01x01 - St. Pancras

[bunniefuu]

Not long ago,
something rather magical

started happening all across the UK.

The nation's favourite instrument,
the piano, started popping up

in public spaces -

in shopping centres,
town squares and train stations,

like this one, St Pancras.

And it meant that absolutely anybody
could just come and play.

Anybody, but not me.
Nobody wants to hear that.

Ever since the global phenomenon
of public pianos

began right here in Britain,

thousands of talented pianists
have been entertaining passers-by

and going viral.

# Watermelon sugar high
Watermelon sugar high... #

So we're going to celebrate
these performers, hear their music

and tell their stories.

Look, she's hushed
the whole station.

We've searched the nation for
undiscovered musicians...

Hi, Stanley. Hi.

..and invited passionate amateur
pianists to come and play

in railway stations
across the country.

It took three cities,
but finally we got Elton John.

But there's something our
amateur pianists don't know.

Whoa!

Watching them in secret
are two of the most acclaimed

and successful performers
in the entire world.

This is really cool.

I'd like to try this type of thing.

Playing since he was just
two years old,

Lang Lang is widely regarded
as the greatest classical pianist

of the modern era.

I'm just going to run out into
the station and sing with him.

And platinum-selling
pop superstar Mika,

who started writing songs
on the piano aged seven

and now performs sell-out shows
all over the world.

Each week, they'll be choosing
one amateur pianist...

This is such good raw material.

Can we get it ready?
I don't know.

..and give them a life-changing
opportunity -

the chance to play
in a special concert

on one of the greatest stages
of all, the Royal Festival Hall.

This is The Piano.

This programme contains strong
language and references to drug use.

We're beginning at one of
the busiest stations in Britain.

The spectacular London St Pancras.

Six million passengers pass through
here every year.

The largest audience
for a public piano

anywhere in the country.

Mika and Lang Lang will be able
to see and hear

all the street pianists
in a back room

in one of the station's restaurants.

It's so brilliant
that you're like secret squirrels

in this little room.

Yes, we are.
We need some nuts, yeah?

Whatever you need.

We could have put two chairs
downstairs

and you could have been
sitting there,

but that makes it
entirely different.

If they knew you two were watching,
they would be terrified.

We're like wildlife photographers.

We're just, like, hiding
in the little bird house,

waiting to see something
just happen.

And that's what's kind of
amazing about it.

Yeah, I prefer in this way,
it's more spontaneous.

Yes.
They can be themselves.

For me, also, if I knew
somebody that I know and respect

is just watching me,

and I'm kind of starting to play
to try to impress that person,

then I've kind of lost myself.

There is also something in this
about you two -

the most celebrated pianist,
the most celebrated performer -

of genuinely changing
somebody's life.

Have you decided in your head,
Royal Festival Hall,

what you would like to see there?

I'm looking for someone who
really loves piano,

and who's not afraid to give
some unique personality to music.

And, of course,
if they have a great technique,

that will be a good plus.

But also someone
who's got a story to tell.

And let's see if they manage
to translate that into something

that is musically moving.

I'm going to go down.
I hope you enjoy.

Ready?
Yeah, I'm ready. Are you?

Let's go!
Let's go.

My name is Jared.

I'm 21 and I live in Kent.

Hello. How are you?
Lovely to meet you.

I'm Claudia. Lovely to meet you.
Nice to meet you.

My name is Jared.

Jared.

You're self-taught, is that true?
I am indeed, yes.

And what made you want to learn?

At the start of lockdown 2020,

I saw a video of someone playing
on that piano right over there,

and I fell in love.

Did you? I did indeed.
Like, hard?

Yeah, no, seriously. That kind of
falling in love. 100%, yeah.

What does he do in his normal life?

I work as a truck mechanic,

and I like it a lot because
it's such a hands-on job.

I've never been into music at all.

I've never had any past experience
with instruments.

I never really listen to any music.

Even when I'm driving in a car,
I used to turn off the radio!

