Four choruses, 135 singers, three conductors, one maestro and three of the most beautiful choral works ever written.

How does William Wright, chorusmaster of Lancaster Symphony Chorus, pull together so many voices for the symphony's upcoming "Choral Fantasy" weekend?

It's a matter of faith.

"We've faced challenges like this before, and we've always come out with an impressive product at the end," Wright said in a telephone interview.

The specifics of that challenge: Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis"; Bach's Motet No. 3, "Jesu, Meine Freude"; and Beethoven's "Choral Fantasy," which also requires the services of guest pianist Pavel Nersessian. All will be performed next weekend, Friday through Sunday, Nov. 13-15, at Fulton Opera House in downtown Lancaster.

The key, Wright said, is to be patient and pay attention to the technical details, especially because four different choral groups have been practicing on their own for the concert since Labor Day and will come together only a few days before the performance.

"As long as everyone is communicating about what's going on in their individual rehearsals, everything should work out," he said. "And when they finally do unite as one chorus, then the only challenge that remains is making sure everyone is blending."

Wright, along with Millersville University Chorale conductor Tobin Sparfeld, Elizabethtown College Concert Choir conductor Matthew Fritz and LSO maestro Stephen Gunzenhauser, is hard at work coordinating the efforts of the Millersville, Elizabethtown and Franklin & Marshall college choirs with the 50-member community chorus he oversees.

Wright, who also directs the choral programs at F&M, has been working with Sparfeld and Fritz to blend the choirs virtually, communicating with Gunzenhauser for clarification on score markings, tempos and interpretation. He's been working hard on pronunciation, as the "Choral Fantasy" will be sung in Beethoven's native German.

The choirs will have their first joint rehearsal Tuesday, Nov. 10.

"There are plenty of challenges in pulling off this concert. I mean, even if we were only working with one choral group, the music is still incredibly complex," Wright said.

But still, he said, the concert features beautiful music by some of the area's top singers.

"Many people say that hearing a really gorgeous piece of music can be a life-changing experience. If there are any compositions out there that have the power to change people's lives, then it would have to be the three pieces we're performing in this concert."

Lancaster Symphony Orchestra's choral weekend premieres at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, with performances at 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15, at Fulton Opera House, 12 N. Prince St. For ticket information, visit lancastersymphony.org.