Flash Mob

It has been a number of years now since a movement referred to as Flash Mob became popular.  These events involve artistic performances of orchestra and/or choral, or dance in an unexpected moment and public place, such as a municipal square, transit/train station, even a retail indoor mall.  The whole idea is to provide an artistic event in a location where people gather, and time no one would expect.  One of the more popular flash mobs occurred in Spain, which you can see here.  An orchestra played one of the most famous pieces of music ever composed.  Watching the over two decade old movie "Titanic" the other night, it occurred to me that perhaps the first unintended flash mob was on that ship, in the most dire of, say mob, circumstances. Scenes portrayed in the movie, and most likely during the actual sinking itself, is indicative of a mob scene as many people tried to get on what life boats remained.

Titanic

The movie portrays a small orchestra of four men playing as the ship sinks.  Instead of playing inside, they take a position on one of the exterior decks.  At one point, after  bidding farewell to each other, they start to depart, but the group leader who is now standing alone amid the chaos starts playing "Nearer my God to Thee" on his violin.  Hearing this, the other three come back and join him.  As one would expect with a sinking ship, there is mainly chaos, with mob rule being paramount as the crew is overwhelmed, too few life boats, and survivor instinct kicking in which leads to selfishness.  The musicians stand as perhaps one of two events that brought about some order to the otherwise chaotic events that occurred that night in mid-April in the dark of the North Atlantic.

The historical record seems to indicate that a small orchestra actually did play as the ship was sinking. What is in dispute is whether or not "Nearer my God to Thee" was the last song played, as portrayed in the movie.  And, if it was played, which of the three versions was played.  Cameron, like the much earlier 1958 movie on Titanic, used the British, Anglican, version.  The orchestra leader was a devout Methodist, and it is argued that if the hymn was played it would have been the Methodist version.  Most witnesses agree that they hymn was played, but what is in dispute is if it was the last tune played.  What the witnesses would not know is what the final hymn was.  Perhaps this, or another tune was played as the witnesses oared away from the ship.  One would have to say that the haunting melody of "Nearer my God to Thee" is a fitting song for the movie regardless of whether or not it was the last song played as the ship made its way under the dark mass of the waters of the Atlantic. 

Titanic Orchestra

While the passengers and crew of the Titanic hurried about with little knowledge of the actual situation to this "unsinkable" ship, I see one other facet of order to the otherwise chaotic mob scene on the doomed vessel.  In the movie scene, as the ship is going down a priest can be seen above a good number of passengers hanging on as the tilt is occurring and leading the group in prayer.  Several eyewitness accounts of those sufficiently lucky to board the last of the life boats, say this man was Fr. Thomas Byles who was and adult convert to Catholicism.  Fr. Byles stood atop a loop of rope or cargo box to be seen as he led the group which, according to eyewitness account, were members of varied faiths: Catholics, Protestants and Jews in prayer.  Fr. Byles had, on Sunday, April 14, the day the ship hit the iceberg, said mass for those in second and again for those in third class.  His body was never recovered.  Byles was on his way to the United States to officiate at the wedding of his brother, William.  The Sunday Anglican service, was held in First Class and led by the Captain.

Fr. Thomas Byles

Events such as Titanic reach into the human mind, due to the chaos and hubris it represents. Yet, in the midst of the mob, these two events show a civilizing effect for the many passengers who were doomed to die of exposure in the waters of the North Atlantic.  Flash Mobs are meant to encourage and lift the human spirit.  The first flash mob, and a praying Fr. Byles did that for some folks on the RMS Titanic, even though they knew their fate.