Around 150 musicians put on an impromptu performance in The Hague's central station this morning. The flashmob orchestra played the Mambo from Bernstein's West Side Story (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US8S-FqkI1o) on the day that the Dutch parliament begins its debate over plans to close the Netherlands Broadcasting Music Centre. If the proposal is voted through, it would mean the disbanding of the country's three radio orchestras – the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic and the Metropole Orchestra.

Before the debate began, a delegation of musicians presented a petition on behalf of 100,000 of their supporters to the Permanent Committee of Culture. High-profile figures in the world of classical music, including conductors Bernard Haitink and Claudio Abbado, have called on the government to reconsider their plans.

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