At the start of lockdown,
I bought my first keyboard,

didn't know how to use it
or whatever, didn't know anything.

And I've just watched
other people play on YouTube.

I feel like it works hand-in-hand -

the trucks, the piano,
and piano with the trucks.

Playing the piano,
I've built hand strength

to work on trucks,
but also I think working on trucks

improved my hand strength
as well to play on piano.

You've brought Josh.
Yes.

He's known you forever.
Yeah.

Was he surprised when you turned
around and you went,

"In lockdown,
some people made banana bread,

"I've learned how to play
a whole instrument"?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.
No, you could say so.

Yeah, yeah, of course. Yeah.

I'm going to get out of the way.
Yeah. Enormous luck.

21-year-old truck mechanic.

And now he's here.
Yeah.

Whoa!

I love the facial!

He's certainly getting
the people's attention.

Look. He's certainly got that.
Yeah.

BOTH HUM ALONG

Look at that. He's amazing!

From YouTube.
Amazing.

For somebody who's only been playing
for one year,

that autonomy of the bassline...
Yeah, it's always there.

..while the riffing
that happens on top,

the crunching of those chords
that comes from the right hand

is really impressive.

Even as a professional,
to maintain this power,

to play like this...

He's so strong! He's like...

Yeah.

Good start. Very good start.

We have a good pianist.

Jared!

Thank you.
Stop it!

Absolutely knockout. Come with me.
Thank you very much. Appreciate it.

Jared, well done.

I can't believe you are self-taught
and only since lockdown.

You are ridiculous.

Off you go. Thank you so much.
Thank you.

This type of playing within
one year, I can't believe.

It just means that
his brain is made to do it.

You take somebody with that speed
of learning and you say to them,

"You're going to go on that stage
at the Royal Festival Hall,"

you change his life.

Imagine if Jared had had
somebody teaching him how to play

from the age of five.

Oh, my God.

I started playing the piano
three and a half years ago.

My dad gave me a keyboard
from my grandma's loft,

and things pretty much snowballed.

It's a child.
Oh, it's a kid!

Hi, I'm Ilya,

and today I'm going to be performing
Dance Of The Knights by Prokofiev.

Nice. Yeah.

There's an 11-year-old playing
Prokofiev in the train station.

Nice left hand.
He knows where to direct the melody.

His hands are only about this big.

No, yeah.

And he's playing octaves.
Yeah.

He's chosen a piece where
he has to basically play

an entire orchestra.

This is an orchestral piece.
Yeah. Absolutely.

Not easy to play.

Ilya's chosen peace has
a family connection.

Prokofiev was born in Ukraine.

Ilya's mum is from Kyiv.

He's half British
and half Ukrainian.

We used to go back there
all the time.

It was on a trip to Kyiv that Ilya
met his piano teacher, Misha.

Our first five lessons
were in Ukraine,

and then the Russian invasion
happened.

So we had everything online.

How are you?

I'm good. How about you?

I'm good. It's pretty quiet.

Sometimes we hear some bombs.

EROL: Misha's been with Ilya
all the way through,

and without Misha,
he would not be where he is.

Their friendship is incredibly
strong, and it's just a shame

that the circumstances are now
that Misha can't actually come over.

OK, Ilya, I'll see you next week.

SPEAKING UKRAINIAN

Bye. See you.

How do you think you did?

I have no idea,
I'm just like... Argh!

It was excellent. Look, your dad...
It was really, really good.

It was fantastic.

He's so sweet.
Yeah.

But I don't know if that can hold
the stage and the audience

somewhere like the Royal Festival.
Yeah.

It's kind of weird talking
about this with you

because you, you know, at the age
of like five, were playing...

What were you playing at five?
Chopin, Mozart, yeah.

My first sonata, yeah.

As you do at five years old.

And when was your first gig?

Five.

He could learn so much.

You know, in a way,
I admire his confidence.

Because if you're playing
a concert hall,

you have 2,000 people.

But somehow in this
two-hour concert,

the musician and the audience
become one, right?

