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.
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.
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, and Rod Stewart, who have played the instrument, often generating public and media interest. [3]
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]
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. [4] [5] [6]
On 23 January the piano was temporarily sealed off due to ongoing station maintenance works, preventing the public from playing it. [7] [8] 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. [9]
St Pancras railway station, officially known since 2007 as London St Pancras International, is a major central London railway terminus on Euston Road in the London Borough of Camden. It is the terminus for Eurostar services from Belgium, France and the Netherlands to London. It provides East Midlands Railway services to Leicester, Corby, Derby, Sheffield and Nottingham on the Midland Main Line, Southeastern high-speed trains to Kent via Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International, and Thameslink cross-London services to Bedford, Cambridge, Peterborough, Brighton, Horsham and Gatwick Airport. It stands between the British Library, the Regent's Canal and London King's Cross railway station, with which it shares a London Underground station, King's Cross St Pancras.
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