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Silent Night in a Subway Train

Silent Night in a Subway Train

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Silent Night in a Subway Train

I am continually impressed at the wealth of musical talent on tap in New York, but this appreciation goes beyond musical theater, the concert stage, and the stylings of standards and jazz offered up in restaurants, bars, and jazz clubs … to the streets and – quite often in my experience – beneath the streets of the city.

This musical musing was inspired by an impromptu shot I took on a downtown Subway train, as it rumbled beneath the West Side on a Holiday Season evening a few years ago – the last Holiday Season in fact (2019) in which our vocabulary and behavior patterns were not dogged by that unwelcome addition to the daily discourse, Covid-19.

I often refer to serendipity as a phenomenon that energizes my photography, and there are so many examples of this in my NYC photo-moments. I just happened to be in the right car of this well packed Holiday Season Saturday evening train to enjoy something so unexpectedly lovely amidst the ambient noise of a Subway train rumbling and clattering through its subterranean maze of tracks and switches, that the musical memory is as fresh as if it were yesterday.

These two young musicians got on board at a stop along the way and began to
play this lovely arrangement for trumpet and guitar of Franz Gruber's "Silent Night."

While the ambience of the train 's movement was far from silent, I was impressed that at least the
passengers in my part of the car were silent and attentive to this beautifully played, and quite
unexpected, musical bonus to a Holiday Season ride beneath the streets of Gotham.

This is the photo's first appearance. I wish I could have done more justice to both the young musicians but,
as noted, it was a pretty packed train. Still, for me, it made this pre-Christmas Eve ride very special.

Merry Christmas, F-C friends.

©2022 Steve Ember

Comentarios 4

  • Twin O Caulin 24/01/2023 9:29

    An enviable scene, well captured, the atmosphere comes across. Here in Cologne there is an underground train system, too, but you could be waiting forever and a day to witness a spontaneous situation like this. Everyone immersed in his own affairs via smartphone screen. Anyway…
    I‘m too late now to return your Christmas greeting… but wishing you all the best for 2023. Am looking forward to more of your very appreciated photos of NY and other places as well, of course.
    Stay well - best regards
    Twin
    • Steve Ember 25/01/2023 5:22

      I know exactly what you mean, Twin. Sadly, what you described is more commonplace in the NYC Subway than you might imagine. An example - while not on a train in this photo, these individuals will probably not deviate a millimeter, when they board their train, from what you see on the platform.
      Thank you for your wishes for 2023. I hope it's off to a good start for you and that it will be happy, healthy, and full of good shooting.
      As always, thanks for your visits and insightful comments.
      Best regards,
      Steve
       
      'Connecting' at Grand Central...
      'Connecting' at Grand Central...
      Steve Ember
  • Thomas Reitzel 25/12/2022 9:03

    Merry Christmas, Steve, and I must say - the text to your image does it!

    Stay well and healthy in these unsecure times!

    Tom
    • Steve Ember 25/12/2022 20:53

      Thanks so much, Tom. Doing my best, although I had to skip my usual birthday week in NYC this year, due to an upper respiratory infection that brought with it a nasty case of laryngitis - what a rotten Christmas "gift." As a "consolation," there are so many NYC photos from previous visits I've not yet presented, so I'm trying to take some joy in those while recovering.
      I hope your Christmas Season is cozy, festive, and all you want it to be.
      Stay well and safe - Always good to hear from you!
      Steve

Información

Sección
Carpeta New York City
Vistas 7.759
Publicada
idioma
Licencia

Exif

Cámara DSC-RX100M6
Objetivo ---
Diafragma 4.5
Tiempo de exposición 1/200
Distancia focal 69.5 mm
ISO 10000

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