Street Pianos

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I was playing the indoor piano in Toulouse station, waiting for a TGV and had hardly started ("Autumn Leaves", keep it local) when a guy who turned out to be a music lecturer at Liege uni unpacked his trumpet and joined in. We followed up with "I Wish You Love" and were getting going on "All The Things You Are" when the chemin-de-fer flics called a halt to the duo so we slunk away.

[Petrushka]

I was at St Pancras Station a couple of years ago when there was the most amazing recital going on. I've got no idea who it was but a large crowd had gathered by the time I got there and the pianist was greeted with a storm of applause when he finished. All the hustle and bustle of the station just completely receded into the background while this guy was playing.

Awesome.

[VodkaDilc]

I am surprised that nobody has mentioned the piano at Marylebone station. It's in good order and I have never seen or heard it being misused. I suppose the smallness of the station means that staff are always on hand to keep an eye out for vandalism (though really, darling, that sort of person simply does not use the Chiltern Line.) The piano featured in the film about Leif Ove Andsnes's Beethoven cycle last year. There seems to be a local lady who pops in to play it in the late evenings. The A Minor Two-Part Invention by Bach is one of her favourites - though her memory often comes to grief on the second page.

It's a lovely feature of a very pleasant station.

[Serial_Apologist]

I am surprised that nobody has mentioned the piano at Marylebone station. It's in good order and I have never seen or heard it being misused. I suppose the smallness of the station means that staff are always on hand to keep an eye out for vandalism (though really, darling, that sort of person simply does not use the Chiltern Line.) The piano featured in the film about Leif Ove Andsnes's Beethoven cycle last year. There seems to be a local lady who pops in to play it in the late evenings. The A Minor Two-Part Invention by Bach is one of her favourites - though her memory often comes to grief on the second page.

It's a lovely feature of a very pleasant station.

The smallness of the station probably accounts for the fact that no one had mentioned the piano! I was born and have lived more than half my life in or around London, but the one terminal station I have never ever visited is Marylebone.