I mean, that's the magic part.
Exactly.

I think it's harder to do
in the train station, honestly.

That's also why I am
a little bit afraid

to play in a train station.

ANNOUNCEMENT PLAYS INDISTINCTLY

The passengers at St Pancras
can expect a little more

than classical piano.

# Some people want diamond rings

# Some just want everything

# Everything means nothing

# If I ain't got you. #

MIKA: I think it would be great
amongst the final selection

to have somebody who sings.
Who sings. Absolutely.

# Why do we crucify ourselves? #

I'm Chris.

I work in digital marketing.

I am Amiss Tori,
a Tori Amos drag tribute act.

# Crucify myself... #

MIKA: Do you know Tori Amos?

Please say no so I can have the
pleasure of telling you who... No!

It's like Bach, but for pop music!

# Chains... #

Oh, this I know! This you know.
This I know! There you go!

# Chains... #

Yeah, this I know.

# Why do we crucify ourselves?

# Every day

# Crucify ourselves

# Nothing I do
is good enough for you... #

Amiss Tori is a talented pianist.

Musically, if you just play,
probably sing better.

Yeah, exactly.

I think we agree.

# Change... #

Pop is deceptively odd.

Sometimes as a classical
musician, I think...

Exactly. ...you're like,
"Oh, pop music's easy, come on."

Not sometimes.
Yeah.

Tell the truth.

All the time!
No, no, sometimes. Sometimes.

It's kind of complicated,
because on the one hand,

you've got people playing jazz.

On the one hand, you've got
people playing Prokofiev.

And then you've got suddenly someone
singing an Alicia Keys song,

and they're singing
and playing the piano.

Completely different styles, yeah.

But that IS the piano.
Mm-hm.

I think it's about feeling.

I think it's about the power
that you have when you're

playing the piano
to transport people.

I'm looking for that moment.

My name is Fiona Ann Bennett,
and I live in Newbury in Berkshire.

Hello, I'm Fiona.

Oh, hello, Fiona!
Nice to meet you.

Thank you so much for coming.

Love your shoes.
They're exceptional. Thank you.

Tell me about you
and how the piano fits in.

I can't remember a time
I didn't play the piano.

I took some time out from the piano

when my son was diagnosed
with autism.

One night Zachary said, "Mummy,
can you play the piano for me

"while I'm going to sleep?"

I said,
"What? Instead of Olly Murs?"

Yeah. "Are you all right?
Have you got a temperature?"

"No," he said. "I like your music."
And he's brutally honest.

He once told me I look like
a sumo wrestler.

And he wanted me to play the piano
for him as he was going to sleep.

So I thought,
"I'm onto something here."

To put her autistic son to sleep.
That's wonderful.

I have a few students
who's having autism.

It really, really helps big time.

Zachary was born in 2002,

and when he was about 18 months old,
my mum noticed that

he didn't respond in the same way
as Dominic had at that age.

Music would come on, and he'd smile,

and then the music would stop,
and he'd stop smiling.

We eventually got his diagnosis
when he was four,

and it was autism.

It was a horrible, horrible day.
Absolutely devastating.

I was 44.

I was still gigging, and I thought,
"I can't carry on doing this

"and do what I need to do
for Zachary,"

so I sold all my band equipment,
and I was just Mum.

The years have flown by.

He's 20 now.

He is at university...

Oh, wow!

..on his creative writing course.

Zachary, do you remember my piece,
The Landscape?

HE HUMS MELODY

I am so impressed that
my children...

They do pay attention.
They DO pay attention.

Is it a song, this one?
HE HUMS MELODY

No, it's hers.

Her own piece? Wow.

It's so beautiful.

This piece is really comforting
my heart,

and it's, like, kind of touching me.

It's like, "It's all right."

She's a mama.

LANG LANG HUMS
You know?

You would never know the world
that was in that woman,

the world that is in her head.

There's something really beautiful
about that.

So, uh...

The contrast between the person,
the personality,

and just the motivation for
playing in the actual piece.

