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“Enjoy this piano as it is a present!” When Elton John performed a short medley of his popular songs on the concourse of St Pancras railway station in 2016, he took a moment to write a message on the instrument and announced that he was donating it to the station. Little did he know the impact this act would have.
Over the years, the black Yamaha piano with the singer’s message and autograph has been played by numerous individuals at the central London station. This includes famous personalities such as Jools Holland, John Legend, Tom Odell, and Jeff Goldblum.
On Monday it was the turn of Alicia Keys to tinkle the now slightly battered ivories, in front of a small crowd of bemused passengers freshly discharged from the Eurostar. Rod Stewart, too, was there last week – though he shunned Elton’s piano in favour of an 11-piece band including his own baby grand, played by Holland.
If you are looking to promote your album (like Stewart and Keys), the best place to be seen is not Wembley, but between Mac Cosmetics and Accessorize at the bottom of the lift to St Pancras platforms 1-4. You can expect to create viral social media content from this location.
However, this is only beneficial when the piano is not monopolized by award-winning musicians. The St. Pancras piano, or rather two pianos, were originally meant to be played by regular individuals for their own pleasure and that of those around them.
Earlier this week, as the station was getting busy for the day, Anastasios Pagonidis, a 19-year-old from Greece who is partially blind and currently homeless, sat down to play. He mentioned to the Guardian that he comes to the station every day because he doesn’t have access to a piano where he stays.
As Pagonidis skillfully played a variety of traditional Greek songs and original pieces, some passersby stopped to listen. Others slowed down to take a quick look and express their approval with a smile.
Pagonidis has been practicing piano since he was nine years old. When asked about the significance of the instrument to him, he replied, “It represents who I am.” While he was speaking, a woman with two heavy bags hurried over and asked, “Can you tell me where the elevator is?”
Then it was Joseph Smith’s turn, who could have chosen a career in music, but instead ended up developing software for the Guardian. In his free time, Smith plays piano for a choir of homeless individuals known as the Choir with No Name. He mentioned, “I try to fit in as much music as I can alongside my job.”
Smith began playing the first notes of John’s Tiny Dancer as Wendy and John Gornall, visiting London from their home in Preston for a pre-Christmas vacation, stopped to listen. Wendy commented that having a piano in a public area “definitely enhances the atmosphere” and added that it was “amazing to hear someone with such talent – you can’t help but be in awe of them.”
It is possible that the popular street piano trend originated from a discarded instrument in Sheffield during the early 2000s. However, it gained widespread attention in 2008 when artist Luke Jerram placed used pianos throughout Britain, inviting the public to play them with the message: “play me, I’m yours.”
Numerous have emerged in the UK and beyond, serving as inspiration for the popular Channel 4 show The Piano in the beginning of this year. This led to Chinese concert pianist Lang Lang, who is a judge on the show, giving his own performance at St Pancras (similar to Stewart, he brought his own instrument).
Upon returning to the main area, Smith had transitioned to playing White Christmas, resulting in joyous expressions and catching the attention of additional bystanders. Hannah Gault, who was en route to a carol concert in Liverpool, expressed that the sound of the piano brings happiness to all who hear it. She had intentionally factored in extra time for her travels to ensure she could appreciate the station’s pianos.
She stated, “It doesn’t matter to me what is being played as long as someone is playing the piano. It brightens my day.”
On the opposite side of the station’s concourse, there was another piano that was not as fancy as the first, located between the Paul Express cafe and some escalators. A 10-year-old named Heidi Arieh was playing a gentle version of “I Dreamed a Dream” while her proud mother, Leonora, filmed her. The mother-daughter duo, who were from York, were on their way to Paris and were delighted by the fact that numerous renowned musicians had also played at the station.
Leonora expressed amazement at the fact, as she believes that people leave behind energies wherever they go. She mentioned that her daughter has never received formal lessons and instead plays by ear, which brings her great happiness.
She was interrupted by a heavily intoxicated man with an uncapped bottle of red wine, who politely asked for a turn. This prompted the mother and daughter to depart. Elton John never had to deal with such interruptions.
Source: theguardian.com
