World's Longest Concert Still Going

US composer, John Cage, was an avant-garde artist whose magnum opus, As Slow as Possible, was written in 1985.  The first performance lasted a half-hour, while a later performance lasted 71 minutes. But ,the Medieval church in Halberstadt is testing the strength of the work -- and the patience of the audience -- by stretching it out a bit longer. 

By 639 years!

This week, the chord was changed on the massive organ and the piece moved forward for the sixth time in the last eight years... but not by much.  The last piece of the performanceis scheduled for 2639.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008