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What’s the sound of one ear bleeding?
To celebrate Slovenia ratifying the EU constitution yesterday, I dug up an old mp3 from last May. It features Austrian and Slovenian brass bands performing the European anthem together at the border. (Specifically, between the border towns of Gornja Radgona and Bad Radkersburg.)
The European anthem, if you don’t know, is an extract from the fourth movement of Beethoven’s 9th symphony, and was officially adopted by the EU in 1985. The occasion of this particular performance was Slovenia’s entry into the European Union on May 1, 2004.
The mp3 is here. (1.4 MB Right click, save as…)
Some important reminders:
1) Yes, they’re adults.
2) Yes, the audience could probably sue Austria and Slovenia for violating the Geneva Conventions.
3) Yes, they’d probably win.
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So that’s what it sounds like when a train derails. Hope there weren’t any casualties.
Hi, great blog! (but you know it: this is official by now)
This post reminds me of when I went to Prague in ‘98. The police band decided to play the European Anthem, but they were not very good. On top of that, a particular tuba was out of tune, out of beat and generally disoriented: a genuinely embarrassing moment, I felt pity looking at the band’s faces…
(By the way, three cheers for Slovenia.)
So much for Slovenian-Austrian harmony.
An intriguing piece of performance, I must say. I take it is a very accurate musical impression of how the EU is like. ;-D
I don’t know whether listening or laughing hurts more.
Sujatin: I’ve heard it a few times, and I still cringe around the 30-second mark. I don’t know why the conductor lets it continue.
Dr. Kruegell: I had the exact same thought. It’s almost too symbolic.
Loxias: *cheers*
This version, I believe, is truly representative of the EU. Symbolic, indeed. Towards an ever more disharmonious union.
Why on earth would anyone want to celebrate the EU constitution?
This constitution sets in stone what we in western Europe have known for years. The EU is a large moneywasting bureaucracy led by UNELECTED politicians (the commission). Now the undemocratic way in which the EU operates will be set in stone and can virtually not be altered.
I compare this EU constitution to the foundation of the 4th reich, it’s the same as the 3rd reich, only the tanks, camps and racebaiting are missing. The undemocratic government however is not missing, the moneywasting bureaucracy is not missing and the expansionist policy (gobbling up more and more countries). I admit, the EU is not a violent government, but it IS an undemocratic one, a bureaucratic one and a moneywasting one. Worse than that, you are giving up your national autonomy on making decisions because in THEORY the commission can make laws that overrule anything your national parliament decides, and you have no power to alter that.
I mourn for the democratic people in Europe, be prepared to open up your wallets and hand more and more money over to Brussels, we in western Europe have been forced to do this for years.
The punchline to that joke is the applause at the end. Splendid!
What Marcel said
Well this is what usually happens when the bands have different scores, and believe me this isnt so impossible, experienced it many times, while we were guests in italy. They gave scores to 4 bands, the same day, and the scores were not the same… professionality of the organisers …
Though this was obviously an effect of wrong scores and spending time at the bar instead of practicing the new score, amazing…