A dozen men are seated in a semicircle, identically dressed in long-sleeved, loose-fitting white robes, red fez hats with black tassels and pointed, openheeled slippers of yellow leather. Some have violins or violas balanced vertically on their knees, others have lutes; one plays a goblet drum resting on his left thigh, another a tambourine; the lead singer has no instrument. They begin with an instrumental prelude with no discernible rhythm, seeming to feel their way forward through the melody. When the drum enters, the orchestra seizes the steady beat and launches into a substantial overture. The musicians are all playing the same melody, but ornamenting it in slightly different ways, giving a rich, complex texture. After this introduction they become a chorus as well as an orchestra, with the players singing in unison; the leader sings along and occasionally leaps up an octave or a fifth so that his voice pierces through the choral and instrumental background. They perform a sequence of songs, each with a similar structure, all in the same rhythm and melodic mode so that they fit together almost seamlessly. Suddenly there is a break for a solo improvisation on different instruments, after which the leader sings a highly ornamented solo, climbing so high that his voice seems in danger of cracking with the strain. The group then launches into another series of songs, the rhythm getting gradually faster, with the final one ending amid applause and ululations from the audience.