Today I was part of a world record! Haha, well not officially until they finalised it in a few weeks time. Me and SW joined the World's Biggest Orchestra Challenge as a triangle player. We had to break the record of 6452 set by Vancouver in 2000, by playing the assigned medley piece continuously under a conductor. If more than 4 person out of 50 stop playing, we have to repeat the piece all over.
We took courtesy public transport to Suncorp Stadium. There were musicians of all ages carrying their precious musical instruments walking towards the Stadium or taking the buses with their supportive families. We converted our tickets from audience to participants, got our special blue T-shirt saying "I am in the World's Biggest Orchestra Challenge" and collected our free instruments. IN regards of the T-shirt colour, we overhead a guy on the bus saying that the organiser got the colour wrong: It should be Maroon and not blue! (Maroon was Queensland state of origin colour, and Blue was New South Wales's, which is usually Queensland's nemesis) The event organisers were giving away free recorder, tambourines and triangle. SW wanted to play tambourine but there were only triangle left. Both of us play piano, SW could play violin too, but she said she was not up to scratch to join the violin groups.
We had lunch and took photos with local football's greats statues wearing the same T-shirt. There were school children, parents, youth, families, elderly practicing their musical instruments on the grass. It shows there is no barriers in music. We went into the stadium, and the triangle players were allocated at the corner, next to the violin and the trumpets, and below the saxophones. We practices the beat with the music scores given. There were seas of blues on the participants sections, and we were so happy that we decided to participates instead of being the few audiences across the stadium. There were pre-event shows including performance by Take 6, an acapella group that performed a cool version of How Deep is Your Love.
Finally, James Morrison, who is Australia's famous jazz trumpet player arrived leaded by a band, and driving a Segway. Mr Morrison is the artistic director of Queensland Musical Festival this year, and will be the conductor of the orchestra. First, we had a sound wave around the stadium, instead of the hand wave. Then, each music instruments were tuned accordingly. Mr Morrison introduced each orchestra instruments, where the participants played their own instruments when it is their turn. As Mr Morrison correctly said, this might be the last time we would ever heard so many people playing the same instruments. It was wonderful hearing people participate with passion and such a great tone each instruments have. The trumpets were the loudest, and the violin was be the most played instruments. We triangles, were determined not to be overlook too, even though we are a percussion!!
We rehearsed the medley piece in parts. The music starts of with an opening, "Waltzing Matilda", "Ode to Joy" and ended with "We will rock you". There were a few hiccups as expected. As the stadium was big, we had to depend on seeing the conductor's baton to follow the beat as our ears might tricked us to be slower that expected. It was difficult to see the baton from afar, but as Mr Morrison said, look at his arm which is holding the baton! The other problem was that the screen picture projection was slower than Mr Morrison's hand, hence it was decided that we were to follow the screen. Then there was the tempo issue with We will rock you where some instruments came in slower than the percussion. And of course, for us triangle, there will be always a few people that strike the triangle when we are not supposed to. Mr Morrison decided to blow the trumpet and conduct at the same time for the third song. After a few quick practice, without knowing whether we will succeed or not, we proceeded to the challenge for real.
The opening sounded great, and everyone was putting 100% of effort in it. All professional, amateur and beginner musicians were given music scores for their instruments prior to this event to practice. We got through Waltzing Matilda quite well and we were happy that for Ode of Joy the triangle had major parts at the beginning when the music were soft. It was also very helpful that there was a triangle "conductor" in front of the podium, who was a good guide, until he had a bit of minor glitch for the third song. Anyway, as the music flow through, and when one start listening to the music as a whole, the beat comes naturally and it is hard to go astray. I think the percussion were important too as a metronome that helps the others to follow the beat. When we hit the last note abruptly, we realised that we succeeded! We, 7223 passionated musicians and music lovers worked together, and broke the world record! It was a moment of excitement, joy and happiness. We were both disappointed that it ended so quick! SW thought we were just doing rehearsing run instead of the real take, and she said she was so concentrating in getting the triangle part right that she forgot to enjoy and listen to the music.
We were so glad and happy that we did this. It was up till just now that I realise this might just be the last orchestra that I had taken part in (even though it was "just" the triangle, not.), and that I might not have another opportunity again if I do not take up another instrument and be really good at it. Regardless, it was a great and rare experience to be remembered. Where would you get 7223 musicians and music lover of all ages, to gather at the same place, same time, playing music for love, for all and for a goal, and then disperse back into their own life in the next hour? As the guy we met outside the stadium said, do not think that it was too short, just continue to play your instruments and find another venue or group to have your music heard.
Long live, classical music players!
jy
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