The Piano Final

[nahthatsnotforme]

I just can’t call it.. such amazingly talented youngsters

I love them all, but there’s something about Josiah that tugs at my heart strings a little more.

They have such talent and bravery, especially Zak.

I think Josiah will win.

But they are all incredible winners.

Anisa (sp?) for me I think

My head says Anisa, my heart says Zak.
They were all phenomenal.

Awwwwwww

Hmm. Well yes it was lovely, but I’m not sure she was the right one for me.

She wasn't the best, but it was lovely. Zak's comment to her about how she brought tears to his eyes and 'I'm a teenage boy, so that's hard to do' was adorable.

Well she was lovely and very gracious as I'm sure she realises she probably wasn't the strongest. Josiah, I think, but Zak was adorable. Both of those are very telegenic so I'm sure both will do well anyway.

I'm disappointed tbh - Josiah is incredible, really talented and deserved to win/launch his career.

Diana is a sweet old lady with a lovely story who plays the piano, remarkable for 87 ...... but not remarkable.

Yes, and I felt the same last year, that the back story played too big a part. I would have been happy with Josiah or Zak, maybe Anisa. Really, all of them were ahead of Diana. But it was nice, so hey ho. I wonder if they couldn't call it so went for her.

Mia hadn't really been on my radar, but I thought tonight she was amazing and I'd have been pleased if she'd won. I was so pleased to see at the end that Zak is doing performances in Leeds, I hope he does well from this.

Mia and Josiah were at the top of my list @Romeiswheretheheartis , all the way through.

I found Mia's message really powerful, she is very talented (very unassuming too).

This was the first series I watched and Anisa was the first one I saw. No-one else ever came close for me. Thought the concert was a bit of a damp squib, it doesn't have anywhere near the impact of the original railway station performances. I couldn't connect to it in the same way at all.

I was at the recording of the final concert last October and was amazed by their choice of Diana, glad to see im not alone!

My feeling was that choosing Diana as the ‘winner’ avoided setting the younger pianists, with careers ahead of them, against each other. Better for Zak and Josiah and Mia in particular to leave feeling happy and fulfilled and still willing to support each other. It would also have been galling to those three to give it to an already well supported child.

So, for the sake of everyone’s future wellbeing they probably made the right choice.

I’ve loved this season - but I wish there was more background on how the players are chosen for the station / airport shows. Do they have people lurking and listening to actually impromptu players - and then choose and film the best? Because it is a rather different show to one where people arrive unprepared.

I’ve loved this season - but I wish there was more background on how the players are chosen for the station / airport shows. Do they have people lurking and listening to actually impromptu players - and then choose and film the best? Because it is a rather different show to one where people arrive unprepared.

My assumption is that for the first series, it was more like you said, with people listening to impromptu players, but now I would imagine they publicise that they are going to be at X Station on X day, and pianists maybe send clips of themselves playing and then get asked to come along. Zak lives in Leeds, I very much doubt he randomly takes himself to Sheffield to play at the station (Im not even sure there was normally a piano at Sheffield station - and I'm sure there isn't at Heathrow).

There’s probably info on the internet that reveals it all!

The other thing that slightly made me raise an eyebrow was the gift of a piano to each of the concert performers. I mean - did they each equally want or need a new piano? I know one was given to grandchildren, but what if you live in a place with no room for one; or where piano playing might very strongly not be welcomed by neighbours?

I found the epilogues a bit underwhelming, though perhaps they were deliberately so, to maintain privacy? What I really wanted to hear was that they each had a place at a conservatoire or junior conservatoire.

Diana undoubtedly held the room and touched everyone's hearts. I was a bit disappointed that they chose her though.
Anisa was jaw-dropping, I thought, so different from her original performance and her rehearsals for the concert. She is a serious talent.
Zak played beautifully and, as the judges said, more sensitively than we've ever heard. He seems to me to be a singular talent. He's such a sweet, funny and genuinely original personality too.
Marcus is also really exciting; thirteen and a fully formed natural jazz pianist.
Josiah was my pick though. His performance was utterly commanding and his technique and touch seemed even better than they were before. His epilogue was quite sad; it just sounded like he was really struggling to fit in playing with his work and studying and family. I know a lot of people are in that kind of position, but I really want someone to give him his break.