Orchestral musician Daniel Trodden shares his most poignant career moment as part of the Musician Behind the Moment campaign.
“Whilst performing [Ravel’s] Bolero in a concert given for Audi factory workers in Beijing, the audience began to clap along.
“What started as a couple of enthusiastic punters expressing themselves to the hypnotic ostinati of Ravel’s classic soon spread like wildfire, and before we knew it the whole concert hall was clapping along in time, like a crowd at a rock gig or football match.
“One man in the choir stalls got up out of his seat and appeared to be having what can only be described as an out of body experience.
“At first, we thought he might be a security threat but, after a few bars of principal trombone Donal Bannister’s silky solo, it became evident that this man was simply overcome with emotion and needed to express it physically.
“Witnessing the physical and emotional response that music can provoke was a real eye opener and heart warmer. To feel and see a reaction from the audience during a performance was a totally new experience for me, as usually in classical concerts the audience reserve their applause and whistles until after the music has finished.”
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