Four incredible amateur pianists
were plucked from the street pianos
at train stations across Britain
and offered a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity
to play at one of the
most prestigious music venues
in the world...
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
..London's Royal Festival Hall.
Now you can see this life-changing
concert in full
as Jay, Lucy, Sean and Danny
play live in front of
an audience of thousands.
Unbelievable.
They'll be sharing the bill
with one of the world's greatest
classical pianists, Lang Lang,
and global superstar Mika will
be making his Festival Hall debut.
I've never performed on this stage
and I feel nervous,
so I cannot imagine how our
four pianists feel right now.
And, in a world exclusive...
..these two extraordinary
talents are about to play together
for the very first time.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome
your host, Claudia Winkleman.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Good evening.
Thank you so much for coming.
We're incredibly grateful.
Tonight is all about
celebrating the piano
and you are going to meet four
extraordinary amateur pianists
who never thought their
journey would end here,
at the prestigious
Royal Festival Hall.
This story started about a year ago
when we invited amateur pianists
just to come to train stations
and give it a go.
What they didn't know is that
they were being secretly watched
by two of the most respected
and loved piano performers
in the world today -
Mika and Lang Lang.
They are waiting in the wings
and they would love
to perform for you all.
So, ladies and gentlemen, please go
nuts for the one and only Mika.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
In the beginning...
..it all started with just one note.
One tiny note.
It's 3am, I'm 21 years old.
I'm in my apartment in London.
I'm sitting and
I'm playing just one note.
The piano is my safe place
and the thing I love the most.
But, right now, I'm angry
and I'm frustrated.
On the floor next to the piano
is yet another rejection letter
from yet another record company.
So, I close my eyes...
..and I decide to turn my anger...
..and my frustration...
..into a song.
# Do I attract you?
# Do I repulse you
with my queasy smile?
# Am I too dirty? Am I too flirty?
# Do I like what you like?
# I could be wholesome,
I could be loathsome
# I guess I'm a little bit shy
# Why don't you like me?
# Why don't you like me
without making me try?
# I try to be like Grace Kelly
# But all her looks were too sad
# So I try a little Freddie
# Mm, I've gone identity mad!
# Someone like me can be
# Brown, blue
# Violet sky
# I could be hurtful,
I could be purple
# I could be anything you like
# Gotta be green, gotta be mean,
gotta be everything more
# Why don't you like me?
Why don't you like me?
# Walk out the door
# How can I help it?
How can I help it?
# How can I help what you think?
# Hello, my baby
Hello, my baby
# Putting my life on the brink
# Why don't you like me?
Why don't you like me?
# Why don't you like yourself?
# Should I bend over?
# Should I look older
to be put on your shelf?
# I try to be like Grace Kelly
# But all her looks were too sad
# Ah, so I try a little Freddie
# Mm, I've gone identity mad!
# I could be brown, I could be blue,
violet sky
# I could be hurtful,
I could be purple
# I could be anything you like
# Gotta be green, gotta be mean
# Gotta be everything more
# Why don't you like me?
Why don't you like me?
# Walk out the door
# So say what you want
to satisfy yourself
# Hey!
# But you only want what everybody
else says you should want
# You want
# I could be brown, I could be blue,
violet sky
# I could be hurtful,
I could be purple
# I could be anything you like
# Gotta be green, gotta be mean,
gotta be everything more
# Why don't you like me?
Why don't you like me?
# Walk out the door
# I could be brown,
I could be blue, violet sky
# I could be hurtful,
I could be purple
# I could be anything you like
# Gotta be green, gotta be mean,
Gotta be everything more
# Why don't you like me?
Why don't you like me?
# Walk out the door. #
But all that...
..from just one note.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Thank you.
Good evening, everybody.
It is actually giving me goosebumps
to be here tonight.
I've never performed on this stage
and I feel nervous,
so I cannot imagine
how our four pianists,
who are waiting in the wings,
feel right now.
This experience
has been extraordinary,
but I haven't done it alone.
I've done with somebody who I always
respected as a musician,
as a pianist and now
I can also call him a friend.
Lang Lang, ladies and gentlemen.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are here
tonight to celebrate the piano
and so I'd like to dedicate
a piece called Ritual Fire Dance
to, uh, encourage our
wonderful pianists to keep
having fire for your dream in piano.
Thank you.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Ladies and gentlemen,
Lang Lang and Mika.
So, before we meet
our four amateurs,
let's be honest,
throughout the summer you were
hiding in small cupboards,
uh, watching people play.
How did you find the experience?
It was thrilling, but we also felt
just a little bit guilty
because they didn't know
that we were there. Right.
You saw over 80 pianists,
they are here with us tonight.
Please will you stand
up for a round of applause?
