When Richard Bobo wants to remind people what a bassoon sounds like, he refers to marching broomsticks.

You know, the ones from the most iconic scene of Disney’s “Fantasia.”

“The orchestral version of ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ is a favorite among bassoonists, due to how heavily it features our instruments,” said the librarian and bassoonist for Symphony of Northwest Arkansas.

“A typical orchestra concert calls for two or maybe three bassoons, but ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ has four, all with rewarding, iconic solos. The broomsticks in general are musically represented by a boisterous bassoon trio, while the broomsticks laboriously bringing themselves back to life is represented by a fittingly macabre contrabassoon solo.”

Bobo arranged Paul Dukas’ symphonic poem for a smaller ensemble as part of a free concert series for SoNA Beyond. The next performance begins at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 23 at Springdale Public Library. Images from the iconic cartoon featuring Mickey Mouse and a wizard with a magic hat will play on a big screen in the background as SoNA Music Education Director Natalie Fernandez narrates the story based on the poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

The first performance was in October at the Fayetteville Public Library and featured SoNA orchestra members Ginny Hudson on flute/piccolo, Andrew Baker on oboe, Nophachai Cholthitchanta on clarinet, Andrew Chu on violin and Pecos Singer on cello. The performance is on YouTube.

Children and their families listened before the concert as each member of the ensemble played their instruments individually to let the kids (and grown ups) know what each sounds like, some even played their wind instruments without the reeds so that kids could laugh at the funny sounds. (My 7-year-old cackled at how a contrabassoon without a reed sounds like flatulence.)

Bobo rearranged the original version of the piece from 80 musicians to a recognizable version featuring six musicians, plus a narrator.

“Changing the instrumentation so substantially was not easy, and there were obviously bits of the original that could not be included. But there’s also a transparency that comes with smaller ensembles that enables one to hear aspects of the original that can easily get lost with an entire orchestra on stage,” he explained.

“Our ensemble includes six musicians playing a total of eight instruments: flute/piccolo, oboe, clarinet, bassoon/contrabassoon, violin, and cello. This is not a standard ensemble (in the way that a string quartet is a standard ensemble), but was chosen specifically to suit the needs of the piece.”

It’s doubtful that little listeners would know the difference when Mickey Mouse puts on the wizard’s hat and bewitches a broomstick to do his chores as he naps. As the chaos on screen builds, so does the sound of the small ensemble. It’s amazing how much chaotic sound a six-piece group can create.

“One of the joys of orchestral music is that most of what we do is appropriate for audiences of all ages,” Bobo said. “But of course, as a parent of an 18-month-old, I know that there’s a difference between a concert that’s technically open to children, and one that’s designed for them.”

The run of the concert is pretty short, and Bobo pointed out that the libraries where they are performing have space for the little ones to get up and walk around if needed.

“About halfway through the premiere, my own little one had the impulse to come up to the front and start ‘conducting’ in front of everyone,” Bobo added. “He’s not exactly technically skilled yet, but he has potential!”

Performances of SoNA Beyond: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice continue next year at 2 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Rogers Public Library; 11 a.m. March 15 at the Bentonville Public Library and 10 a.m. July 22 at the Siloam Springs Public Library.

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FAQ

SoNA Beyond: ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

WHAT — A series of family friendly concerts feature a six-member ensemble of SoNA musicians performing the iconic symphonic poem by Paul Dukas arranged by SoNA Bassoonist and Librarian Richard Bobo. Images from from Disney’s “Fantasia,” play in the background while SoNA Music Director Natalie Fernandez narrates the story.

WHEN — 10:30 a.m. Nov. 23 at Springdale Public Library; 2 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Rogers Public Library; 11 a.m. March 15 at the Bentonville Public Library and 10 a.m. July 22 at the Siloam Springs Public Library.

COST — Free

INFO — sonamusic.org/sona-beyond