I find there's love, you know,
behind the melody.

Totally love. It's beautiful.

She got his heart.

Yeah. Yeah, I can see that.

You got very emotional
for the first time.

That's just really...
really beautiful.

That was so beautiful!

Oh, thank you.
It was beautiful!

Look at all these people.
Yeah!

She's what this is all about.
You want her in Festival Hall?

Maybe, yeah.

What is the piano? What's it for?

If she doesn't describe what
the piano's for...

We can't do it. That's... Yeah.

In you come, sir.

Wave hello.

You're lovely. OK.

My missus will be well jealous.
What are you doing there?

I don't know. Can we dance?

No. All right!

You have to leave now,
before I call the police.

Classic. That was my husband.

# Sing us a song,
you're the piano man

# Sing us a song tonight...

The street pianists at St Pancras
don't know it,

but Lang Lang and Mika
are watching them...

Have you played with Billy Joel?
Yeah.

..hoping to find raw, undiscovered
talent to star in

their unique concert at
the Royal Festival Hall.

# And the piano,
it sounds like a carnival... #

Whoa! He's going!

And while some have chosen
to entertain the passengers

with a classic,

our next pianist will be playing
their own composition.

My name is Jay. I'm 24 years old
and I live on the Isle of Wight.

This is my hometown, Ventnor.

There's not a lot of things to do
on the island.

It's just so easy to slip
into trouble.

I used to be a sesher
all the time when I was younger.

We was always going to raves,
and I used to do a lot of MDMA,

sort of just anything...

Anything you could
get your hands on, really.

I did a lot when I was 13, even.

I watched most of my friends
f*ck up their lives,

and I watched what's happened
to them,

and I watched what drugs do
to people.

I've just seen a lot of people
crumble around me, like,

I've seen a lot of people die.

So I just stopped.
I stopped everything.

I've just put all my energy
into music,

and I don't stop writing or playing.

Performing is a massive,
natural high,

and that's the drug that
I would want.

Jay.
Nice to meet you.

Have a seat, darling.
Thank you so much for coming.

Tell me about you and the piano.
When did you start learning?

I started playing
when I was about 15.

Every single day,
I'm playing something.

What are you going to play
for us today?

I'm going to play a song
that I wrote.

It's just about everything that
sort of happened to me

in the last couple of months.

I'm curious.

Well, we're very grateful.
I'll get out of your way.

I'm putting my sunnies on for this.
Just put your shades on.

Whoa. Yep.

Were you expecting that?

No.

# I guess I don't know
a thing about living

# Good and the bad
with the heroes and the villains

# I kick back when I'm chilling,
chasing my dream, not chasing women

# I got tired of
the same old feeling

# Pack a bag and I'm leaving

# I book a flight
and I'll take it this evening

# I got tired of just sitting
and dreaming

# Mama always told me
that you gotta have hope

# The gypsy woman said that
the music's going to blow... #

He's already drawing a lot
of attention.

Yeah. Look, look. Yeah, look.

# Now I got all of these fans,
and they're singing my songs

# She never wanted love
but she liked my songs

# Never pulled me back
from the open road

# Get high when I'm feeling low

# Because if she wants to ride,
then we'll take it slow... #

The way he's playing
is not the way he looks.

No. This harmony works really well.

Feels like he's a little bit angry,
but in a way, it's not struggling.

# The feelings inside of you,
the feelings inside of her

# Something ain't right for,
then it ain't right for you

# I nearly died,
I nearly died for her

# So many lives,
no need to hide... #

Listen to the melody and the piano.
Yeah.

And he puts it back in exactly
where he needs to.

# Like a bird up in the cages,
can never be free

# You had it written on some papers

# Yeah, see, I've been trying
to keep my head strong

# Trying to keep my balance,
ain't a thing you want to get wrong

# So now you got us packing
your luggage

# Looks like you're really gonna
leave, I was worried

# Couldn't sleep with one eye open

# My tears are finally smoking

# I lost a lot of friends
to the ocean.

# Started off mad in the end,
I'm not joking

# But she takes her fire with me

# She takes her fire with me

# She takes her fire with me
She takes her fire with me

# Yo. #

Well done. Are you happy?

