Impromptu musical duet creates ‘uplifting’ atmosphere in London station

A woman who stumbled upon an impromptu musical exchange in a London railway station described the encounter as being “lovely” and “uplifting”.

Rosie Brooks, 42, told the PA news agency that she was walking through London Bridge station on her way to Borough Market on Sunday at 2pm when she heard music from “across the concourse”.

“So [I] popped my head round to have look, it was such a lovely moment. Am so lucky they were playing just as I passed by,” the illustrator who specialises in music added.

The sound of music came from Anna Lapwood, the director of music at Pembroke College, Cambridge, who played Lascia ch’io pianga by Handel – an Italian- soprano aria – on the station’s organ at the request of a security guard called Marcella, who trained as a singer.

The former said that she had “spontaneously” stopped at the station to play some songs for the Queen before the duet took place and described the experience as being “so moving”.

Ms Brooks added that “quite a few people were gathered by the end” and that the performers both seemed “totally engrossed in the music”.

It was such an uplifting moment, very needed at the moment!

Rosie Brooks

“It was such an uplifting moment, very needed at the moment.”