The Chorus Missing From the Credits

Sound producer Irena recorded a local choir for a documentary about factory workers. The singers were paid a small fee, and the agreement covered the film and its promotion. A year later, Irena heard their final chord in an advertisement for a luxury apartment complex. The old factory had been demolished to make room for those apartments.

The production company had sold a package of unused sounds to recover editing costs. Its manager insisted that the chord contained no recognisable words and lasted only seconds. Irena listened again. She could identify the choir director's deep voice immediately, although she knew most listeners could not. The question was not merely whether strangers would recognise the singers.

At rehearsal, the choir argued about what to do. Some welcomed the unexpected exposure; others hated the connection with a development that had displaced former workers. They eventually asked for the advertisement to stop using the recording until a separate agreement existed. Irena supported the request and admitted that she had failed to check how unused material would be handled.

The advertiser replaced the chord rather than negotiate with thirty people. There was no dramatic apology, and the choir received no further payment. Nevertheless, its next recording contract described permitted uses more carefully. Irena also arranged a public screening of the original documentary, with every singer named in the programme. When the final chord filled the hall, several people applauded too early. For once, nobody involved in the recording minded the interruption.