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As I was wandering through central London the other day, I was surprised to hear the merry tinkling of music from the next street. This isn't normally something out of the ordinary; London is usually crammed with buskers of highly variable abilities, but they usually play something easily portable like a violin, guitar or saxophone. However, this was plainly someone playing the piano - and playing it well, to boot - so being curious I went and investigated.
Wandering round and taking a look I saw, plonked in the middle of the pavement, a brightly painted piano with a cheerful-looking man sat at it playing a jaunty honky-tonk tune. As he played, he smiled brightly at the passers-by and they in their turn smiled back. It was completely charming; just the sort of thing you want to see in the city, and so very unlike the grim-faced insularity which people usually show in these parts. It took me a moment or two to work out what was going on, and then I remembered: the Mayors office has recently bought thirty pianos, given them a quick once-over with a tuning fork and a paintbrush, and released them into the wild on the streets of London so that anyone can stop, sit down, and give the world a bit of a jingle. It's called Street Pianos, predictably enough.
For the reasons outlined above, I think it's an ace idea. If there's one thing I like it's a bit of random cheer, and scientific literature is simply crammed with studies demonstrating how music soothes the fevered brow, calms the savage beast and generally makes the world seem a jollier place to all concerned so I'm all for the London Pianos scheme.
As I stood and watched, an idea came to me and, like most of my ideas, it's brilliant. In a few weeks time the Chap Olympics rolls round again and I really have to go as I have a title to defend. however, it struck me that on the 11th of July London will be full of people rigged out in their finest and I know a number of people in my social circle will probably be amongst them.
So I propose; how about a fully costumed-up descent upon one of the London Pianos on the day of the Olympiad, possibly on the way there? We could have a singsong and a kneesup and generally make the world a better place through the medium of looking damn fine and singing a sprightly number before going on to the park for G&T and cucumber sandwiches.
Anyone interested? It really doesn't matter if you can sing - I can't, I just do it anyway. I was thinking it would be something like this:
Wandering round and taking a look I saw, plonked in the middle of the pavement, a brightly painted piano with a cheerful-looking man sat at it playing a jaunty honky-tonk tune. As he played, he smiled brightly at the passers-by and they in their turn smiled back. It was completely charming; just the sort of thing you want to see in the city, and so very unlike the grim-faced insularity which people usually show in these parts. It took me a moment or two to work out what was going on, and then I remembered: the Mayors office has recently bought thirty pianos, given them a quick once-over with a tuning fork and a paintbrush, and released them into the wild on the streets of London so that anyone can stop, sit down, and give the world a bit of a jingle. It's called Street Pianos, predictably enough.
For the reasons outlined above, I think it's an ace idea. If there's one thing I like it's a bit of random cheer, and scientific literature is simply crammed with studies demonstrating how music soothes the fevered brow, calms the savage beast and generally makes the world seem a jollier place to all concerned so I'm all for the London Pianos scheme.
As I stood and watched, an idea came to me and, like most of my ideas, it's brilliant. In a few weeks time the Chap Olympics rolls round again and I really have to go as I have a title to defend. however, it struck me that on the 11th of July London will be full of people rigged out in their finest and I know a number of people in my social circle will probably be amongst them.
So I propose; how about a fully costumed-up descent upon one of the London Pianos on the day of the Olympiad, possibly on the way there? We could have a singsong and a kneesup and generally make the world a better place through the medium of looking damn fine and singing a sprightly number before going on to the park for G&T and cucumber sandwiches.
Anyone interested? It really doesn't matter if you can sing - I can't, I just do it anyway. I was thinking it would be something like this:
