Picture the scene: you’re going about your day, picking up some things in the local shopping centre, when suddenly, out of nowhere, an entire orchestra appears playing a beautiful piece of classical music. Although it might sound like a bit of a surreal scene, this is exactly what happened at the Trinity shopping centre in Leeds back in 2016, when members of the Opera North Orchestra brought some unprecedented joy to the huge multi-level building by playing Ravel’s 1928 composition ‘Boléro’.
The way the performance was organized was particularly intriguing, in that the members of the orchestra slowly emerged from various corners of the shopping centre to join in. The rendition began, for instance, with just a snare drum playing, before gradually being joined by a flute, a harp, a cello, and a violin. At this point shoppers were beginning to take notice of the music being played, realizing that they were actually witnessing a full-scale performance from a professional orchestra.
Later, we see musicians pulling their violins out of their bags and starting to play along, and others on the shopping centre’s escalators playing the piece whilst they are transported towards the main performance area on the ground floor. These shots were certainly appreciated by the video’s viewers, many of whom commented on how clever it was for the musicians to enter into the performance in this way, whilst others remarked how joyful it must have been to see the performance in real life.
You may also like...
- Article Continues Below -
As it turns out, such ‘impromptu’ performances are a pretty regular occurrence at Trinity, with numerous other videos on Opera North’s YouTube channel showcasing many performances they have treated shoppers to over the years. Another extremely popular video shows opera singer Rafael Rojas leaving shoppers’ mouths wide open with his performance of ‘Nessun Dorma’ from Puccini’s opera ‘Turandot’, after which the singer simply strolls off into the watching crowd as though nothing had happened.
Opera North’s so-called ‘flash mobs’ have become famous amongst residents of Leeds in recent years, with the performances by Rafael Rojas and the Opera North Orchestra remaining some of the most popular and well-received. It’s little wonder that the comment sections of these videos are flooded with viewers expressing their desire to move to the city so they can experience the performances in person. If a move to Yorkshire isn’t on the cards right now, however, have no fear – there are plenty of performance videos on Opera North’s YouTube channel for you to watch and enjoy from the comfort of your own home. If you would like to experience more incredible performances, you can subscribe to Opera North’s [YouTube Channel or follow them on [Facebook].