Crowd Sourced Chorus
Inspired by a crowd of 38,000 singing at a British football match 20 years ago, New York composer David Lang wrote a piece called “Crowd Out,” designed to be performed by 1,000 amateur musicians. Lang based the verses on computer search engine auto-completions, by typing in the words “When I’m in a crowd, I …” Each sentence begins with the word “I.” Lang explained that he is also interested in the Internet’s virtual “crowds” and how millions of individuals are now free to share endless information about themselves and others. The music premiered in London this summer, followed by performances in Birmingham and Berlin, each involving 1,000 local amateurs.
