It is morning as usual in Sabadell. However, the little city in Spain is going to be awakened just when the first passer-by stops and drops the money in the hat.
Street musician dressed in a black tuxedo with a white bowtie might be a regular occurrence for a concert hall, but here he is. Standing in a crowded plaza, holding his bow above double bass strings at attention.
His statue-like figure grips the attention of a little girl who slowly approaches his hat and puts some money in it. The musician comes alive and starts to play. The little girl’s eyes sparkle with curiosity.
Another musician approaches, a cellist, and sits down next to the first one. They seamlessly continue in a duet that reveals the tune they are performing. It is Ludwig van Beethoven’s last symphony called ‘Ode to Joy.’
The musicians keep showing up and joining in. They even brought the conductor, who catches the eye of a couple of young boys trying to imitate him. The singers have stopped drinking at the bar nearby and decided to join in as well. The lyrics to ‘Ode to Joy’ resonate through the Plaza Mayor Sabadell in the little town of Sabadell. Even the audience is mouthing the lyrics of Beethoven’s classic.
The orchestra, by now, comprised of a hundred musicians quiets down, calmly approaching the final expose of the timeless melody. The massive choir and orchestra continue together in this symphonic extravaganza bedazzling the audiences around them and concluding the act in a bombastic finish. The joy and exhilaration linger in the air for some time. And to think it all started with a little girl putting some money into a performer’s hat.
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