Holiday nights will be made exuberant with the Mitchell Center’s musical event, “Unsilent Night,” on Thursday at Buffalo Bayou Park.
The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts and the Buffalo Bayou Partnership will sponsor the 25th annual interactive event that involves participants playing tracks simultaneously on boomboxes, music players and speakers.
“Every player is a part of it,” says Pia Agrawal, program director for the Mitchell Center. “The audience really is a part of the show.”
The event debuted in the winter of 1992 when composer Phil Kline composed a multi-track electronic piece, written specifically to be heard outdoors in December.
“The participants create a sort of sound sculpture with the music,” Agrawal said.
The free event takes the form of a street promenade where participants act as the artists. “Unsilent Night” is part of the international event that has appeared in 101 cities worldwide.
A reception at 6 p.m. at The Water Works at Buffalo Bayou precedes the promenade in full swing at 7 p.m. Food and drinks will be available, and there will be a costume contest for the most “lit” holiday outfit.
The center expects about 300 participants, but Agrawal said that potentially frigid temperatures could hamper the gathering. It is not a ticketed event, but you can RSVP here.