Apart from Somtow’s orchestra, the performance will also include musicians, celebrities and ordinary Thais. The clip will later be shown in movie theatres and on television.
On his Facebook posting on Tuesday, Somtow said:
“This coming Saturday, I will conduct members of the Siam Philharmonic, Siam Sinfonietta, and a large choir plus the entire community of those gathered in Sanam Luang in what I hope will be a beautiful and inspiring performance of the Royal Anthem, dedicated with love, reverence and hope to the memory of Thailand’s great monarch King Rama IX.
“This is a project Initiated by HSH Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol with the approval of HRH Princess Sirindhorn to create an inspiring film of the anthem at this time where there is an outpouring of communal grief and love, that will be shown in theatres and on television.
“All are invited to the Sanam Luang area on Saturday to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. The filming will begin at 1pm but if you would like to be involved please be there a few hours beforehand.”
After news of the filming spread on social media, there were rumours that the event would be postponed. The composer later confirmed on Facebook that the filming would take place on Saturday.
“I want to apologise for the many variant bulletins that have gone out today. We are trying to organise a very major event at very short notice with great logistical complexity and there have been some miscommunications, as well as some social-media viral posts that were not all confirmed, but Saturday is definitely the date agreed upon by all sides as of now.”
Somtow confirmed to The Nation yesterday that the event will go ahead on Saturday.
All are invited to join the project and sing the anthem along with celebrities and actors, including Lieutenant Colonel Wanchana Sawasdee, Ann Thongprasom, Sushar Manaying, Nicole Theriault and actors from GDH 559 Films Company.
Filming will begin at 1pm.