Yeah, I'm happy with that.
That's all good.

Look, they all stayed for you.
They didn't stay for many people.

No. Thank you.

You see?
No, it's good, yeah.

Well done, darling. Thank you.
Thank you very much.

Thank you.

How do you define that genre?

No idea. No idea!
No idea.

What is this?
You know, it's like...

Yeah, I mean, the crazy thing is
that it's all underpinned

by the piano. Yeah.
There's nothing else.

There's no beats...
Nothing.

Even the melody is mostly coming
from the piano. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's the kind of stuff
I was waiting to hear,

using the piano as this kind of,
like, power source

to tell their story in their
own style, in their own way,

in an unusual setting.

THAT is interesting.

This is a unique experience.

I think that was sick, to be fair.

I'm going to adopt him.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Due to overhead wire
damage, no services will operate

from Kings Cross
to the north of England.

Services will be uncomfortable today
if you choose to travel.

# Always look on the bright side
of life... #

You are strongly advised
not to travel today.

# Always look on the light side
of life

MIKA WHISTLES

# Always look on the bright side
of life... #

The original of this piece
is sung by a guy

attached to a crucifix next
to Jesus Christ.

And he looks at Jesus, and he goes,
"All right, mate?"

"Always look on the
bright side of life."

Everybody!

# Always look on the bright side
of death... #

I play a bit of piano, but I also
work for a funeral directors,

which is a little bit different
to doing silly songs.

Carrying coffins, and I'm also
training to be a celebrant,

which is the guy who stands at the
front and talks at funerals.

This is just getting better.
So, he carries the coffins?

But why...
His personality is like...

He works at a funeral home,

but he's probably the happiest
person we've had all day. Yeah.

Yeah, but how...
how does that happen?

That's because life is delicious.

# Enjoy it, it's your last chance,
anyhow... #

BOY CRIES

He's not looking on the bright
side of life.

Can you see him in Festival Hall?

No. I'm sorry. But I like him.

He brings a lot of happiness.

This is a massive part
of British culture.

Welcome.

Thank you. It's good experience.

Yeah, it's good. Yeah.

It was Japanese culture that
inspired our next performer

to take up the piano.

My name is Melissa Walker.

I'm 18, and I've only been playing
for four years.

Anime is basically Japanese cartoon.

I watched this anime called
Piano No Mori, and that inspired me,

and that's the first time
I heard, like, classical piano.

I was like, in the six-week holiday
of that year, I was like,

I'm going to learn piano.

I self taught myself how to play
Chopin's Minute Waltz.

That was the first-ever classical
piece I've ever played.

And then I was at a family
gathering, and they heard me play it

and they were like,
"She's definitely had lessons.

"She's probably been playing for
ages." But, no, I'd only been

playing for about four months.

Hi, Melissa, how are you?
I'm really good.

Nice to meet you.
I'm Claudia.

Melissa.

So, I cannot believe this.

Most people take how many years
to get to grade eight?

About ten years.

And how quickly did you do it?

I did it in four years.
Congratulations.

Oh, wow. I love this.

Wow.

Do you have piano heroes?

Erm, like, Lang Lang...

Oh... Oh.

Well... Thank you!

And what are you going
to play for us?

I'm going to be playing my original
composition, called Hope.

Wow, original.

Good luck, darling.
Thank you.

What I'll be playing today is the
first composition I've ever made.

I like those open chords.

That's a nice change.
Yeah.

Oh, dramatic.

Well done!

Absolutely amazing.
Thank you.

It's funny, because watching these,
sometimes I feel like

I want to talk
or I want to comment.

With her, I didn't want to talk,
I didn't want to say anything.

I just wanted to see where she was
going, cos she felt slightly

different and quite delicate,
and I didn't want to mess it up.