These were our pianists.
CHEERING
Hi, Harry.
Thank you so much for playing then
and for being with us tonight.
How hard was it choosing the four?
It was so difficult.
Yeah, I must say that, uh, I'm
really thankful that I have Mika.
MIKA LAUGHS
Because you know they played
some classical music which I,
I know. And some pianists play
something I never heard before
and so this, this is my,
my teacher, you know?
Listen, he was... He was, like,
"OK, do you know this?"
I can tell you that,
after this experience
Lang Lang can sing Harry Styles,
Tori Amos.
At one point, uh,
Lang Lang turned to us and said,
"But what is watermelon sugar?"
We were like, "It's a good point."
If anyone knows Harry,
do ask for us.
Uh, talk to me about
the performance of the night.
In a performance, inevitably, there
will be some magic that happens.
It may be something that just shines
particularly brightly tonight.
We're just gonna tip our hat
and recognise it
and underline it with
the performance of the night.
It's almost kind of like our
provocation - make magic.
This is an incredible opportunity,
now take us somewhere special.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Lang Lang and Mika.
CHEERING
We're gonna ask you, please,
to take to your seats.
So, we started off at St Pancras
and we met Jay.
My name is Jay Eatwell,
I'm 24 years old
and I live on the Isle of Wight.
There's not a lot of things
to do on the island now,
it's just so easy
to slip into trouble.
I used to do a lot of stupid sh*t,
really, when I was very young.
I watched most of my friends
f*ck up their lives
and just watched
what's happened to 'em,
I just seen a lot
of people crumble around me.
Instead of going
down the wrong road,
I've just put all my energy
into music.
# I guess I don't know
a thing about living
# Good and the bad with
the heroes and the villains
# I kick back with
the zoot when I'm chilling
# So chasing my dream,
I'm not chasing my villain
# I got tired of the same old
feeling
# I run well, pack a bag
and I'm leaving
# I book a flight would
I take it this evening
# When I got tired of
just sitting and dreaming... #
When we were asked to do this...
Right.
..that's the kind of stuff
I was waiting to hear. Right.
CHEERING
Please welcome to the stage,
it's Jay.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Thank you.
All right, I ain't gonna
do much speaking,
I'm just gonna get straight to it.
This is my song,
A Heart That's Cold.
# A heart is cold, some are crying
# Now she's on the road,
I see someone dying
# Yes, he's all alone,
thinks he's flying
# We lost what we had,
please know I'm trying
# She's stopped on the road
and she can't let him go
# She's taken my heart,
now she's taken her soul
# Oh, yeah
# We're heading away
from the way we're going
# She's heading to hell
without really knowing
# I hope that we find it in time
# Before then I'm losing my mind
# I've always said that
I'll take you places
# You wanna go then I'll be waiting
# I never said we'd be forever
# She's always dreamed
we'd be together
# Oh, yeah
# It's all right
Yeah
# I hope to find an angel
from your sunlight
# Sunlight, yeah
Yeah
# It's moonlight, she rocks
She rocks
# She's always told me that
you're happy, don't stop
# And she's been heading
for the, yeah, sunshine
# Sunshine
Yeah
# Go and live a fine life, yeah
# If you wanna go I'll be listening
# She's on the road,
there's something missing
# She's taken the heart out of you
# I hate all the things you do now
# Yeah, she's running wild,
I'm feeling crazy
# She's taken my love
and she's not my lady
# This ain't no rogue,
no heartbreaker
# You wanna go I'll see
you later, yeah
# Oh, yeah
# It's all right
Yeah
# Hope to find an angel from that
# Sunlight, yeah
Sunlight, yeah
# Moonlight, she rocks
She rocks
# She's always told me that
your heartbeat don't stop
# And she's been heading
for the sunshine, yeah
# Go and live a fine life, yeah
# All my life all I
wanted was the fame
# And now I'm looking in the mirror,
man, I know it's gonna change
# It's kind of mad I feel
this lost, I was afraid
# Now I'm sitting on this piano
and I'm playing on a stage
# Time's ticking, out of chances,
I have one left
# I had a vision I'm gonna head off
through the sunset
# I said I love you like no other,
now I let you go
# Hard to keep the straight face
when you're on the road
# And everyone around you is
changing but you're changing slow
# We try and make it to the end,
she never made it home
# Oh
No, all right
# Yeah
Hope to find an angel for a night
# It's all right, yeah
It's all right, all right
# Yeah, moonlight, she rocks
# She's always told me that
your heartbeat don't stop
# She's been heading
for the sunshine
# All right, all right
# It's hard going if
you're flying life
# All right, all right
Yeah. #
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Unbelievable.
So, next, we went to Leeds
and I cannot wait for you
to meet Lucy.
