St Pancras railway station piano

Terry Miles playing the piano in 2019

The St Pancras railway station piano is a public Yamaha upright piano donated by Elton John to St Pancras railway station, a major interchange in London.

History

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On 4 February 2016 John performed a medley at the station, to promote the album "Wonderful Crazy Night." Following his performance, he donated the Yamaha piano to the station, marking it with the inscription, "Enjoy this piano. It's a gift. Love, Elton John."[1][2]

Since its donation the piano has been accessible to the public, used by both amateur and professional musicians. Its presence has attracted a variety of performers, including Alicia Keys, Jools Holland, John Legend, Tom Odell, Jeff Goldblum, Rod Stewart, and camdenmusique who have played the instrument, often generating public and media interest.[3][4][5]

The St Pancras piano is part of a wider phenomenon of public pianos in the UK, influenced by initiatives such as artist Luke Jerram's "Play me, I'm yours" installation, which began in 2008.[3]

2024 public dispute

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In January 2024 the piano was the subject of a public dispute involving UK YouTuber Brendan Kavanagh, who is known as Dr. K and for his public piano performances. During a live-streaming session of him playing the piano, a Chinese group, apparently part of a television crew, approached him. They are heard saying, "we love your music" while also requesting that their faces be excluded from the footage, citing concerns of their imaging rights, due to their relationship with Chinese TV.[6][7][8]

On 23 January the piano was temporarily sealed off due to ongoing station maintenance works, preventing the public from playing it.[9][10] On 24 January, St Pancras Station management announced the piano had been relocated a short distance from the cordoned off area saying the public piano playing area had been reinstated.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "Sir Elton John's Piano". St Pancras International.
  2. ^ "Sir Elton John busked at St Pancras station". Independent.co.uk. 5 February 2016.
  3. ^ a b Addley, Esther (15 December 2023). "Alicia Keys, Elton John … and Joe from the Guardian: why they've all played the St Pancras piano". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  4. ^ Regan, Louis (16 February 2024). "Who is pianist Auriett Woodman?". The U.S Sun. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  5. ^ Kassahun, Tomas (5 July 2022). "A Popular Pianist Abruptly Joined Another Musician In Public And Created A Whole Vibe". Yahoo. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  6. ^ "Clash between pianist and Chinese tourists sparks fury as they angrily demand their faces are hidden". LBC. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  7. ^ Kong, Dimsumdaily Hong (23 January 2024). "Public dispute unfolds at St Pancras as U.K. YouTuber clashes with Chinese group over filming rights". Dimsum Daily. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  8. ^ Loh, Matthew. "6 Chinese people demanded that a British pianist remove their faces from his public live stream. The ensuing fight has gone viral". Business Insider. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  9. ^ This Whole Situation Just Got Even CRAZIER, 23 January 2024, retrieved 23 January 2024
  10. ^ France, Anthony (23 January 2024). "London St Pancras piano sealed off after musician and Chinese tourists clash". The Standard. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  11. ^ "Maintenance Works at St. Pancras International". Retrieved 24 January 2024.
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