literature

The night of the concert

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Literature Text

The stage was set, the musicians prepared
It seemed nothing could go wrong
The conductor came onstage and bowed,
And started the band's first song.

At first it seemed that all was well
'Til they reached measure twenty eight
When the trumpets made their entrance
Off key, and a measure late

They were quick to recover
And did, by measure thirty one
But the saxes were a beat ahead
The damage had been done

The flutes rushed ahead a bar,
Thinking they were the ones behind
The percussion section slowed it down,
Following their own time

The conductor frantically waved his baton
Until he lost his grip.
It sailed upwards, then hit a light
Which slowly began to slip

The stage light fell into a tuba's horn
The tuba player, thinking fast
Sent it flying a safe distance away
With one almighty blast

The rogue piece of equipment, billowing smoke
Landed near the back curtain
The band thought that the danger had passed
But the audience was much less certain

The conductor used his spare baton
And the band continued to play
But then the curtain erupted in flames
To everyone's horror and dismay

The oboist was the first to react
Running out into the hall
Instruments were forgotten in their owners' hands
Left to slip through their fingers and fall

The auditorium rang with the tortured sounds
Of mangled silver and dented brass
The flute section panicked and ran off the stage
Straight into the fearful mass

The poor conductor stared at the scene
And groaned, "why me, why me?
Just five more years 'til retirement
Then at last, I will be free."

The oboist came running back then
A fire extinguisher in hand
She aimed at the base of the flames and sprayed
Until she'd emptied the can

The danger had passed, but the concert was done
The audience had already fled
Half the instruments lay ruined, on the stage
Their conductor just shook his head

With a look of despair, he turned around
And left the massive room
The oboist picked up her oboe...
And finished playing the tune.

Her tone was perfect, her timing spot on
Though the audience had left in fear
She finished playing that one song
For the empty room to hear.
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