Audience Member's Phone Rings During Pianissimo Passage, Receives Standing Ovation From Orchestra

An audience member's mobile phone rang during the softest passage in Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun at Thursday's concert, producing a marimba ringtone that was, by coincidence, in the same key as the music and briefly fooled several audience members into thinking it was intentional. The phone, belonging to retired accountant Geoffrey Airplane-Mode, began ringing during a passage marked ppp (pianississimo) in which the orchestra was producing approximately the same volume as a whispered conversation. The marimba ringtone, tuned to E major, overlaid the Debussy's E major tonality with what one critic described as 'an accidentally delightful textural addition.' 'For about four bars, it worked,' said flautist Sarah Keying, who plays the opening solo. 'The marimba was in key, the rhythm was compatible, and I genuinely thought the conductor had introduced an unusual orchestration. Then it played the same four notes again and I realized it was a phone.' The audience member fumbled with his phone for approximately twelve seconds before silencing it, during which time the orchestra continued playing around the intrusion with what Maestro Fortissimo described as 'professional stoicism and a certain dark amusement.' At the end of the piece, as the audience applauded, several members of the woodwind section were observed giving Airplane-Mode a brief, ironic standing ovation from the stage. 'It was the best phone interruption I've ever experienced,' said principal clarinetist Amanda Keys. 'In tune and on time. That's more than I can say for some guest soloists.' Airplane-Mode, who was 'absolutely mortified,' has since purchased a purpose-built concert phone pouch and reports that he now turns his phone off 'in the car park, forty minutes before the music starts, just to be safe.'