`CARMINA BURANA' BEYOND A DREAM

As a high school percussionist captivated by Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana," John Egbert never imagined he one day would conduct the electrifying choral work.

"It's not even a dream come true," Egbert said of the upcoming concert. "I never would have even dreamed that I would get to do this."

Southeast Missouri State University's Choral Union, Choir and Orchestra -- in all 225 musicians -- will perform "Carmina Burana" at 8 p.m. Tuesday in Academic Auditorium. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for children and seniors, and free with a university ID.

Egbert is hardly alone in his enthusiasm about performing "Carmina Burana."

"It's exciting," says Choral Union member Dina Strickert of Jackson. "It think it's the magnitude of it."

Indeed, those 150 singers and 75 instrumentalists will occupy about one-fourth of the auditorium itself, requiring the removal of the first 10 rows of seats.

In addition, the orchestra has been augmented with four extra percussionists and two pianists.

The word "primal" often is used to describe Orff's music. Born in 1895, he was reacting to the complexity of the Romantic, Wagnerian music that preceded him.

Orff employed a technique of repeated rhythmic patterns -- called "ostinato" -- and nearly turned his simple melodies into chants, Egbert says.

"Basically, he believed in the power of fundamental, rudimentary music," Egbert adds.

In all, the one-hour composition consists of 24 different choruses, with the first repeated at the end.

The text in Germanicized Latin and ancient German dialects is derived from a collection of some 200 poems dating to the 13th century. They were discovered a century and a half ago in a Bavarian monastery.

"Carmina Burana" means "songs of Beuern," the name of the monastery.

Orff selected about two dozen of the poems, grouping them into four sections: "In Springtime," "On the Lawn," "In the Tavern" and "Court of Love."

In some translations, a few of the poems are quite earthy. "Some people who are prudish would say this is almost pornographic," Egbert said. "On the other hand, if you read other translations of it it's not nearly as seedy."

Some unoffensive notes on the text will be included in the program. But Egbert says it's the music that has such a dramatic impact on people, including the singers who began weekly rehearsals back in January.

"People were just blown away," he said. "People who had been singing with us for years were just overwhelmed."

The Chorale Union, which consists both of community members and university students, has grown by about 30 singers thanks to interest in Carmina Burana.

The soloists will be baritone Jonathan Stewart, a Southeast alumnus who is director of music at Centenary Methodist Church; tenor Christopher Goeke, an assistant professor of music at Southeast; and soprano Cary Nall, who will graduate from the university this year.

If Egbert never dreamed of conducting "Carmina Burana" before, he does now.

"It's been one of those all-absorbing experiences for me," he said.