Monday, March 23, 2015

Bach in the Subways 2015 at Tottenham Court Road Tube Station


It's funny how I'll make jokes like, "I'd love to perform at Cadogan Hall!" or "I'd love to busk in London!" and so far, both of those jokes have come true. Though technically we weren't "busking" ... read on.

Bach's 330th birthday was on Saturday and to celebrate, hundreds of musicians performed Bach (for free!) in hundreds of subway stations around the world as part of Bach in the Subways 2015. Founded by NYC-based cellist, Dale Henderson, Bach in the Subways was originally envisioned as an opportunity for people to experience classical music live - without paying a single cent/pence.

So, on Saturday morning, a few of us from The Royal Orchestral Society gathered at Somerset House for a quick rehearsal before heading to Tottenham Court Road station to perform Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #3 (you definitely know it: it features in most weddings/office parties/events - I seriously never want to hear it again, after playing it five times in a row!).


If you haven't been, the station has recently been refurbished - it looks amazingly shiny and new. There were more of us than anticipated (16, I think) and we played on the "mid-concourse" level i.e. the bit where everyone filters into when they step off the tube, so we got a lot of traffic. I mean, a lot.

I was surprised at how quickly crowds gathered and how many people stopped to listen! At first, it was just a group of young Italian tourists with cameras at the ready, but then more and more people stopped to watch. It was amazing. Before we started, I thought most people would walk past and ignore us, but the opposite was the case: station staff had to keep the area clear because people were standing directly in front of the escalators!

I think it was during our third performance of the concerto that I saw - out of the corner of my eye (when I wasn't wrestling with an intensely difficult passage played at breakneck speed!) - a couple of kids with their parents rushing past, when the dad tapped his small child on the shoulder and waved him over to stop and listen for a while. I loved that.


While I didn't catch everyone's reactions, seeing the looks on peoples' faces when we finished a movement to applause was wonderful. Smiles all around, cheering, and lots of "Bravos!" shouted at us. It was very sweet and encouraging.

I love this photo because you can see the people craning their necks to watch us as they go up the escalator. Watching/hearing classical music performed live is such a powerful thing - the mathematical precision and harmonies of Bach's compositions have a wide appeal.

It's funny - though I've performed with this orchestra a number of times (whose members are a mix of professional, ex-professional, conservatory students and amateur musicians), I don't know how we sound to the audience, so I usually rely on John to tell me ("The brass sounded amazing in the beginning!" or "The violins were a little shaky in the last bit of the Mendelssohn."). So when I watched a replay of our performance that someone had posted on Facebook, my initial reaction was, "Ha! Someone dubbed a recording of Brandenburg over this, how funny!" until I realized, "Oh wow, that's us - and we don't sound too bad!"


(This is me trying not to fail.)

Two of my friends showed up, which was a lovely surprise, but unfortunately, John missed us because we started earlier than we'd originally anticipated! Also: right after we packed up, Tom and Cristy arrived with little Dorothy in a sling ... they'd also just missed us by a few minutes. But funny story: Tom and Cristy's friend Mary was also performing with us, but we didn't know each other until we were introduced by them!

Afterwards, we went out for a burger at Byron (which tasted so good after playing while standing for two hours) and I slept for like, two hours when I got home. I'm such a baby.


So, that was fun. And something I'd never expected to do! That's another thing ticked off my bucket list, then.

Do you like classical music? How often do you go to concerts? If you live in London and have yet to see a classical music performance, I'd suggest forgoing some of the bigger venues like the Barbican or Royal Festival Hall for King's Place - a super cool, new(ish) and small classical music venue near King's Cross. They do fantastic concerts for low prices and I think it's a fun, accessible venue. I went recently to see a young, Finnish quartet perform Shostakovich and they were fabulous.

Photo of me taken by Yannick Pucci. Awaiting photo credit for other images.
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28 comments

  1. I love this :-) Truly once in a lifetime. Wish I could have been in London to come and watch! Back in the dark ages when I was 11 I broke a world record by playing my violin in the largest orchestra in the world in the Royal Albert Hall. It's experiences like this which stick with you forever!

    I'm just in the process of choosing the music for my string quartet at my wedding and have added Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 to the list ;-)

    Polly xx
    Follow Your Sunshine

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    1. No way, Polly, that's amazing! I'm sure you'll remember that for a lifetime.

      And re: Brandenburg #3 ... nooooooooooo!!!! Haha, just kidding. But not really. xx

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  2. I love that you guys did this! What an experience that must've been and (obviously) something you'll always remember.

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    1. It was great, Robin! Definitely an experience that I'm grateful for.

