Opening Act

At the large Thai Cultural Center auditorium, the twenty or so German musicians who make up the visiting Bach Orchestra of the Leipzig Gewandhaus took their places on stage. All but the harpsichordist were standing.

As the conductor signaled he was ready to begin, I readied myself for the opening notes. But instead of the Brandenburg Concertos, what came our way was a local tune, the song that honors the royal family here.

I should have expected it—like the playing of the national anthem before a sporting event in the U.S., this tradition is common in Thailand. Furthermore, this concert was put on in honor of the king’s sister, who had been a patron of classical music in the country before she died earlier this year.

Partly because it caught me off guard, and partly because the instruments weren’t the ones that usually play this song, it took me a second to recognize it. And then another second to figure out that I too should be standing. But it took no time at all to know that this rendition of it was the most beautiful I’d heard.

The cellos and double bass gave it a weight that made it extra respectful. You didn’t have to be Thai to feel your chest puff out or your eyes get a little moist. The Bach that followed was nice too, but I went home thinking that the highlight of the evening was the opening act.