Bus Station Becomes Concert Hall As Geordies Learn To Play Beethoven

Newcastle is famous for many things: its Brown Ale, Ant and Dec, its friendly people and its football club. However, one thing it is not famous for is its love of classical music. That is until this fun new ad.

It features residents of 'The Toon' joining a concert pianist in a performance of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. These geordies aren't trained musicians, some of them haven't ever touched a piano before, they just happened to step off the bus and into this impromptu concert.

Set up in Newcastle's Haymarket Bus Station, the ad is a chance to introduce classical music to a wider audience. As commuters and shoppers wander in, they're invited to sit next to a smartly dressed musician at a grand piano.

The maestro patiently figures out how skilled, or inept, his playing partners are before teaching them a small part. Some of them get to rattle across the keys like pros, others hover nervously over a single keys, waiting for a nod from the expert.

It's a hypnotizing and fun way to introduce the uninitiated to Beethoven and classical music. A similar stunt in another of Newcastle's transport hubs saw a whole orchestra perform Ravel's Bolero to the unsuspecting public, but what are these ads actually selling?

The music itself it seems. Funded by The Arts Council of England and the bus company Nexus, with support from various other charities and organisations, the point of the performance is the performance itself. With over 104,000 views, the clip seems to be doing a great job of reaching, and creating, music fans around the world. 

As fun as these ads are we can't wait to see them try the 1812 overture, complete with cannons, in a busy bus station.