You know what a flash mob is, right? When seemingly random people spontaneously break out into song and/or dance in crowded public places?
(from Pearl FM’s facebook page)
Apparently a full orchestra can do this.
I had my doubts when called up Thursday afternoon about participating in one of these on Saturday morning in San Antonio. We’ll have our instruments…won’t that seem obvious? Are we memorizing the music? Is it going to be super cheesy? (surprisingly not/no/cheese is good)
The group was made up of San Antonio Symphony members, students, teachers, and other area freelancers like me. The plan was to run through the William Tell Overture a couple times at 9am at Trinity University. After that we would all gradually head over to the popular farmers’ market at Pearl Brewery and were told to wander around ignoring each other. At 11am, the english horn player would start playing her solo; we were beginning at the middle of the overture.
rehearsing outside Trinity (photo by Tara – full set)
Anyway, I don’t think any of us had any idea how successful it would be, but you can watch for yourself!
(here‘s a bigger version…and another version!)
Isn’t that little girl the greatest? She’s the daughter of the conductor and didn’t actually know beforehand that this was happening. The also cute littler boy is her brother.
I’m not sure if a flash mob has ever occurred in San Antonio(?), so hopefully there will be more. It was a fun experience that I would totally be into doing again! A few people that I talked to after didn’t seem to even know SA had a symphony.
By the way, I did buy something at the farmers’ market while walking around being a normal person: butternut squash! Stay tuned…
bake me away! 
That is so much better than a dancing mob! The girl in the yellow dress in funny!
What fun! Wish I could have been there to hear it in person!
Ha @ the percussionist and his shorts and hat.
This is awesome! Flash mobs are cool, and having brash players who can actually play is cooler! Sweet sweetness.
That’s awesome! It must have been so much fun! :D So cool to be part of something like that! Also very jealous of your weather!
(do you really call it English Horn? We say it in french!)
Here is the Scottish version – a bit colder and more pompous (also more staged but I think security at Glasgow Airport probably necessitated this!)
Fewer Glaswegians need sheet music, I see. Indeed, perhaps a bit more pompous.
Fewer notes, I know:)
This is really cool. What fun!
Greg – Orchestra and dancing mob in one!
Paula – I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed one, so it was fun to be a participant.
Emma – Blending in with the crowd!
Laura – SMUT should do one of these sometime! Much easier to hide a uke. :) Yeah, English horn is all sorts of wrong, but that’s what most people here say (and the brass horn is commonly called a French horn, but a lot, including me, just call them horns). I do know some who say cor anglais. :)
That’s awesome! haha, the conductor at the beginning… I think they’re putting together a video more like that for ours which will hopefully catch more of the vibe of the place and the people watching.
Emma – The show-offs!
Kim – It was!
Yeah we say French Horn and cor anglais! Haha – don’t really know why!
Might have to try a SMUT version at some point :D Would make a difference from weddings! x
Can’t wait to see the finished video ! (I’ve already watched the above one 3 times :D)
How cool! I wanted to wait to post until I was able to actually watch the video…looks like it was way fun. :D I’ve never experienced a flash mob personally, but i think it would be pretty neat. Love the little girl galloping around…because I know that’s exactly what I’d want to do for that song. ^_^
Laura – probably because you guys know the translation for anglais is not English? :) You should have a SMUT version at the roller derby! I’ll let you know if/when there’s another video. Have you found me? :)
Mary – Flash mobs walk a fine line between cheesy and awesome, and some are both. :) Lone Ranger!
thanks for supporting your local market, I love ours in Lansdale. Have a great week. May spontaneous music emerge!