​Horsham station hosts Rumble in the Jungle public piano project: celebration singalong on Friday 16 August

Celebration of Horsham school’s spectacular art project on Friday afternoon 16 August

Horsham station staff are proud hosts to one of six dramatically decorated public pianos that have appeared in the area this summer.

The Horsham District Street Pianos project is organised by local music recording and rehearsal studios QM Studios. Their community art and music project aims to encourage people to get together and play.

It is one of many activities taking place during the Horsham District Year of Culture 2019, being run by Horsham District Council. The Sussex Community Rail Partnership is one of the many organisations involved, and was instrumental in arranging for the station to be one of the venues.

All six pianos were donated by Horsham Piano centre, and artist Annalees Lim has been working with local primary schools to decorate them. The station’s piano was decorated by the Queen Elizabeth II school in Horsham, and the theme, chosen by the pupils, is based on the book ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ by Giles Andrae and David Wojtowycz.

QM Studios chose locally-based Chestnut Tree House as the charity beneficiary of the street piano project. The charity, which provides hospice care services and community support for children and young people with progressive life-shortening conditions throughout East and West Sussex, Brighton and Hove and South East Hampshire, was chosen by GTR staff as the train company’s main charity for their fundraising activites last year.

Chestnut Tree House will be collecting donations at various public events during the summer, including a celebration of the Queen Elizabeth II school’s work at Horsham station tomorrow [Friday 16 August]. From 4.00pm to 7.00pm the public can enjoy free entertainment and join in a singalong with a musical trio and other performers.

Jayne Todd, Community Fundraiser at Chestnut Tree House said: “Street Pianos is a fantastic initiative, open to everyone in the community, and is really proving to be a great community project. We’re really excited to be involved, and we hope that the project will help to spread the word about the vital care provided by Chestnut Tree House and the ways we support local children and families.”

Katherine Cox, GTR’s Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, said: “We are delighted that our station has been chosen to host this spectacularly decorated piano as part of Horsham’s cultural celebrations this year. It’s great play our part in this wonderful activity that continues our support for Chestnut Tree House and highlights the role of stations as local community assets.”

Ends

Notes to editors

For further information please see:

Street Piano Celebration event at Horsham station tomorrow Friday 16 August:

https://www.hdculture2019.co.uk/event/horsham-district-street-pianos-horsham-celebration-event/

Horsham District Year of Culture 2019:

https://www.facebook.com/HDculture2019/https://www.hdculture2019.co.uk/

QM Studios: https://www.qmstudios.co.uk/

Horsham Piano Centre: https://www.horshampianocentre.co.uk/

QEII school: http://www.queenelizabeth2.w-sussex.sch.uk/website