Planned Spontaneity

When is spontaneity really spontaneous?

I am puzzling about spontaneity following my experiences yesterday.

I sang in a "flash mob" hallelujah chorus at the Kelvingrove in Glasgow. It was a fantastic experience - the acoustics in the hall were superb and the organ must be one of the grandest in all Scotland.

But was it spontaneous as there was careful planning. The organist knew he was finishing the daily recital with this particular piece of Handel. The programme was published. Many local choirs had been emailed and the word spread virally on the web. And people like me travelled by cycle, train and underground with a total journey time of over an hour to be there. Nothing spontaneous then?

But it felt spontaneous. There had been no rehearsal. (so perhaps we were a bit out of time/tune!) It was a fun and rewarding thing to be part of. I suppose that I'll have to wait for the inevitable you-tube video to see how it actually sounded!

But there was also something yesterday that was completely spontaneous. In the evening I went to an excellent pantomime at the macrobert. (Snow White and the seven De Wharffs) In one of the big scenes "Prince Charming Darling" is lying dead in the arms of Snow White after having bitten the poisoned apple ( It is panto so the traditional story gets amended ) and she is wailing along the lines "Oh my beloved is dead - what shall I do".

At this point of dramatic tension a wee boy in the audience shouts out helpfully "He's dead - get over it!"

She carried on bravely and sang her song but that sort of true spontaneity perhaps she could have done without!!!!