The Beatles are coming to Atlanta! Well, not exactly those Beatles. The Classical Mystery Tour, a popular cover group in business since 1996, will be at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on Saturday, backed up by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
Performing Beatles hits with a symphony orchestra isn't really such a stretch. The original recordings used small orchestras or chamber groups of classical instruments, and much of what made their music so original was the orchestration.
Martin Herman, who will conduct Saturday, was originally approached by founder Jim Owen about arranging the music for the group. An Atlanta native and longtime Beatles fan who attended their 1965 concert here at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium when it was brand-new, Herman readily agreed. He suggested the arrangements should strive to be "original pieces, as written" expanded for a larger orchestra, rather than transcriptions. Both he and Owen came from classical music backgrounds, and "we recognized just how original they are and how fresh they remain, even today."
The original Beatles arrangements are "classical music, in a sense," said Herman. "I was struck by how much thought went into them, and how tasteful they are, which has made them age well, like any great music. And they feature really peculiar combinations of instruments. For example, four flutes, trumpets, and a cello on one song. This was how they produced those landmark sounds."
The group first joined forces with the ASO in 2003, for a concert at Symphony Hall that featured a variety of '60s hits before the intermission and turned into a Beatles concert after the intermission. Last year Tony Kishman, who portrays Paul McCartney in the group, returned for a solo concert of McCartney's music. On Saturday, he'll be joined by Chris Camilleri (Ringo Starr), Tom Teeley (George Harrison), and Jim Owen (John Lennon). This time the entire concert will be devoted to Beatles music, especially from the "middle period."
Each of the four bears a striking resemblance to his Beatle, and they work to replicate the band's body language and costumes as well as the sound.
But the quality that separates this group from other Beatles tribute groups is the use of the orchestra. There's a string quartet and acoustic guitar for "Yesterday" and trumpets for "Penny Lane," and "Got to Get You Into My Life" features two tenor saxophones and three trumpets. In "Eleanor Rigby," the singers never use their instruments at all: It was written entirely for the orchestra. The song that benefits most from the full treatment may be Harrison's "Something."
The 50th anniversary of their commerical breakthrough and the success of "The Beatles Anthology" and "The Beatles 1" albums have generated new interest in the Beatles. Saturday's concert, in Verizon's family-friendly setting, is an opportunity to introduce new generations to their music with the energy that only a live concert can bring.
Concert Preview
James L. Paulk. 8 p.m. July 21. $15-$35. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, 2200 Encore Parkway, Alpharetta. 800-745-3000, www.vzamp.com.
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