With a little help from my friends: NSO, Sloan's Chris Murphy perform Beatles album

They may not be the original Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, but the all-star ensemble of musicians performing the iconic album in its entirety hopepeople enjoy the special tribute show.

For its major fundraiser this year, the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra (NSO) has teamed up with Toronto's Art of Time Ensemble and will take the stage at theArts and Culture Centre in St. John's Friday evening.

"[The audience will] walk away with a very, very special experience with music that they know a lot of them grew up with this music but with this special arrangements, special flavour ... a lot of magic," said Marc David, the NSO's music director and principal conductor.

Art of Time has brought in singers to help bring the album to life, including Sloan's Chris Murphy.

"[Art of Time] pride themselves on putting together events where you have fusion between pop culture and high art," Davidsaid.

"They've had arrangements made of this music, wonderful orchestral arrangements, that highlight different sections of the orchestra, so it's a real pleasure for us to work with them."

Murphy's debut with orchestra

Thursday night was the first time that the 60 NSO musicians and the Art of Time Ensemble were able to practice together. David was particularly thrilled that everyone fit on the Arts and Culture Centre stage.

Meanwhile, Murphy said he's elated to be taking part, though he's a little out of his element.

"This is the first time I've ever played with an orchestra in my life," said the Sloansinger/bassist.

"They're loud, but they're super musical. And even though I'm a musician, I don't even feel like a musician playing with these people. They're so good," Murphy added.

He'd seen the Art of Time's Sgt. Pepper show before, and was asked to sub in for a friend for this performance.

He's joined on stage by Andy Maize from the Skydiggers and Jason Plumb from the Waltons, who have both participated inArt of Time shows before.

But Murphy said he didn't want to be the only singer out of his element on stage.

"I got Mike [O'Neill of the Inbreds] to do it, because I wanted a friend to do it with me," he said.

"He and I have never done anything like this before. So it's pretty fun. But we are Beatles experts, fanatics, nerds ... so we'll know what's going on."

But the self-proclaimed expert still had some homework to do.

"I did not know all the lyrics to Good Morning Good Morningor Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!,but now I do!" he joked.

"When we were first thinking about it, I was like, 'Yeah I'll sort of be able to do this no problem, I know these songs.' But then I really started to rotoscope ... picked apart all the harmonies that the Beatles and [producer] George Martin would have figured out."

Sloan working on new album

Meanwhile, Murphy said he has some news with his other musical gig.

"Sloan's still at it. Making our must-have twelfthalbum right now," he said.

Murphy said the band hopes to be mixing the album soon, but is staying mum on anydetails.When asked for further details, all he would say is,"We're close."