The Piano (Ch4)
There are commuters hanging over the balcony, crowding the concourse, even blocking the escalators. Claudia Winkleman‘s feelgood special The Piano is the only TV show with the power to halt the rush hour.
What began as a quirky, low-budget experiment to find the UK’s best amateur pianists has become one of Channel 4‘s most popular staples.
Part of its appeal, I suspect, is the potential for ‘second screening’ — listening with both ears but watching with one eye only as you scroll on your phone.
To do that, though, is to miss the reaction shots, which are as much fun as the performances. Deft camerawork and editing catches the surprise and pleasure on the faces of passers-by.
Under the towering Victorian glass roof of London‘s Liverpool Street station, Claudia was flashing a grin as broad as a piano keyboard (but without the black bits).
And in the judges’ room, pop star Mika and concert pianist Jon Batiste clutched each other’s arms as they gasped with delight at every fresh performer.
Deft camerawork and editing catches the surprise and pleasure on the faces of passers-by (Pictured: A still from The Piano)
The low-budget experiment has now become one of Channel 4’s most popular staples
The element of judgment, part of the format since the show’s launch in 2023, is its only weak aspect. Music is not a competitive sport, and any attempt to treat it as one detracts from the joy.
In any case, it’s impossible to say who is ‘best’ when comparing, for instance, Keba, an immigrant born in Senegal who taught himself to play the piano while living rough, and John, a 77-year-old former showbiz pro with Parkinson’s disease, knocking out a selection of pub favourites.
The music is such an eclectic mix that picking a favourite has to come down to personal taste.
One man played a song he wrote for his Britpop band, and later sang at his father’s funeral. Another did the Billy Joel hit New York State Of Mind, which he said reminded him of London… Brooklyn Bridge, Tower Bridge, what’s the difference?
A dinner lady named Maria proved to be another self-taught talent, and a woman called Jilly did a tarot reading for Claudia before playing a really lovely, fluid arrangement of Labi Siffre’s Something Inside So Strong.
All the featured musicians will be invited to the grand concert finale at the Glass House International Centre in Gateshead, but only two will be on stage.
The element of judgment is the show’s only weak aspect – music is not a competitive sport
In the judges’ room, pop star Mika and concert pianist Jon Batiste gasped with delight at every fresh performer
One is 12-year-old Anisa, a prodigy who demonstrated real technical mastery with Glinka’s Skylark, composed in 1840.
The other is Mia, 17, who chose Troubled Waters by Margaret Bonds: ‘It represents freedom to express yourself, freedom of not conforming to a single genre,’ she said.
‘When I first found her music, it was like filling a hole that was always there.’
Both were worthy choices, but I’d be equally happy to have no winners, with Jon and Mika simply offering insights into how to listen and appreciate better.
‘It’s more than just music, it’s a spiritualistic practice,’ said Jon, ‘and that’s why the soul behind the note is what you’ve got to listen for.’
And stop fidgeting with your phone.
