the Boston Pops in the recording of its nominated disc, ``The Celtic Album'' (RCA Victor), a collection of traditional and contemporary Celtic music, featuring ``Riverdance'' fiddler Eileen Ivers and the Irish-American musical ensemble Cherish the Ladies.

``The album is crossover in its truest sense,'' Lockhart explained. ``It takes you from the core of the symphonic repertoire through movie music through Celtic folk music and the obligatory `Riverdance' segment through Celtic rock.''

Closing the disc, which also features ``The Hebrides'' by Felix Mendelssohn, is a medley of reels, including one by Irish pop star Van Morrison.

``We wanted to do something unique to the Boston Pops rather than do a rehash,'' the conductor said. ``This crossover bird is a strange one indeed.''

In 1996, Lockhart and the Boston Pops signed a four-year, six-album contract with RCA, the orchestra's original label for which conductor Arthur Fiedler made countless popular recordings. ``The Celtic Album'' is the third disc in the series.

Surprisingly, considering the long history of the Pops on TV and on tour, the orchestra has never won the record academy's highest honor, even with the world-renowned Fiedler and later John Williams (the composer of ``Star Wars'' and numerous film scores) at the helm.

``We would like to be the first to bring one back to Boston,'' Lockhart, 39, said Tuesday.

The concept for the Celtic effort came from RCA executives.

``They gave us a lot of latitude,'' Lockhart said, adding that he and the orchestra's artistic administrator Dennis Alves ``sat in a closed room and listened to CD after CD and score after score to come up with something that resembled an album.''

The work paid off. Along with the Grammy nod, the album has lingered in Billboard's Top Classical Crossover chart for nearly a full year.

The New York-born Lockhart, who was last year appointed music director of the Utah Symphony, plans to attend the Grammy ceremony Feb. 24 at the Shrine Auditorium.

``It's a big thrill, and the hoopla and hype is what it's all about,'' he said. ``This is, of course, my first nomination. That in itself makes this a very special occasion no matter what happens. It's wonderful to have one's work and the work of the Boston Pops recognized.''

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Photo: Conductor Keith Lockhart: ``It's a big thrill, and the hoopla and hype is what it's all about.''