Tell me all about Lucy.
When she was born, we were told that
there was something wrong.
It's sensory. Lucy's blind,
and it's all sensory.
So, it can be mental health,
it can be... Yeah.
..Autism.
It can be absolutely anything.
Oh, my.
But there is one thing that makes
Lucy feel calm and happy.
Music. Yeah. The piano.
In a minute, you're gonna play
Nocturne in B-flat minor by Chopin.
Wow.
It's unbelievable that
she can play this piece.
How, how, how does she study?
In a way, she's a genius.
I'm speechless, I don't know
what to say. It's nuts.
I really don't know what to say.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Please welcome Lucy
and her teacher, Daniel.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Ladies and gentlemen, that is Lucy.
Next, we went to Glasgow
and we met the very wonderful Sean.
Tell me all about you and the piano.
Ah, well, I'm 26 now so I've been
playing the piano for 20 years
and it's, uh, very important to me.
I've realised how beneficial
music is
for people that come from
adverse life circumstances.
Whoa!
He's letting us into his head. Yeah.
You know, we're literally stepping
into this guy's brain.
Glasgow just showed up to the party.
Yeah.
APPLAUSE
Ladies and gentlemen,
please welcome to the stage Sean.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Thank you.
Thank you so much for being here.
It certainly means a lot
to myself. Oh...
Watching Lucy...
..Lucy play certainly makes me
emotional, I have to say.
I am indeed also on
the autistic spectrum.
There's a lot of people
that have our condition,
but yet you're able to see us here
because we're able to make a noise.
But there's a lot of us that don't.
You're looking at the
tip of an iceberg.
And not all of us are so lucky.
Throughout my life, emotion - to
understand it and to communicate it
has been extremely important to me
and it's my music that has been
my paramount fascination
and today, I cannot wait to play
for you my favourite instrument.
Oh, yes!
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
CHEERING
It's time for our
final amateur pianist.
We went to Birmingham
and I cannot wait for you
to meet Danny.
I lost my father to suicide
when I was nine years old,
which completely changed
my course through,
through life, really.
And then I started taking drugs
at kind of 17.
How I was able to turn
something difficult into music
and something creative, I think, was
really, really powerful for me.
# Maybe I could learn to live
# Maybe I could learn to live... #
And then there was Danny.
# Maybe I could paint the sky
# From these tears I've cried
# Maybe I could paint the sky... #
Really quite amazing and also he,
he plays the piano very well.
What I like about this song is that
there's nothing about it
that felt contrived. Mm-hm.
It was perfectly imperfect
and completely unique to this
specific guy.
APPLAUSE
Ladies and gentlemen, please
welcome to the stage Danny.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
So, hello, everyone.
My name is Daniel Wiltshire
and, uh, it's a pleasure to be
here with you this evening.
In order for this piece of music
to really do its job,
I think it's important that
I give some context
as to why it was written.
And, as you saw, a few years ago,
after losing a parent to suicide,
I was faced with my own battle
with depression and anxiety
and things got pretty dark
and, at times,
I couldn't see a future.
My future.
If I could travel back in time
and visit 20-year-old Daniel
and give him something,
anything that could provide him
with some hope,
it would be what I'm about to play
for you guys in a moment.
And I'd like to dedicate this
performance to everybody
who is battling with
their mental health,
who feels like they have no hope...
..there are people that will
understand,
there are people that
can give you help.
And, lastly and finally, I'd also
like to dedicate this performance
to a very special lady
in this room,
who's been waiting a long time
to see me on a stage like this.
So, if everyone can give
a round of applause to my mum,
that'd be brilliant.
Thank you very much.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Thank you.
So, erm, this song is called
Learn To Live.
# And cos I fell
# So far beneath
# I thought these heights
I would never reach
# And so my days turned into weeks
# I was so tired from life
but I could barely sleep
# What if I found the words to
speak and put down all this pain?
# And maybe I'd find a life
worth living, calling out my name
# What if I've learned I'm tired
of running from what I can't escape?
# Cos maybe I can paint the skies
from these tears I've cried
# Maybe I could learn to live
# Maybe I could learn to live
# Hmm
# Maybe I could learn to live
# Ah
# Cos maybe I can paint the skies
from these tears I've cried
# Maybe I can paint the sky
# What if I found the strength to
speak and put down all this pain?
# And maybe I'd find a life worth
living, calling out my name
# What if I've learned I'm tired of
running from what I can't escape?
# Cos maybe I can paint the skies
from these tears I've cried
# Maybe I can learn to live
# And maybe I can learn to
# Live
# Live. #
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Absolutely amazing, Danny.
Can we have a final
round of applause
for all of our four amateurs
- for Jay, for Lucy,
for Sean, and for Danny?
