Bremerton Symphony Association Director Elizabeth Stoyanovich is finishing up her third year at the helm, and she’s planning a spectacular end to what has been a very good season.

“Fortunes and Finales” will feature one of the largest symphonic works in the classical canon, “Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff. The piece requires the combined forces of the symphony, the symphony’s Concert Chorale and two additional choirs: the Tahoma Boys’ and Girls’ Choir and Cora Voce Choir, both from Tacoma. In total, close to 200 bodies will fill the stage at the Bremerton Performing Arts Center. Tech crews have had to stretch the stage to its full capacity to fit them all in.

“I wanted to pick a barn burner,” Stoyanovich said. “I wanted to go out in a big fashion.”

“Carmina Burana” consists of three movements, bookended by “O Fortuna,” probably one of the most recognizable pieces of classical music ever composed.

If the name doesn’t ring a bell, perhaps you’ve heard bits of it in movies such as “Lord of the Rings,” “Natural Born Killers” or “Titanic,” just to name a few.

Ozzy Osbourne and The Flaming Lips have been known to open live shows with it, and World Wrestling Entertainment uses it in promo videos.

It’s also a popular music sample, used by artists such as Ministry in “No W,” Apoptygma Berserk in “Love Never Dies” and KMFDM in “Leibslied.”

Still doesn’t ring a bell? You’ll recognize it when you hear it. The strident chorus, staccato strings and booming timpani are second only to Wagner’s “Die Walküre” in imparting a spine-tingling, hair-raising sense of impending doom. It’s big, big music.

“Carmina Burana” was written in the 1930s by German composer Orff as WWII loomed on the horizon, and became the most famous piece of music to come out of Nazi Germany. In spite of that dubious honor, it was embraced by the classical music world, and has even been performed in Israel.

In her Director’s notes Stoyanovich writes, “Fate. Humans make choices each and every day, hundreds and hundreds of choices. We wrestle over these, worry them out, discuss them and when that decision is finally made we believe it is our best effort given the time and circumstances. But, is there something else controlling our destiny beyond our own choices? That is exactly what one of the most famous compositions of the twentieth century is all about. . . It starts and ends with the most famous selection ‘O Fortuna’ which speaks of fate as being a capricious wheel whirling around our lives.”

Stoyanovich is giving audience members a chance to settle into their seats before launching into the epic number. Opening the afternoon concert will be Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante with soloists Steven Bryant on violin and Gwen Franz on viola.

Stoyanovich said this past year has been a good one for the organization, with growth on all fronts.

The office staff has grown to nine, Concert Chorale Director LeeAnne Campos rebuilt the choir from scratch, up to 60 members, the youth orchestra is up and running and attendance continues to climb. When Stoyanovich started revamping the organization three years ago attendance was at around 400 per concert, she said. Now they average 800, with room for 400 more in the largest auditorium in the county.

“I’m a builder,” she said.

Her goal for next season: “I would like to see the chairs filled. We provide a very high class of entertainment, both intellectually and emotionally, and we want everyone to come on down.”

She added, “The programs are hand-designed for the people in our area.”

If that growth happens she also has another item on her wish list — space.

“We’re still looking for our own space,” she said, both for rehearsing and performing. “We’ve been begging and borrowing for 63 years.”

Stoyanovich will give a brief preview of the 2006-2007 season at the 1:30 p.m. pre-concert chat. Chances are it will contain more than a few surprises.

“Fortunes and Finales” will be performed 2 p.m. May 7 at the Bremerton High School Performing Arts Center, 1500 13th St., Bremerton.

Tickets are $22 adults and seniors, $10 youth, available at (360) 373-1722, online at www.bremertonsymphony.org and at the door beginning one hour before curtain.