Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Flash mobs done right.

I just like how it slowly grows until it is a full orchestra and the joy reflected in the face of the people who suddenly realize that they are witnessing a seemingly spontaneous performance.

Click here to see source on YouTube.

37 comments:

  1. Sally in MI2:39 AM

    We did one of these locally a couple years ago, with Handel's "Messiah." We completely filled the Barnes and Noble and sang "Hallelujah." It was really fun!

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  2. Anonymous2:58 AM

    WOW! Uplifting. Thanx

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  3. Very nice! This is also a lovely orchestral flash mob: http://tinyurl.com/bpy5ejj
    The Copenhagen Philharmonic performing Ravel's Bolero.

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  4. Leland4:22 AM

    Mankind is capable of so MANY beautiful things and of such soaring spirit! It's too bad the thing he does best is DESTROY!!!!!!!!
    I LOVED the way they started this - with the little girl putting coins in the hat. Brilliant!

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  5. Kimosabe4:28 AM

    And alas, Beethoven never heard it.

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    1. Anonymous4:12 PM

      Oh but he did...inside his head! :)

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  6. Anonymous5:03 AM

    One night I took my teenage son to a symphony concert where this was the final piece in a lengthy program. I was amused when I saw that amid a full symphony orchestra and massed choirs all belting out Beethoven, Junior was sound asleep.

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  7. Anonymous5:16 AM

    That is joy!

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  8. That was a great way to start the day. We do a shim sham flash mob now and then in Juneau...not nearly so professional but a lot of fun anyway.

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  9. Anonymous5:49 AM

    I thought it was so beautiful. And the little children watching, so entranced. After a couple of very stressful days, it brought tears to my eyes - tears of joy for all mankind. Thank you for posting this, Gryphen.
    Beaglemom

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  10. Anonymous6:00 AM

    Ode to Joy..... Indeed!

    Great start to my day. Thanks Mr. G!

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  11. Anonymous6:07 AM

    Thanks for posting Gryphen! Joyful Joyful we adore thee is one of my favorites.

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  12. Anonymous6:18 AM

    This was sponsored and orchestrated by a bank. In poor Spain of all places. It is a giant commercial. Did you know that? If not, they sucked you into their corporate image PR.

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    Replies
    1. Judicious editing at it's best.

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    2. Anonymous8:09 AM

      I just enjoyed the music. Pure enjoyment.

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    3. MototCity Begonia8:25 AM

      A commercial or not, it was fantastic! There are commercials that are worth watching and this is definitely one of them. Another I pull up occasionally is a T-mobile flash mob done in the Liverpool subway system - so fun!

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    4. Anonymous10:37 AM

      Yes, I knew that, Debby Downer. What is wrong with a bank using some of their money to bring people joy and support the arts by funneling badly needed money to choirs and orchestras? It does nothing to negate the joy we see these people experience, both the performers and those watching.

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    5. I was disappointed to see it was a bank commercial. The music is good either way, but I felt duped into thinking it was some sort of independent spontaneous concert that the musicians did because they wanted to "spread the joy" when in fact they were no doubt being paid, and actually, it's quite likely that all the audience were being paid too, because why would an advertising agency spend a ton of money on musicians and risk having an audience that was less than adorable? I'm afraid this is emblematic of the propaganda that prevails in our 1984/2012 world.

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  13. dlbvet6:36 AM

    Wow...that totally made me cry. Thank you so much for posting this link. I am in awe of the beauty. I'm sitting here this morning watching the smoke creep over the ridge to the east from a growing fire about 20 miles away as the crow flies. Here in southeastern Wyoming we're surrounded by beetle killed timber and dry dry sagebrush.
    Very scary.
    But your link and this most awesome of expressions of sharing, joy and passion for life left me with a little hope this morning.
    Thank you.

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    Replies
    1. MototCity Begonia8:26 AM

      I lived through a few scary fire seasons in so. California. My prayers are with you, your family and community, dlbvet.

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    2. Anonymous2:55 PM

      Stay safe. My thoughts, too, are with you.

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  14. Great lipsynching. Fingersynching.

    These "performances" have now become commonplace around the world, often staged in multi-level malls. (Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?) Just remember, they're not live.

    But still most enjoyable.

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    1. Anonymous12:56 PM

      Well, I don't know about that - the musicians and audience looked pretty alive to me. What is your definition of "not alive"?

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    2. How about: the sound is pre-recorded, the performers pretend to play and sing, and the audience is paid to be there and act. (Remember Milli Vanilli?)

      If you can't tell that from looking at the video, Madison Avenue loves you. LOVES YOU!!!

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  15. MototCity Begonia8:22 AM

    This was wonderful - thank you! What a treat to start my daily blog reading. Again, thanks!

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  16. Maizen Blue9:16 AM

    My favorite part was seeing the little ones give themselves completely over to the soaring music. To dance from pure happiness, without a trace of self-consciousness ... what bliss!

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  17. Anonymous9:20 AM

    At work tediously creating maps for a deadline and running on no sleep. That was more effective than the gallon of coffee I have on board. I'm just going to hit replay every 15 min and I just might make it through the day. Thanks G!

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  18. Anonymous11:39 AM

    I wept.

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  19. Anonymous1:05 PM

    Ab-so-lute-ly loved it!!! Thank you so much for posting this Gryphen.

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  20. Randall1:33 PM

    Thank you, Gryph.

    That was unexpected and just wonderful.

    Thanx again,

    Randall

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  21. Anonymous2:58 PM

    These kind of flashmob videos always make me laugh and cry at the same time.

    I loved the kids conducting along with the orchestra and the expression of pure joy (appropriately enough!) on the face of the man in the green shirt at 4:10.

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  22. Anonymous3:29 PM

    For those of you who are turned off by the fact that this was an event set up by a bank and that the musicians and singers were likely paid for the performance, just remember:

    Michaelangelo was paid to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
    Mozart was paid to compose "The Marriage of Figaro".
    Mikhail Baryshnikov was paid to dance "The Prodigal Son".
    Laurence Olivier was paid to perform "Hamlet".

    That the artists were paid in no way diminished the value of their work, nor does it diminish the enjoyment people get from experiencing it, even hundreds of years later.

    Enjoy this video for the beauty of the music and the joy that it brings the audience.

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    1. Anonymous5:31 AM

      Amen to that. The video was just lovely. The music was beautiful and the interest shown by the people listening, adults and children alike, was awe inspiring. Just lovely.

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  23. physicsmom3:45 PM

    I LOVE flash mobs, and this was one of the best I've seen. Thanks Gryphen!

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  24. Anita Winecooler6:08 PM

    I always appreciate flashmob videos, they bring out the best in people, especially the young ones. I don't mind at all the commercial aspect of this particular one, the emotions it brings out in all those who were present is genuine.

    Thanks again!

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  25. For all you people who "don't care" that this was a deliberately fraudulent video, just because it milks your emotions, here's why you should care:

    Our entire consumer, industrial society is destroying the planet. Advertising like this exact video is carefully designed to manipulate the public so that we don't see it.

    This is reality, this is what the banks - and the other multi-national corporations - want to distract you from seeing:

    http://witsendnj.blogspot.com/2012/07/wasteland.html

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  26. Anonymous8:20 AM

    I'm such a wuss, I actually got a little choked up, ugh! Thanks for posting this, it was great!

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