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The Radio 3 Boards > The Music Boards > The Concert Hall > Music in Unexpected Places
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Author Topic: Music in Unexpected Places  (Read 143 times)
thompson1780
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« on: 23:49:40, 09-11-2008 »
I was in Euston Square Underground Station the other day.  It wasn't rush hour, so not massively noisy.  Which meant that I could just about hear the strains of Rimsky's 'Scheherezade'.  As it was the end bit with the violin solo, I thought it may be a busker with a Music Minus One.  But no, I wandered round the station and it was at its loudest when I was under a speaker.

It was a very fine recording too.  Meant I stood there gawping like an idiot whilst various travellers wandered past me.

Didn't expect that at all.  Have you had any pleasant musical surprises?

Tommo
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oliver sudden
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« Reply #1 on: 09:53:18, 10-11-2008 »
I think I've told this one before...

In March 2006 we had a gig in Brussels and instead of catching the train with the group to go back to Köln first thing in the morning I caught the last train in the evening so I could see Brussels a bit and go mouthpiece shopping.

On the Brussels-Ličge leg there was an old chap with a violin case who at one point took it out and started fiddling away. Oh dear, I thought first of all, but in fact it was really haunting and gorgeous and there was no passing the hat round, just playing for the amusement of his fellow travellers. Most of whom made disgruntled faces at being disturbed, of course. When he'd finished he shut up his violin and wandered out into the bit between the carriages (I can never make myself call it a vestibule...). I wandered out there as well to say merci pour la musique, leaving my suitcase in the rack but bringing my clarinets with me for safety. When he saw my clarinets he insisted we both play something, and scurried back into the carriage to haul out his violin before I could say "thanks all the same, but...". So he struck up again and I tootled along as best I could. Not the public debut I'd expected for my lovely new B40 but a lot of fun all the same.
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martle
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« Reply #2 on: 10:07:22, 10-11-2008 »
I have a busking story too. Some years ago I was in the New York City subway system - I think it was at Columbus Circle. In one of the quite large interchange areas a scratch band had started busking. Steel drums, a sax, a trumpet and some percussion. The usual, I thought; until I got closer to them and realised something rather wonderful was happening. Not only were they really, really good players, but some sort of chemistry was taking place between them, and they were just taking the music up and up, ever more elaborate and inspired. By then, a large crowd had gathered and everyone was whooping. I stayed listening for about 15 minutes, during which time at least three other musicians had arrived and joined in.

Then some security guys arrived and broke the thing up.  Angry
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Ruby2
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« Reply #3 on: 10:34:38, 10-11-2008 »
Quote from: thompson1780 on 23:49:40, 09-11-2008
I was in Euston Square Underground Station the other day.  It wasn't rush hour, so not massively noisy.  Which meant that I could just about hear the strains of Rimsky's 'Scheherezade'.  As it was the end bit with the violin solo, I thought it may be a busker with a Music Minus One.  But no, I wandered round the station and it was at its loudest when I was under a speaker.

It was a very fine recording too.  Meant I stood there gawping like an idiot whilst various travellers wandered past me.

Didn't expect that at all.  Have you had any pleasant musical surprises?

Tommo
That initiative was on the news a while ago wasn't it?  They were trying it out to see if it improves behaviour.  Smiley
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thompson1780
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« Reply #4 on: 10:46:11, 10-11-2008 »
Rubes,

It certainly does improve behaviour as I stood still for ages without needing Miss Whiplash to tell me to do so...  Roll Eyes

I think two things are required to make the initiative work.  A) turn up the volume so you can actually hear it enough that you cannot ignore it, and B) more space to stand and listen so you don't get in other people's way.

Tommo
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Made by Thompson & son, at the Violin & c. the West end of St. Paul's Churchyard, LONDON
Ruby2
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« Reply #5 on: 10:59:35, 10-11-2008 »
Quote from: thompson1780 on 10:46:11, 10-11-2008
Rubes,

It certainly does improve behaviour as I stood still for ages without needing Miss Whiplash to tell me to do so...  Roll Eyes
Well that's a first then.  Grin
Quote from: thompson1780 on 10:46:11, 10-11-2008
I think two things are required to make the initiative work.  A) turn up the volume so you can actually hear it enough that you cannot ignore it, and B) more space to stand and listen so you don't get in other people's way.

Tommo
They could probably do something about A) although B) might be a little trickier.  Maybe they could conduct a survey of people's musical preferences at the ticket barriers and only let people in who will appreciate the current selection.  There are plenty of different routes round the tube system - people will just have to allow extra time or expand their tastes.

The trouble with Scheherezade is that I only need to hear a little extract of it for it to be stuck in my head for DAYS.  Don't get me wrong, I love it, but it's covered in barbs.  Cheesy
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IgnorantRockFan
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« Reply #6 on: 11:21:04, 10-11-2008 »
Quote from: Ruby2 on 10:59:35, 10-11-2008
There are plenty of different routes round the tube system - people will just have to allow extra time or expand their tastes.

So instead of taking the Northern Line or the District Line, you would be taking the 'Wagner Line', the 'Baroque Line' or the 'Beatles Line'?

Yes, I could see that working  Cheesy
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« Reply #7 on: 11:46:19, 10-11-2008 »
It could be extended to Southern Trains - we could have the Chichester Psalms, La Mer for Eastbourne, Britten's St Nicholas for Lancing, and Fairground of Dreams for Brighton and Hove.

And if anyone's has ever set The Importance of Being Earnest to music, we could have that for Worthing.
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At every one of these [classical] concerts in England you will find rows of weary people who are there, not because they really like classical music, but because they think they ought to like it. (Shaw, Don Juan in Hell)
Jonathan
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« Reply #8 on: 12:05:17, 10-11-2008 »
Some years ago, my old company sent me to Boston (not the one in Lincolnshire) for some training.  I wondered around Havard Square and walked past a disused building which would have been being worked on had in not been a Sunday.  Playing at top volume from this building was Dvorak - some of the Slavonic Dances.  I thought it was a lovely use of a empty building!
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Jonathan
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