Under a banyan tree on the bank of the Hooghly, Dale Henderson sat on a low stool and played Bach’s first suite on his cello. The sun was setting and a few people had assembled near the Judges Ghat here for an evening stroll.
In front of him, on a stand, instead of musical notes, lay a placard that said: “No money, please. Just listen to the music and take a postcard.”
Global movement
On one side, the postcard had a photograph of J. S. Bach, the legendary German composer, and a brief outline of the Bach in the Subways project on the other.
The Calcutta Classical Guitar Society (CCGS), organisers of the event, explained that Bach in the Subways has become a global movement, and this is the first time cellist Dale Henderson, who started the movement in 2010, was playing in Kolkata or any other Indian city.
Not many hands were raised in an audience comprising about 100 people when Mr. Henderson asked if they knew about Bach in the Subways.
“In 2010, when I started the project in New York City, I just wanted people to give themselves a chance to listen to and experience the music, and see what it does. In the modern world, musicians know that it can be difficult for classical music to find its place. I think Western classical music and Indian musicians are also dealing with the same thing,” the American musician said.
For two hours, till it became completely dark at the venue, he played one Bach composition after another, occasionally answering questions, and enjoying the admiration of the people who had assembled to witness the unique musical event.
“We musicians think that this German composer who died in 1750 is a big deal — his music is the blueprint for all modern Western musical harmony,” he said.
By 2015, the Bach in the Subways movement, which began in 2010 in the subways of New York, had spread to over 140 cities in 40 countries, where thousands of musicians joined the “international music movement” on March 21, Bach’s birthday.
By 2018, Mr. Henderson had launched the #Bach 333 initiative, a 5-day celebration from March 21 to March 25, by performing Bach in the Subways in three cities, three countries and three continents.
“I am on a Bach in the Subways tour and it is fascinating to be in India,” he told the gathering.
Open spaces
The traffic on the road, the occasional passing of trains and mechanised boats, and the chirping of crows did not hassle Mr. Henderson, who said playing Bach in open spaces made him feel free.
“This is such a wonderful idea,” said author and singer Anjum Katyal, who was present for the performance. “I liked it very much because the musician knew what he was doing.”
