It's great to see the brightly painted pianos that have recently been positioned in various streets around Belfast. Old, upright instruments have been given a new lease of life and passers-by are encouraged to stop, play a tune or simply sound a few notes.Luke Jerram is the artist behind the Play Me - I'm Yours project and he has already installed pianos in several cities around the world. It's now the turn of Belfast Pianos 2010 . The one, pictured, is located in Commercial Court which runs between Donegall Street and Hill Street in the Cathedral Quarter. I love this little street, home to Printers Cafe-Bar, the Duke of York Pub and The Dark Horse Coffee House. I featured the street, which has strong family connections, in an earlier post - Culture Night, Belfast and I am grateful to the local businesses that are working so hard to revive this once vibrant area. Hanging baskets and Belfast sinks, full of plants, provide splashes of colour throughout the year and so the funky piano fitted in perfectly. There are two pianos in the Cathedral Quarter - they bring a sense of optimism and fun.
It was a particular pleasure to be in the company of friend who seeing the piano, waited his turn, sat down and played a piece he had composed himself. People, locals and tourists, looked on and listened, joining in the bit of fun. Belfast, like the piano, also seemed to be saying - Play me, I'm yours!
