Orchestra to join forces with Four Voices

The Eastern Symphony Orchestra will be performing with the Four Voices, a jazz vocal quartet, during “Stagestruck” at 4 p.m. on Sunday in the Dvorak Concert Hall of the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

The Eastern Symphony Orchestra will be playing compositions such as “An American in Paris” by George Gershwin and “Overture to Candide” by Leonard Bernstein.

The Four Voices includes members Allan Horney, a retired Eastern trombone professor; Thomas Birkner, the director of instrumental music at Belleville West High School; Craig Lindvahl, an Educator and documentary filmmaker from Effingham; and Joe Wolfe, a teacher and arranger.

Horney said they are an American vocal group that focuses on American pieces.

“We will be doing a set of popular American tunes made famous by the Four Freshmen,” Horney said.

The quartet is heavily influenced by music from the1950s-1970s.

“We pattern ourselves after groups like Four Freshmen and the Hi-Lo’s, which were two very important American male vocal groups in the 50s through the 70s,” Horney said.

Horney said the orchestra will accompany the group on some of their tunes like “Walkin’ my Baby Back Home.”

“This will be the first time that we have ever been accompanied by a symphony orchestra,” Horney said.

Horney said he is looking forward to see the crowds reaction to their music.

“We are always excited to perform for a large audience and share with them the music that we think is great American music,” Horney said.

Horney said a vocal group and a symphony orchestra is not something that is often seen at Eastern.

“We are especially excited to be performing with the symphony orchestra,” Horney said. “We think it’ll be something really unique, especially for us and the audience.”

Horney said the performance will also give a different experience to the members of the symphony orchestra.

“We hope this will be a interesting and fun experience for the orchestra because it is not something that is very typical,” Horney said. “Orchestras don’t get the opportunity to do this, to this kind of music and we hope it will be fun for them because it is almost like playing a show, not a concert.”

“We are excited to present this great music and we look forward to entertaining our audience, and we hope it will bring back some great memories,” Horney said.

Horney said he cannot wait to spread the American music.

Tickets are $5 for students, $12 for general admission, $10 for Eastern employees and audience members more than 62 years of age.

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].