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  3. I love the idea of Bach in the subways.Bet this was like a breath of fresh air for busy tube goers,would have loved to see it xx

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    1. I loved seeing photos of individual musicians, string quartets, and other groups taking part all over the world, Kara! I wish we could perform every weekend (or maybe every other - ha! Or maybe once a month. Wait - maybe every three months.) xx

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  4. How wonderful! I love that concerto--though maybe that just means I haven't been to as many weddings as some people. ;-) I remember hearing a chamber orchestra perform a couple of the Brandenburgs a couple years ago, and when they kicked it off I immediately had the feeling that everything was okay. It's easy to go overboard hero-worshipping the greats like Bach, but some of his music really does strike me as essentially perfect.

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    1. Marjorie - you said exactly what I wanted to say but had failed to express in the post above. It's been AGES since I've listened to Bach (or any Baroque, for that matter). But when I was preparing for this performance, I listened to the Brandenburgs on my way to work last week, they gave me that same feeling - that everything was okay. Everything was tidy, logical, perfect, and reassuring. So. That probably means that I should listen to more Bach, ha!

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  5. This is amazing - you guys deserve so much kudos for playing two hours while standing! I wish I could have seen it.

    Thanks for the King's Place recc, I'll definitely check it out. I haven't see any classical music live while I've been in London. I was never a big fan of classical, back home I was more likely to see traditional Celtic music performed live, but ballet classes the last few years have definitely given me a new appreciation of classical and I'd love to see some in person.

    In June, my friend is taking me to see Breakfast at Tiffany's with a live orchestra for my birthday though - excited for that!

    Sorcha x Bright Field Notes

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    1. Hey Sorcha! To be fair, we were only standing for probably an hour at Tottenham Court Road, but we'd stood to rehearse at Somerset House for an hour before, so I was tired by the time we'd finished ... also, I get nervous for these types of things so I think once the adrenaline died down, I was like ... sprawled out in a booth in Byron, stuffing my face with a burger and fries. Ha!

      Let me know if you ever want to go to King's together. They have some great programmes. But Breakfast at Tiffany's with a live orchestra sounds like the best birthday present! How exciting. :) x

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    2. I meant to reply to this FOREVER ago, but yes! That would be so lovely. I can always use concert/outings buddies!

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  6. What a wonderful moment!

    An amazing thing to be able to participate in and truly awesome for the travellers of the underground, such an unexpected treat for them!

    I love classical music and found that when I worked for Birmingham Royal Ballet, hearing the live orchestra during performances was one of the most mesmerising sensations.

    Congratulations on rocking out and celebrating Bach's birthday in style!!

    Gemma
    Faded Windmills

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    1. Thanks, Gemma! It was so much fun. I had no idea you had worked for Birmingham Royal Ballet - that must have been amazing (please tell me you got to see lots of ballets?!?!).

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  7. I had hoped to get up to TCR to see/hear you, but I was held up with visiting our sick Chelsea pensioner friend. I bet the sound was amazing.

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    1. Oh, thank you for thinking of me, Ruth! And sorry to hear about your friend. I hope he/she is on the mend soon.

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  8. Amazing! I'm so sad I missed this!
    Claire xx

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    1. Ah, never mind, Claire! Thanks for stopping by to read about it xo

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  9. Wonderful!! I loved the photo of you at the end!
    Lots of love,
    Angie

    SilverSpoon London

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  10. Wow this looks amazing! Well done! I love classical music and would love to go see a performance.. Will definitely look into your suggestions x

    BeautifullyLost.

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    1. Thank you! There are so many good performances in London (at ridiculously low prices compared to elsewhere in the world, but especially the US!). I should really go to more! xo

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  11. Oh my goodness, this is incredible - what a wonderful thing to tick off your bucket list! I don't live in London but I think it's such a wonderful city and cultural events like this always remind me of why it's so special.

    Well done again!

    x

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    1. Ah, thanks Charlene. I agree with you about the cultural events in London, but I always think there could be more! x

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  12. I wish I had been there! I never get out at the Tottenham Court Road station, though, so I guess I wouldn't have gotten to see it anyway :[ It's wonderful that so many people stopped to listen and really enjoyed it! Classical music seems to have this "special occasion" spot on the shelf (e.g. weddings, or a night out to hear an orchestral performance), so I'm glad people got to hear it outside of its usual context. Super cool!

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    1. Exactly, Gianni! I think hearing classical music out of context is important for its accessibility - I'd love to see it reach a younger audience. It's sad that the majority of the audiences for ALL classical music concerts I attend are made up of white-haired, middle class people ... of course, it's great that they're enjoying the concert (even though my enjoyment is frequently interrupted by the loudest of snores), but I wish there were more people under the age of 35 attending these concerts. I think it's also about picking the "right" ones, with programmes that appeal to many. I get that an hour-long Mozart piano recital could be boring to some (i.e. me - and I'm a pianist), but there are programmes out there that I think have a really wide appeal. Rant over!

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  13. This is wonderful and must have felt amazing. Hearing classical music live is so special. I used to love coming across buskers in metro stations in Moscow. They would genuinely stop me in my tracks because they played so beautifully.

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