It is rare when 150 vocalists, 50 band members and 33 dancers collaborate for one performance, however, this weekend such a feat will occur.

Under the direction of Joe Christensen, Robert Molison and Valerie Williams, the Iowa State Singers, ISU Oratorio Choir, ISU Wind Ensemble, Co’Motion Dance Theater and a group of ISU dancers will take the stage for a performance of Carl Orff’s famous cantata, “Carmina Burana.”

“Molison, Williams and I had been talking about the potential of doing [‘Carmina Burana’] for about a year because of the love for the work all of us had,” Christensen, director of the ISU Wind Ensemble, said.

While the three directors had a desire to do the cantata because they enjoyed it, they also predicted it would be a pleasurable and educational experience for students.

“We wanted them to feel the collaboration,” Christensen said. “We knew they would really like doing it.”

According to Christensen, when students began working on the production they developed such an interest in the composer and the music that the music department decided to purchase a CD-Rom of the cantata. Since the purchase, the cantata has been shown in the Music Hall Recital Hall twice.

Written in 1936, “Carmina Burana” has appealed to student and teacher musicians in many different areas of the music industry.

Though it has been played in recital halls and theaters, it has also earned spots in commercials and movies.

“It has been seen the last four to five years in many movies,” Molison, director of Iowa State Singers and Oratorio Choir, said.

According to Molison, “Carmina Burana” has such a widespread appeal because of its fundamental theme of “mankind caught in the hands of fate.”

“[Carmina Burana] is a very universal piece,” he said.

The cantata includes a series of scenes based around three subjects most people can relate to: “Spring,” “In the Tavern” and “The Court of Love,” Molison said.

The cantata begins and ends with a piece called “Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi,” which translates to “Fortune: Empress of the World.”

“The symbol of the work is a gambling wheel,” Molison said. “Enjoy life today ’cause you’re not going to be able to control it.”

The words and the music in the piece have great significance although, according to Molison, so does the dancing.

“The composer’s conception of the piece was a visual conception,” Molison said.

Williams, Co’Motion Dance Theater director, was given the task to make “Carmina Burana” the visual piece Orff originally envisioned.

Before Williams could begin choreographing the piece, she had to talk with Molison and Christensen about the direction of the piece and how it should be physically positioned.

In addition, Williams had to spend a lot of time listening to the music, reading about the composer and reading the text.

“After all those things were taken care of, then I could start,” Williams said.

The 33 dancers for whom Williams choreographed dances were taken from three pools of Ames dancers: Co’Motion Dance Theater, Kids’ Co’Motion and a group of ISU student dancers.

Members of Kids’ Co’Motion dance are used in the “Spring” section of the cantata to represent the innocence of springtime. The college students and the Co’Motion dancers will perform in “In the Tavern” and “The Court of Love.”

Williams said there are different groups of people performing in all 15 songs to represent different aspects of the performance.

“I think not just about what the audience is going to see movement wise, but what the audience is going to see as a whole,” Williams said.

In addition to the “Carmina Burana” performance, the ISU Wind Ensemble will perform “Slava” by Leonard Bernstein, “Finale” from Symphony No.3 by Gustav Mahler, “Propagula” by Rober Linn and “Wedding Dance” by Jacqus Press.

“Carmina Burana” will be performed at Stephens Auditorium at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for children and senior citizens, and can be purchased through the Iowa State Center Box Office and at all TicketMaster outlets.