If you’ve ever wanted to be part of an orchestra but can’t read music and don’t know your trumpet from your flugelhorn, you can still be part of the band when audience members become performers in Unsilent Night. The 45-minute experimental/electronic piece was written in 1992 by composer and sound artist Phil Kline, who was looking for a way to mix public art and Christmas caroling. That first event was in New York with a few dozen people (mostly Kline’s friends), each armed with a boombox that was loaded with one of four tracks. At his signal, everyone hit play and, boomboxes blaring, began a short march through Greenwich Village. Unsilent Night has now played out in 99 cities including London; McAllen, Texas; Hong Kong; Tokyo; and, of course, Houston. These days, lots of people have replaced the cassette tapes and boomboxes with mp3 downloads and smartphones. You can have your choice of the two when Unsilent Night takes over the Sabine to Bagby Promenade.
Folks start to gather at 6 p.m. and the procession starts at 7 p.m. Sabine to Bagby Promenade, 150 Sabine. For information, visit unsilentnight.com. Free.
Thu., Dec. 11, 6 p.m., 2014
This article appears in Dec 11-17, 2014.
