The orchestra and singer symbolically halt their performance before the end, just like motor neurone disease stops muscles functioning.
The newly-launched Fading Symphony campaign aims to raise awareness of the debilitating disease.
The video shows Australian musician, actor and comedian Tim Minchin and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra performing Neil Finn's hit Don't Dream It's Over.
It stops after a minute, but the performers come back to life and finish the song when viewers make a minimum $5 donation.
MND is a progressive terminal neurological disease with no known cure or effective treatment.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
People living with the disease progressively lose the use of their limbs and the ability to speak, swallow and breathe while their mind and senses usually remain intact.
"Our goal is to help people currently living with MND lead better, longer lives and continue to work towards finding a treatment and cure for this indiscriminate killer," said MND Australia's national Executive Director Carol Birks.
http://thefadingsymphony.com
