Joshua Bell at Union Station

September 30, 2014

Joshua Bell once performed a free concert in a Washington, DC, subway station. And hardly anyone stopped to listen. This episode is chronicled in a famous Washington Post article.

On September 30, 2014, Bell tried again. This time, a crowd did gather:

In the following videos, the gentleman in a medium blue shirt under the center pillar in the distance is Joshua Bell. Click on any photo for a larger view, or click the expansion box in the videos for a larger view.

First movement of a Bach concerto, for the impatient:

First movement of a Bach concerto, for the patient (partial):

Second movement of a Bach concerto, for the impatient:

Second movement of a Bach concerto, for the patient (partial):

Start of a piece by Mendelssohn, written when he was sixteen:

Here is a still photo of Joshua Bell in mid-Bach:

Joshua Bell, in a medium blue shirt under the center pillar in the distance.
Joshua Bell, in a medium blue shirt under the center pillar in the distance. To take this photo, I held my camera (not a phone) well over my head, and shot blindly.

Public events in the 20th century: a sea of portable digital phones with cameras:

Lots of cell phone cameras record Joshua Bell’s concert at Union Station.
Lots of cell phone cameras record Joshua Bell’s concert at Union Station. Again, I am holding the camera well over my head.

What I saw:

Because of the crowd, I didn’t see Joshua Bell at all during the concert. It wasn’t until I got back to work and looked at the photos on my phone that I noticed the guy in the blue shirt — Joshua Bell.
Because of the crowd, I didn’t see Joshua Bell at all during the concert. It wasn’t until I got back to work and looked at the photos on my phone that I noticed the guy in the blue shirt — Joshua Bell.

While I may not have had a good view, and definitely not a good seat (as there were no seats), Joshua Bell sounded wonderful in the vast expanse of Union Station. And the price was right.