SOUND OF MUSIC

The UNT Symphony Orchestra will provide the soaring soundtrack to some of football’s greatest plays

By Hy Cotten

Thursday, September 9, 2010 - 1:13pm

The University of North Texas Symphony Orchestra has played for many esteemed audiences over its 72-year history. But it’s unlikely the renowned ensemble of 90 musicians has ever performed before a larger crowd than it will see for XLV Countdown Live From Cowboys Stadium.

The concert, presented by Frito-Lay on September 10, will even include the orchestra joining country star Tim McGraw for a part of his big show.

Earlier in the evening, the orchestra will also perform seven pieces commissioned by NFL Films to accompany tributes on the huge scoreboards, highlighting the Dallas Cowboys’ 50-year history and Emmitt Smith’s August induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Tickets are on sale at ticketmaster.com.

Bill Lively, President & CEO of the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee, grew up in this world of clarinets and oboes and bassoons and violins and drummers and more. Lively is a UNT graduate who has served on the University’s Board of Visitors and has been honored as a Distinguished Alumnus.

He’s extremely enthused about UNT’s participation.

“We selected them because they are one of the finest university symphony orchestras in the entire country,” Lively said. “They will play this music beautifully, and they’ll have a great experience doing it.”

Clay Couturiaux, Assistant Director of Orchestral Studies, will conduct that night. Dr. James C. Scott, Dean of the UNT College of Music, calls his symphony’s participation an honor.

“I’ve been here since 2001,” Dr. Scott said, “and I’ve heard about various performances in the years before I came, and I cannot imagine an occasion in which we have played in front of as many people as 
we will at Cowboys Stadium.”

The evening is also an opportunity to share classical music with a crowd that may lean more toward McGraw’s country flavor.

“I think it should be a good chance for people to discover what we as an orchestra provide,” Dr. Scott said, “and also for people to hear music that they’re not used to
hearing. We’ll be playing music composed 
specifically for the NFL to go with these videos that everyone will be watching.

“What will be interesting for us to discover is the extent to which people will be taking in the live performance while watching the videos. The two are linked very well, but we’re hoping the live performance aspect 
of it, rather than something that would just be a soundtrack, will give a heightened 
presence.”

The overhead scoreboards will be lowered, which should further heighten the entire scene. UNT’s orchestra will receive the scores later this summer and go about perfecting them.

It just so happens that one of the composers of NFL Films’ music visited the North Texas campus a year ago to see about having one of his works transcribed into publishable notation. So, UNT’s College of Music had already been introduced to NFL Films long before this upcoming collaboration.

“I understand from Bill Lively that the sound system will be excellent,” Dr. Scott said. “I think it will be an exciting time 
for us.”

And for the crowd.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be asked,” Dr. Scott said. “There are a number of professional orchestras and university orchestras in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. We like very much to feel that we are a part of the community, and being asked to participate in this way is a wonderful confirmation of that notion.

“I told Bill it’s a nice stroke of good fortune that, because of the multi-city aspect of things, it is the North Texas Super Bowl and we happen to be the University of North Texas. So there’s a nice connection there.”