Just a little something to make you smile today: The Chicago Sinfonietta came together to play Leroy Anderson’s Plink, Plank, Plunk!, where many of the musicians pluck string instruments. How cool is that? I really love the sound, and it’s such a pick-me-up.
P.S. Made me laugh, and kids in conversation.
(Via Kottke.)
153 COMMENTS
this just made my day, 100%. thank you for sharing
Plink, Plank, Plunk! – 1951 – by Leroy Anderson. Very nicely done.
The timpanist outside in the street! I can’t help but wonder if he has a partner at home in a video call, or children napping or trying to do schoolwork, and they booted him out with the drums.
Bravo! Outstanding.
How delightful! So lovely to see people dressed up in black tie
This was so fun!
Thank you for this post! Art is so clearly an essential human need and videos like this most definitely brighten the spirit!
that was fantastic! In France so many musicians do that, I love their generosity, we so need them! lots of poetry reading on instagram aswell (check Lou Doillon, every day at 5pm french time).
That was a joyful respite from the week! And funny, our wedding violinist (from 7 years ago!) is one of the violinists in this group. Didn’t know til I saw her name pop up. Small world. :) Thank you for sharing. <3
OHH, Leroy Anderson had some of the greatest happiest music EVER. (And not just for Christmas.) Love this! Thanks for sharing!
Oh man, I was an orchestra musician growing up the way other people are, like, on varsity soccer or whatever. I’m not a professional now, but many of my close friends are, and I still play in non-professional ensembles.
My best friend and I had a running joke about Plink Plank Plunk growing up, because we *hated* playing it! I did a quadruple-take when I saw this on CoJ. Surely nobody else knew of this torture! (I’m crying laughing.)
Ha! Totally relate to being an orchestra musician growing up and that being like being on varsity soccer. Great description! That backstage life…
when I first saw the title I thought this would be an exercise plank challenge! glad to see it is cool music instead :)
Very cool! Thank you for sharing xoxo
Ha! That was the most randomly interesting thing I’ve seen in a while. I enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing.
The lady doing her lipstick though! ;) Adding this video to today’s kiddo music class. Thank you!
My head was hopping back and forth while listening to that. Ha
Great share!
Thank you for sharing this. It made my feet dance :O)
Just played it during our home-schooling morning session. Kids didn’t bat and eye-lid (must be used to the…interesting… playlist I have compiled for home-schooling) but I totally enjoyed the experience of an orchestra coming together online to play this cute piece. Thanks!
THE LADY WITH THE BANANA HEAD. So great.
This was so fun to listen to! (And did anyone else notice the woman, in the top right corner, who shrugged, put down her instrument, and just put on some lipstick? Cracked me up!!!)
Delightful!
So enjoyed this. Thank you for sharing!
So cool! What a nice pick-me-up indeed!
The other day one of my friends posted a video of a bagpiper playing the bags on her street! It was so incredible. He played Amazing Grace and Scotland the Brave, and when he started playing STB a girl came out of nowhere and clogged along to it! Not like, in goofy way, either. She knew what she was doing!. The entire thing just made my heart burst into a million pieces.
Oh I wish you would share this!
This made my heart sing, or go plink, plank, plunk. I loved this. Thanks for making me smile and for giving me a new ear worm. So catchy!
People are truly wonderful! Thank you everyone, for making music and filling hearts with joy. Thanks for sharing this bit of sunshine, Jo :)
I love it! Thank you so much for sharing this! This is the pick me up I needed today! Your post are always right on time in my life Joanna!
Oh, thank you, this is lovely. I just played it for my 3-yr-old putting her to bed and she was so amused! :)
Loved this. I was kind of down and it picked me up. I have never seen an alto flute before!
That was a television theme song for I forget what show in the 1950s. Have not heard in many years. Thank you so much. Made me smile and cry all at once.
This was delightful and whimsical and perfect!
this is the happiest thing I’ve seen all week – thank you!
This is awesome! Thanks for sharing
That percussionist playing the triangle gave me such joy and memories of having a noticeable but small part as a percussionist in high school band and all the boredom waiting for my moment followed by intense pressure to hit that part in exactly the right spot!
Thank you. That made my day!
Thank you! What a delight.
Thanks for posting – we need to support the arts now more than ever!
The sound is called “pizzicato”- it sort of sounds just like the plucked string! One of my favorite words.
if you like leroy anderson (the composer), my dad is in a band (but not a cool band, like a concert band) and they’ve been playing “the typewriter” for years (see link of another group playing here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2LJ1i7222c). and i loved it as a kid because my dad was the guy playing the typewriter!
(which is referenced at the end during the credits!)
Yes! I showed this video to my husband last night and immediately after, had to show him “the typewriter” so he would get the joke at the end!
Well, that was fun!
A lot of professional orchestras are coming together to create videos like this for their audience during quarantine. It is really important to support these arts organizations during this time! Many of them are furloughed until they can get back in the concert hall. I sub sometimes with the NY Phil, and they have been really active in putting out videos like these. Their first, a shortened version of Bolero, is really heart warming https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3UW218_zPo
@Christina H I mean, wow, – that was glorious! Thank you! Each individual with so much talent coming to the whole to create together was spectacular here. Each instrument was so much more individually audible. I will be watching their channel more – what a treasure. Now got to rewatch Mozart in the Jungle haha
Loved!
Can’t help but remember Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7o7BrlbaDs
And his great Tedtalk about it’s conception, here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NENlXsW4pM
Hahaha, the triangle player! I was waiting the whoooole time for her to do something
This is great! Feeling so down today, this made me smile. Sharing!
Wow, I started watching this and it put a huge smile on my face. I played this piece with the symphony I was in during college! It was so fun to see these players’ beautiful and funny personalities (and the dog! the best:). As the video ended I was overwhelmed by a flood of grief and gratitude. Grief for the loss of these experiences—there is no feeling like sharing in the making of beautiful music in concert, it is truly euphoric and invigorating and addictive. I miss it so much right now that this is making my welled-up eyes spill over. And gratitude for the adventure of finding new ways forward, for music that is sweet and fun, and for all those musicians in their homes, in concert black. Especially the tuxedos :)
I loved this!