WHETHER it’s Chopin or Chopsticks – Holmfirth is alive with the sound of music.

As part of Holmfirth Arts Festival, five pianos have been dotted around the Holme Valley village’s streets.

And the five joannas – all decorated in different themes – are just waiting to be played. There was no shortage of volunteers yesterday willing to have a go.

Festival director Jonathan Best said the Holmfirth Street Pianos project has been a popular part of the arts festival.

He said all kinds of pianists, of all ages and abilities, have been tickling the ivories.

And he told the Examiner: “I knew people wouldn’t be shy about it.

“People might look ordinary as they are walking down the street. But as soon as you put pianos in the street, you realise how interesting and fun people can be and you start seeing strangers very differently.

“This is festival time and it’s a time when you turn the corner and see something you wouldn’t normally see.

“It’s an invitation for people to have a bit of fun and behave in public in the way they are not normally able to.

“People can dance and sing and it’s all about having fun in public with other people that you don’t know.

“The other day someone was playing and all the builders on the scaffolding on the church started singing along.

“You don’t have to look at the pavement when you walk past because during festival time there are all sorts of weird and wonderful things and you can behave a little bit differently during festival time and have some fun.

“Then when it has finished we’ll all go back to normal.”

The five pianos have all been customised by the local Fairtraders Cooperative who are partnering the event.

Buying manager Helen Robinson said they all had Fairtrade themes – a party piano to celebrate the Holmfirth Fairtrade Cooperative’s first birthday, a banana piano, a cotton piano, a coffee piano and a recycling piano.

She said: “On Sunday we’re having a special dads’ event for Father’s Day because we know all dads want to be rock stars so we’re inviting everyone down for a sing-song around the party piano.”