By O’Dell Isaac

Lovers of music – and of the Halloween season – can treat themselves to several haunting musical offerings at the “Things That Go Bump” concert, a guided sojourn through the underworld by the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs.

Held at the Ent Center for the Arts, the concert will feature a broad range of “spooky-themed music,” from baroque to classical to film music, according to Jacob Pope, the orchestra’s executive director.

“We’ll be spanning a couple of centuries with a variety of styles,” Pope said. “As far as scheduling, the Halloween weekend was available to us, so we decided to lean into it and go spooky.”

The musical selections will include at least two pieces with ethereal backstories, Pope said.

“The Devil’s Trill,” an 18th-century sonata by Italian composer Giuseppe Tartini, was the result of a vivid dream in which the Devil played an intensely haunting piece, according to journals and letters from Tartini.

“The music was so fantastic that when he woke up, he wanted to try to re-create it,” Pope said.

Similarly, the inspiration for “Conga-Line in Hell” came when composer Miguel del Águila, imagined “an endless line of dead people dancing through the fires of hell,” according to his writing.

Perhaps the most familiar piece on the concert schedule is Bernard Herrmann’s “Suite for Strings,” from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 classic, “Psycho.” Even people who have never seen the film can pick out the screeching violin notes that accompany the famous shower scene.

“It’s instantly recognized as the music from a well-known horror scene,” Pope said.

The Friday concert begins at 8 p.m., which Pope said is a little later than normal.

“We wanted to give folks some time to walk around their neighborhoods and do some trick-or-treating before the show if they want,” he said.

Before each concert, attendees will have the opportunity to meet orchestra musicians in the Ent Center lobby.

“If anyone wants to come and try to make a sound on a violin, or flute or French horn, we’ll have musicians with instruments for people to try out and make some noise, and see what happens,” Pope said.

Typically, a youngster will only have one opportunity, for a couple of hours, to show off their Halloween costume. The “Things That Go Bump” concert offers a chance to extend the spooky festivities a while longer. There will be a costume contest each day, with prizes for the best-dressed, Pope said.

“This will be a truly family-oriented activity,” Pope said. “It’s an option for people who want to celebrate Halloween in a different way, or just for folks who want to get out of the house and listen to good music. We’re really excited about this one.”

IF YOU GO

What: “Things That Go Bump” concert, Chamber Orchestra of the Springs

When: 8 p.m. Friday; 2:30 p.m. Sunday

Where: Ent Center for the Arts, 5225 N. Nevada Ave.

Price: $17.75 – $40.50, tickets.entcenterforthearts.org