Yes. I didn't want to get in
the way of it.

And I liked the piece itself.

It kind of has some kind of a
heart beat and kind of...

..something to open you
with your mind

and somehow calming down
and, you know...

This one, actually, it's almost
like... poetry is the word.

If you turn down the lights

and you just put one light
on the piano on a stage

at the Royal Festival Hall,
that sort of thing...

Should work, yeah.

Who is this?

I've never seen anything like it.

He's your grandson! Congratulations.

What's his name?

He's a very good sleeper.

Sorry.

Back to Melissa.

She was great.

But did you see that baby?

My ovaries just clacked.

We actually do have three
candidates today, right?

Already, but we've got loads more
to listen to. Yeah.

I'm actually looking for something
super traditional.

Oh, you want more like
classical Chopin? Yeah.

Just someone who walks into
that place, and in the midst

of that station,
just plays like a virtuoso.

My name is Zethan.

I'm 28 years old.
I'm from Brixton.

This guy is dressed up.

Yeah. Wow.

He's got the look.

This is phase two.

I'm a senior construction
site manager.

I build high rise towers
across London.

Getting to this point is the result
of a lot of hard work.

How are we doing, Jesus? All good?

Yeah, I'm fine, thank you.

I've had to do a lot of
qualifications.

I got chartered as a construction
manager last year.

I love dealing with just rubble
on the ground

and taking it into a liveable space.

I love all of the stages in between.

It's comparable to music,

where a collection of notes
forms a beautiful symphony.

You have a collection of
construction trades -

when they're coordinated together
in the right way,

produces a beautiful building.

Let's see what type of music
he's going to play.

Building the high rise.

Yeah, exactly.
I can't guess the repertoire.

Oh, Clair de Lune!

Wow.

You see the gesture, he's drawing
himself into the music.

It's like,
"Yeah, give me some magic.

"Yeah, you can do it."

Exactly.
Yeah. You know.

And his touch,
the way he plays the piano

and the clarity of his notes

was probably the best touch
we've heard. Yeah, so far.

Absolutely. 100%.

This is one of the most
recognisable melody that...

Even, you know, Ocean's Eleven
use this,

when they collect all the money.

Oh, that's interesting.

I see, OK.
So, he's changed it a bit.

He made some interesting rhythm.

I mean, this is a bit too much,
but I mean, there are some...

You know, the arpeggios
are kind of nice.

Maybe it's because you can't
interpret a building.

The architect says the skyscraper's
got to be like that,

he's not going to suddenly
make it like a...

Right! So this is his relief.

This is where he gets to be that guy

that does whatever the hell
he wants.

There's so many things that are
admirable in what he's done.

He's trying some new things,

but I don't see this as
a complete finishing work.

I'm still looking for that...
real suspended moment of magic.

My name is Harry Halsey.

AUTOMATED: Lift has arrived.
Doors will open shortly.

Do you mind?
I was doing the talking.

People would describe me
as a bit stupid.

I'm doing this, for a start.

I mean, that's got to be silly,
hasn't it?

You look very chic.

You can stay.
You can definitely stay.

I'm Claudia.
Indeed you are.

How are you, Harry?
I'm very well, thank you.

Please, come and have a seat.

Do you remember the first time
you ever performed in public?

The Silver Jubilee of George V.

A street party.

You must have been very young.

When was it, 1935?
1935.

So, I would have been six.

Oh, my God, he's...

He's almost 90.

My age will be 93 next month.

And I thought, at the age of four,
that you learned to read,

you learned to write,
and you learned to play the piano,

because everybody had one.

It was while playing piano that
Harry met the love of his life.

I'm playing a bar in Aberdeen
on this particular night,

which happened to be the end
of the art school year.

And Pat was going to the art school
and they were having a booze-up,

and Pat and I were the last
two standing.

So I took her home.

That was it, really.

I don't think we had any doubts
about each other at all.

We just hit it off
right from the beginning.

We've been married 49 years.

Over the last four years,

she's had a mini stroke,

which took away some of her memory.

