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Pianos at key landmarks for street singalongs

Danny Brierley
1 Jun 2009


Pianos will be placed at 31 London landmarks to inspire people to sing in the street.

Sites will include the British Library, Natural History Museum and Tate Britain. Each piano will be decorated in motifs relevant to their location, such as money for the one at the Bank of England.

Although the pianos will be chained to bollards and railings, members of the public will be trusted not to vandalise them or steal the song books.

The Street Pianos scheme, part of the Sing London festival, aims to increase a sense of public spirit. The instruments can be played from 23 June for three weeks.

Reader views (7)

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What a fun idea - if they are not vandalised. My son (a great pianist who has just finished playing on the Queen Victoria Cruise ship) wants to run a fund raising event for my children's centre The Haven in Ripley Surrey. Moving around the pianos and playing every thing from Lambeth Walk to Mumma Mia - I hope this will be possible.

- Marguerite Durham, Surrey, 10/06/2009 14:20
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What a waste of good pianos. Another barmy Boris idea? What will happen to 31 pianos after 3 weeks of rain? They'll be taken away in skips. This is really irresponsible. It's just another cheap PR trick. How does that fit into Boris's environmental policy?

- Robert Elms, Surrey, 10/06/2009 13:48
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I've been touring this arts project around the globe since 2008.

Boris's pr department has grabbed onto the story of my work coming to London and made it their own describing it as a 'scheme' to promote trust.>?>?

I hope Londoners enjoy my arts project 'Play Me, I'm Yours'. When the pianos are installed, they will belong to the people of London. (not to boris!)

Best Regards

Artist Luke Jerram
Director of Play Me,I'm yours.
www.lukejerram.com

- Luke Jerram- Director Of The Streetpiano Project, Bristol, UK, 02/06/2009 09:06
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Have the lunatics finally taken over the asylum??

- Mike, Surrey, 01/06/2009 20:44
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Perhaps Boris could kick things off with a key-note speech. On second thoughts .....

- J B Blackett, Hendon, 01/06/2009 16:27
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:face palm:

With all the yobs and gangs it will be like West Side Story...

- Trunk, US, 01/06/2009 15:46
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"Although the pianos will be chained to bollards and railings, members of the public will be trusted not to vandalise them or steal the song books."

Good luck with that!

And exactly how much money is this going to cost? Because we've got so much money sloshing around at the moment I can understand them not knowing what to do with it all...

- John, London, 01/06/2009 13:52
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