Chance music at the Victoria Concert Hall

A few hours ago, I saw a live demonstration of »aleatoric music ("chance music") at the Victoria Concert Hall. The conductor invited a kid from the audience to throw a few giant dice. The orchestra played a few bars of melodies according to the number on the dice, varying the last two bars after a second round of throws by the kid.

The demonstration was intended as an introduction to Americ Goh's Overture 31.05.09, which in turn was an opening ("overture") to Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D Minor and Rach's Symphony No. 2 in E Minor. I like very much the idea of a composition dedicated to this particular day (31 May 2009), for this particular audience (a motley assortment of jeans-clad teenagers and one annoying woman who insistently let her cellphone ring twice, perhaps as a contribution to the democratic work), with neither the day nor the particularity of the audience ever to repeat again.

Highly commendable efforts by »a community orchestra, particularly one in Singapore. I encourage everyone to see them at their next performance in September, for less than the price of a CD. Don't go for fancy audience or packaging; go to see real people in the community making music. (Expect old and young, locals and Japanese - and oh, a Bulgarian as well.)