She's got dementia.
She has dementia.

Yeah. Lovely.

We've had three years now,
my daughter and I,

trying to do what we can.

But it is a 24-hour-a-day job,
it really is.

HARRY PLAYS PIANO

She often doesn't know who I am.

Erm...

On other days, she'll think
that I'm her dad.

Although her memory's gone,
not her memory for music,

not her memory for tunes.

And that makes her happy.

When I sit down and play the piano,

it's usually because I want to block
everything out of my mind.

Happy?

And you can't play the piano
if you're thinking

about something else.

To me, it's like going on holiday.

You know, really.

Oh!

# She gets too hungry for
dinner at eight... #

I really don't know whether
I can do this age of 92.

This image is really special.

Yeah, it's unbelievable.

All that's missing right now

is just an enormous bunch of
balloons attached to that piano,

and then it just starts to take
off in the air, like in Up.

Yes!

He's giving us all these little
jazz chords in a very kind of

old-fashioned, jazz way.

And he's making the melody kind of,
like, pop in and out.

It feels so young.
Exactly.

You know, like a little boy.

He's more... He's even younger
than the 11-year-old!

Whoa! Bravo! Woo! Bravo!

Harry, you were so brilliant.
Did you enjoy it?

Oh, yes, of course.
You were a knockout.

And I promise you, lots of people...
See all those faces?

They were just watching you
and loving it. That's good.

So, thank you very much.
Thank you.

Lovely to meet you.
Bye, darling. Bye-bye.

I love him. Really inspiring.

Pure joy.

He's my favourite.

But does that lend itself to
the Royal Festival Hall?

It's a hard decision.

What do we bring onto the stage?

Are we just bringing people
with piano-playing chops

and technique, or are we bringing
a different set of stories?

What does the piano represent
today in the UK

and what did it represent before?
Right.

But he's the history,
he's the bridge, you know.

He's basically the bridge.
He's the bridge.

We'll see. Let's keep him in
the back of our heads.

Lang Lang and Mika now have to
decide who they'll be taking

to the Royal Festival Hall.

I'm actually nervous.

We've got the tricky bit
afterwards.

How do we choose just one?

That's true. That's a hard one.

We've asked all those who
played the street piano

at St Pancras to gather together

so they can meet each other
for the first time.

What's your name?

So, Amiss Tori is my drag act,
but Chris is my name.

I'm going to gather them all
together, and then I'm going

to introduce you two.

They don't know anything about the
Royal Festival.

They don't even know we're here.

Do you think you're going to find
it easy or hard to say,

"We've decided you should perform"?

I think it's going to be hard.

I think the shortlist
is pretty easy.

So, we've got Fiona in the running
because it's so touching.

So touching, so emotional.
I love her.

The story and her son.

We all love Jared. Yeah.

Kept the energy.
He gives us incredible passion.

And we've also got Jay.

# I book a flight,
will I take it this evening?

# Man, I got tired of this sitting
and dreaming... #

It was electric.
People missed trains.

One thing all three of them have
in common is emotion.

Yes.
Then we've got Harry.

And again, emotion.

What did you think of Melissa?

I really loved her composition.

And you know you're her hero?

It moves me. It's like waves.

It might be our show,
but we have to pick the person

who's going to turn it
into their show.

Hello!

Claudia! Hey!

How are you all?

Very well.
Well, we're very well.

You were all so utterly brilliant,
so we are so grateful.

Erm...

I haven't been completely honest
with you.

Oh!
Sorry about that, Harry.

You performed for those who were
travelling, but you also performed

for the world's greatest pianist

and one of the world's
greatest performers.

So, I would like to introduce you
to Lang Lang and Mika.

EXCITED HUBBUB

Oh, my gosh! What?

HARRY: You rotter!

Sorry.
LAUGHTER

Thank you. Thank you so much
for playing for us.

We feel kind of bad.
We've been watching you...

We were like a spy.

