My husband and I were in the tunnels of the Paris Metro, changing subway lines, when we heard some beautiful classical music. We were going toward our destination when we found the source of the music--a fourteen-piece string orchestra playing right there in an underground Metro station. You can often see a single musician playing for tips in a Metro tunnel, and sometimes a musician gets on a subway car, plays for the entertainment of the subway riders, and then passes his hat for tips. But never before have we come upon a whole orchestra. They were playing for tips, but they were also playing to publicize their instrumental CDs, which the orchestra leader showed the crowd. Their audience was very appreciative of the music, and we were, too, because it’s one of those totally unexpected but pleasant surprises that brighten your day. If you are interested, there are a number of YouTube videos of this orchestra playing in the Metro Station Chatelet. They play several times a week, and their purpose is to bring the joy of classical music to all people. Search Google for: string orchestra metro chatelet
The string orchestra “Prelude de Paris” playing classical music in the metro station Chatelet
The musicians play their music while metro riders hurry on their way.
A metro musician
She is part of a subgroup of a 45-person orchestra who play in the metro.
The crowd stops in their tracks, as we did, to listen and enjoy the music.
The euros in the violin case on the floor in front of the orchestra show the crowd’s appreciation.
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