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
We are going to take a short break
where Mika and Lang Lang will choose
their performance of the night,
and then Lang Lang and Mika are
going to perform together
for the very first time.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Please welcome back to the stage
Mika, Lang Lang,
and our performers,
Jay, Lucy, Sean and Danny.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Can everyone also please just say
hello to Lucy's mum? Thank you.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Mika and Lang Lang, you wanted
to give somebody
performance of the night,
just as a nod.
Yes, and it was about
just highlighting
if something extraordinary was
to happen, and that happened.
So we have chosen the person. Yes.
And that person is...
Lucy!
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
Well done, Lucy!
I'm going to give this to you.
Lovely. Is that OK?
Yeah, that's fine, thank you.
Congratulations, Lucy. Thank you.
That was fabulous.
Good girl. You're welcome.
Now, our four brilliant
pianists have worked so hard
and we wanted to give them
something else.
Of course.
We, uh, we realised they don't
have a piano at home. Exactly.
They only, uh, play the keyboard.
Yeah. And, uh...
So we... So we decided that, well,
I think the best thing is
to have a piano at home for each
and every one of you,
and so we're gifting you
each a piano.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
You deserve it, of course.
Appreciate that, Lang Lang, so much.
So, Danny, Sean,
Lucy and Jay, thank you
so much from all of us here
for playing so beautifully tonight.
Uh, one last round of applause,
please, for our finalists.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
CHEERING
Um, you have been an utterly
brilliant audience,
we're so grateful to you
so as a thank you...
I mean, these two
extraordinary talents
are about to play together
for the very first time.
So...
CHEERING
..please, ladies and gentlemen,
we give you Mika and Lang Lang.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
# This is the way you left me,
I'm not pretending
# No hope, no love, no glory,
no happy ending
# This is the way that we love,
like it's forever
# Then live the rest of our life,
but not together
# Wake up in the mornin',
stumble on my life
# Can't get no love
without sacrifice
# If anything should happen,
I'd guess I wish you well
# Mm, a little bit of Heaven,
but a little bit of Hell
# Ooh
# This is the hardest story
that I've ever told
# No hope, or love, or glory,
happy ending's gone
# And I
# I feel as if I'm wasted
# And I'm
# Wastin' every day
# This is the way you left me,
I'm not pretending
# No hope, no love, no glory,
no happy ending
# This is the way that we love,
like it's forever
# Then live the rest of our life,
but not together
# Two o'clock in the morning,
something's on my mind
# Can't get no rest
Keep walking around
# If I pretend that nothing
Ever went wrong
# I can get to my sleep,
I can think
# That we just carried on
Ooh
# This is the hardest story
that I've ever told
# No hope, or love, or glory,
happy ending's gone
# And I
# I feel as if I'm wasted
# And I'm wastin' every day
# And I
This is the way you left me
# I'm not pretending
I feel as if I'm wasted
# No hope, no love, no glory,
no happy ending
# And I'm
# This is the way that we love
# Like it's forever
Wasting every day
# Then live the rest of our life,
but not together
# With a little bit of love
# With a little bit of love
# With just a little bit of love
# With a little bit of love
# With a little bit of love
Little bit of love
# Little bit of love,
little bit of love
# Little bit of love,
little bit of love
# Little bit of love,
little bit of love
# With a little bit of love
Little bit of love
# With a little bit of love
Little bit of love
# With a little bit of love
Little bit of love
# Little bit of love,
little bit of love
# Little bit of love
# With a little bit of love
Little bit of love
# With a little bit of love
Little bit of love
# With a little bit of love
Little bit of love
# With a little bit of love
Little bit of love
# And I
Little bit of love
# Little bit of love,
little bit of love
# Feel as if I'm wasted
Little bit of love
# Little bit of love,
little bit of love
# And I'm
Little bit of love
# Little bit of love,
little bit of love
# Wastin' every day
Little bit of love
# Little bit of love,
little bit of love
# With a little bit of love
# And I
This is the way you left me
# I'm not pretending
Feel as if I'm wasted
# No hope, no love, no glory,
no happy ending
# And I'm
This is the way that we loved
# Like it's forever
Wastin' everyday
# Then live the rest of our lives,
but not together
# This is the way you left me,
I'm not pretending
# No hope, no love, no glory,
no happy ending
# This is the way that we loved,
like it's for ever
# Then live the rest of our lives,
but not together
# This is the way you left me,
I'm not pretending
# No hope, no love, no glory
# No happy ending. #
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
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01x06 - The Concert
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Amateur musicians are invited to publicly perform on street pianos in the concourses of major UK railway stations.
Amateur musicians are invited to publicly perform on street pianos in the concourses of major UK railway stations.