Boombox Christmas Choir Hits Cities
I thought this phenomenon ended with the advent of Walkmen, but I guess not. On Saturday 13 December, the annual Unsilent Night happening will flood the streets from New York to San Francisco, as thousands of festive folks saunter through city centres, hoisting vintage boombox cassette players on their shoulders and playing an ethereal sound sculpture of chants and bells. This magical musical parade has been running since 1992, when composer Phil Kline had the idea of turning his boombox orchestra – several played at once – into a mobile phenomenon. The central concept was to provide participants with a choice of four cassettes, getting everyone to press “play†at the exact moment before they amble off, enveloped in their alternative Christmas carol soundtrack. It’s a free event, open to all – preferably armed with boomboxes, but increasingly brandishing simple smartphones with a dedicated app.
