In the 1800s, when the great classical composer Beethoven published his Slow Movement 2 from the Pathitique Sonata, it was described as “the closest he ever got to heaven.”For 50-year-old Brit Paul Barton, he reached heaven, or at least the elusive star he had wished upon for years when he achieved his life-long dream of dragging a piano up a mountain in Thailand to tinkle the ivories for a grateful group of blind elephants.
The challenge of transporting a piano up a mountain was not done without an agenda.It is hoped this monumental effort will raise awareness and funds for the blind elephants that live on a reserve in the mountains of Kanchanaburi, Thailand.The site of the famous Burma Railway immortalized in the 1950s film Bridge on The River Kwai, this province in central Thailand is a popular spot for tourists due to its location at the edge of a mountain range, where temperatures remain much cooler than those in surrounding regions.
“It was a 50th birthday present to myself. My wife and I have been working with blind elephants for many years, and I thought it might be something they would enjoy to listen to…I had to drag the piano up a mountain, I have a really bad back, but I wanted to make the effort so I could feel like I had undergone a personal challenge,” Barton told the press.Born in Yorkshire, England, Barton and his wife moved to this region of Thailand 16 years ago in order to be closer to the elephants.It is estimated that there are around 60,000 Asian elephants in existence, which represents one-tenth the number of African elephants.Barton’s goal is to put on a concert before the end of the year (Hurry up, Paul!) in order to raise money to build an electric fence.One can only wonder, watching these highly intelligent and wondrous creatures, if they have any requests for favorite songs like Melancholy Baby or the theme from the movie Fame.
Comments
Post a Comment