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There’s something quite exhilarating about a flashmob. It’s not just seeing musicians — either amateur or professional — emerge from out of nowhere, but experiencing the uniting force of music.
And this was just the case with a surprise performance of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy in Nuremberg, Germany, as shared by Classic FM.
The well-known piece comes from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, first performed in 1824. The choral movement incorporates a poem by the German poet Friedrich Schiller that speaks of social and political equality, harmony, a feeling of togetherness, and faith, stating:
Brothers—above the starry heavens
There must dwell a loving father.”
While this particular flashmob is a little dated, as it is the 200-year-anniversary of the symphony’s first performance in Vienna, it seems important to share its uplifting message today.
And this particular version is worth watching again (and again) for its sheer jubilance, and of course the moving performance by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Nuremberg and the young girl who got it all started, and for the way it demonstrates so aptly the very unity spoken of in the poem itself.
Therefore, if you have a few minutes, bask in the beauty of the performance and the powerful message we all need, reminding us to embrace the joy in our lives.
And today we celebrate...