And we wanted to come out,
we wanted to come out

and we wanted to talk to you,
we wanted to hug some of you

and shake some of your hands,
as well, especially yours.

It's been amazing.
It's been, really, a privilege.

And we've done it secretly in order
for you to be yourselves.

And, somehow, when you start
playing, your personal story

is actually attached
to the instrument.

Absolutely.
And you become one.

So, as a thank you,
we are actually organising

a really, really special concert

in one of the most prestigious
venues in the world,

the Royal Festival Hall.

And we'd like to invite all of you
to be our VIP guests

at this concert. Yes.

Thank you!

But that's not all.

This concert,
it's not really our concert.

Yeah, maybe we will do something,
but we also want to invite

one of you to perform on that stage.

Oh, my goodness!

What an honour.

It was not an easy decision.
It wasn't easy.

The person who's going to perform
on that stage is...

..Jay!

Yes. Sweet!

Buzzing!

Sweet. Thank you. That's sick.

Thank you.

That is amazing, to be fair,
that's a sick experience.

I very appreciate that.

Yeah, no pressure.
No pressure!

Jesus. Woo!

Absolutely... I don't know the
feeling for it at the moment.

Like, I'm buzzing, there's so many
feelings I have that I don't know.

It's going to take a bit of a while
for that to sink in, I believe.

To have people like that compliment
your music

is something I never thought
would happen to me, to be honest.

Like, it's a big thing.

He will show the Royal
Festival Hall a complete

new art form with piano.

# I guess I didn't know a thing
about living... #

For us, it was clear.

You've got somebody who's a clash
of different musical worlds,

who is not afraid to talk about
things that are personal,

and does it with a sound
that I've never heard before,

and neither has Lang Lang.

Recently, I'm actually also looking
into some new collaboration

with this type of music,
and Jay did it already!

So I'm actually going to learn
something from him.

Oof! Bravo!

THEY CHEER

You know, for me, this is like
a family concert.

It's the family gathering...

Your Prokofiev's great.

HE HUMS MELODY

..of the genuine piano fans.

Melissa, good job on your Hope.

I really like this...

# Dong, doo, doo... #

Exactly like when I was a kid,

gathering with my buddies
in my neighbourhood,

and start playing.

You're amazing, seriously.
Thank you. I appreciate it.

I mean, did you know anything
was up?

ALL: No!
No? Good!

All the better!
We were hoping you wouldn't realise.

What's funny is that,
as soon as they found out

that we had been watching them,

their first response was to
want to play the piano again.

THEY PLAY BOOGIE WOOGIE

Let's make this last
a little bit longer.

Let's celebrate the fact
that we're here.

HE PLAYS PROKOFIEV

No matter what background
they come from,

no matter what style of music
they like...

# There's a smile on my face

# For the whole human race... #

..all of this is possible
because of one instrument.

In the end of the day,
it's because piano is...

..you know,
heals our heart together.

# It's almost like being in love! #

THEY CHEER

Harry!

You know, I got so inspired by you,
and I just want to play

just a little bit of the
Goldberg Variations for you.

Oh, lovely. Lovely.
Yeah, yeah.

And then you have to finish it.

THEY LAUGH

LANG LANG STARTS PLAYING

Oh, my God. Look!

Oh, it's made me cry!
MIKA PLAYS CHORD

LAUGHTER AND CHEERING

The right chord!

Next time,
The Piano travels to Leeds.

Look at that crowd.
Wow.

We'll meet a boy who's learnt to
play Ibiza classics for his dad...

He's so cool.

He likes to think he is.

# You are the dancing queen... #

..young lovers brought together
by Abba...

We're only together
because of the piano.

What...?

..and the lover of Chopin...

Is he crying?

..who's built his own street piano
on wheels.

It can be anywhere in
time and space.

# I don't want your number, no... #

But who will Lang Lang
and Mika choose

to join Jay and perform
at the Royal Festival Hall?

Leeds just got more complicated.

And who will leave them speechless?

I don't know what to say.
There's nothing to...

I really don't know what to say.