‘Fantastic’ night at the Abilene Civic Center this Saturday Modern Music

‘Fantastic’ night at the Abilene Civic Center this Saturday

Written by Leah Gillies on April 2, 2011 – 8:17 pm

Members of a chorus comprised of students from all three local univiersities rehearse under Abilene Philharmonic conductor David Itkin on Tuesday night.

Abilene Philharmonic conductor David Itkin rehearses with a chorus comprised of members from all three local universities on Tuesday night.

The chorus will perform with the Abilene Philharmonic on Saturday night at the Abilene Civic Center.

Abilene Philharmonic conductor David Itkin rehearses with a chorus comprised of members from all three local universities on Tuesday night.

Photos by Greg Kendall-Ball/Reporter-News Abilene Philharmonic conductor David Itkin rehearses with a chorus comprised of members from all three local universities on Tuesday night.

Sometimes, more is more. More, as in 150 choral singers and 80 musicians playing simultaneously. More, as in a double piano attack. More, as in singers from all three of Abilene’s universities.

Set to engulf the Abilene Civic Center Saturday night, the Abilene Philharmonic’s presentation of “Fantastic Epics” will deliver all that and — ahem — more.

The program includes two pieces: Igor Stravinsky’s “Symphony of Psalms” and Hector Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique.”

The Stravinsky piece will feature the Philharmonic orchestra along with the Abilene Christian, Hardin-Simmons and McMurry choirs.

Even 80 years after its writing, “Symphony of Psalms” has a strange power all its own, with an unconventional set on instrumental flourishes and vocal harmonies.

Philharmonic conductor David Itkin describes it as “atmospheric,” “mystical,” and above all, “fantastic.”

“It’s a very spiritual piece, and it connects with the audience in an unusual way,” Itkin said.

This is not the first time the university choirs have joined forces with the Philharmonic. In 2009, the three choir programs tackled Beethoven’s immortal “Ninth Symphony.”

When Itkin and the university choir directors recently began kicking around the idea of another collaboration, Itkin initially proposed a different piece. It was more of a “big blockbuster,” McMurry University choral director David Wallis said.

But when the choir directors countered with “Symphony of Psalms,” Itkin was more than pleased to get the ball rolling.

Then it became a matter of pushing choir students to master the difficult material. The university directors — Wallis, Sean Pullen at ACU and Clell E. Wright at Hardin-Simmons — had their work cut out for them.

The symphony packs in wild leaps between notes, off-kilter accent patterns and any number of other tics that could throw choir students out of their comfort zones.

“Stravinsky uses the voice, not as a voice, but as a member of the orchestra family,” Wallis said.

So within five weeks, the three university choirs collaborated at three joint rehearsals, then split off to fine-tune elements on their own. Getting everyone in the same room was a feat in and of itself, but Wallis says it boosted his students’ confidence.

“There was a terrific energy, and everyone walked away thinking, ‘Yeah, this will be fun,’” Wallis said.

The difficult music made for some awkward moments for his students, Wallis said, but performing with the other choirs made it easier.

Not to be outdone in terms of scale, Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique” features five stormy instrumental movements, each portraying a surreal dream or vision. Itkin says an expanded percussion section will bring some extra “oomph” to the performance.

So while earplugs probably aren’t necessary, Saturday night’s performances should showcase just how big classical music can get.

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