Chapter 1
Billy Hansen was like every other boy. He liked to play on swings, kick a ball and climb trees.
He ran fast, he loved music and he loved to sing. But since his birth he knew he had two special hands. On each hand were six fingers! He had twelve fingers in total when everyone else had ten!
Billy lived in a small house in the country. His parents were not rich but they loved their twelve fingered son.
Doctors had told his parents that they could do nothing to change his fingers and that in time he would forget he had extra fingers. And the family did try to forget. But when he held his fork or tied his shoelaces, these extra fingers usually got in the way.
On his first day at school they made fun of him. They called him silly names, like Spiderman and Handy Hansen. This made him very sad. He had no friends.
Billy was always humming tunes in his head. The tunes kept filling his mind.
Then he noticed as he hummed, his fingers played a pretty pattern on his desk. It seemed they were itching to play a piano. Oh how he would love to play such a fine instrument.
That night he asked his parents if he could have a piano.
‘Billy dear,’ said his father, ‘we can’t afford a piano.’
‘Then what about some piano lessons?’ he asked.
‘They cost money too. I’m sorry Billy.’
Chapter 2
Billy saw a birthday card on Miss Smart’s desk. It was his teacher’s birthday. At playtime, Billy returned to his classroom when all the other pupils were playing in the playground. He entered quietly and sat at the teacher’s piano.
He placed his right hand on the keyboard. Suddenly he realised he was able to play ‘Happy Birthday’. He played the tune with his right hand twice then he brought his left hand to the keys. He was able to play different notes by his left hand but the music blended even better.
In the staff room, the teachers were enjoying their break and eating birthday cake. They heard the piano music and they began to sing, ‘Happy Birthday’ to Miss Smart. She thought she knew who was playing it for her on the piano.
Chapter 3
After the pupils had gone home, Miss Smart went to find Mr. Evans the school janitor.
‘Thank you very much, Mr Evans. That was very kind of you,’ she said.
‘Kind of me? Really? What did I do?’ he replied.
‘You played ‘Happy Birthday’ for me on the class piano. Had you forgotten?’
‘No, I have not forgotten. I did not play the piano today,’ he said.
‘Then who played for my Birthday?’
‘Can’t any other teacher play the piano?’ asked the Janitor.
‘Yes I think some can but they were all eating Birthday cake in the staff room with me.’
‘Then it’s a mystery!’ said Mr. Evans.
‘It is indeed. But I have a piece of Birthday cake for you too,’ said Miss Smart handing him a slice.
‘Then I will share the cake with my wife this evening and think through the problem. Who can be the phantom pianist?’
Chapter 4
On Saturday morning Billy was in the village centre when he heard the Village clock strike 11a.m. He looked up at the large bell. Behind the bell he could see the steeple of the church. He had an idea.
Billy entered the open church. He walked past all the pews and approached a curtain behind the pulpit.
He looked behind the curtain and found the Church organ. He slid along the long wooden seat and looked at the stops on each side of the three rows of keyboard.
He pulled out one marked ‘Forte’ and another marked ‘Trumpet.’ A loud trumpet would surely respond to his fingers. And it did. Billy began to play the tune in his head. It was ‘The Trumpet Voluntary’ by Jeremiah Clarke. The music filled the church in a triumphant march.
Outside the village folk enjoyed this unexpected music coming from the church.
When Billy played the last note, he thought of another tune for the organ. He pushed back the stops of the ‘trumpet’ and ‘forte’ and pulled out the ‘strings’ and the stop marked ‘Legato’ for this smoothly played tune. His feet were not long enough to reach the foot pedals of course but he found more than enough stops on the organ by the keyboard.
Very gently his fingers flowed smoothly up and down the black and white keys as he played. The tune he was hearing in his head and making his twelve fingers play was ‘Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring,’ a cantata by the famous German composer, Johann Sebastian Bach. He played the music perfectly and beautifully.
The tunes he had in his mind came from the radio station he played every night, especially as his family did not have a television.
In the vestry, the pastor’s office, Pastor Jenkins was preparing his sermon. The music inspired him in his writing and he was sorry when the music stopped. It was unusual for his organist, Miss Polly Stroud, to play on a Saturday and play only two tunes when she practised. Perhaps she had matters to attend to. But the tunes had been played perfectly. Indeed particularly well. Miss Stroud had added some very intricate arpeggios as her fingers raced up and down the keyboards.
But it was time for Billy to return home for his lunch.
The next day was Sunday. After the morning service Rev. Mr. Jenkins stood at the door of the church greeting his congregation.
‘It was so pleasant to hear the organ on a Saturday,’ they said.
‘Yes, Miss Stroud should do it more often. It reminds people that there is a service the next day, on a Sunday,’ replied the pastor.
As the last of the congregation left the church and the music faded to silence, the pastor approached his organist.
‘Thank you once again for playing so beautifully, Miss Stroud,’ he said.
‘Thank you for a delightful sermon. I think that was one of your best,’ she replied.
‘Then you must take the credit.’
‘And why is that?’ she asked.
‘Because you played the ‘Trumpet Voluntary’ then ‘Jesus Joy of Man’s Desiring’, yesterday. Your music inspired my thoughts for the sermon.’
‘Yesterday? But I was not in church yesterday,’ she replied.
‘You mean you were not playing around 11a.m yesterday morning? Are you sure?’ he asked.
‘Yes. At that time I was shopping. I was not playing the organ.’
‘Then who is the phantom organist?’ asked the pastor.
‘I just do not know and I can’t imagine any other organist in our village,’ said Miss Stroud.
Chapter 5
Billy filled in an application form and posted it in a nearby letter box. As soon as it dropped into the post box he had doubts whether he should have posted this letter at all! In fact he was not sure how far away Glasgow was. Only he knew what the envelope contained.
Miss Smart met Miss Stroud one day and they spoke of the strange musical happenings in the village.
‘Have you any ideas about the phantom pianist?’ asked Miss Smart.
‘No, all my music pupils deny playing and I know everyone who plays the piano in the village,’ said Miss Stroud.
‘He cannot keep playing like this before someone discovers him,’ said Miss Smart.
‘Yes, but it may be a girl and not a boy,’ said Miss Stroud.
‘Of course,’ said Miss Smart.
Billy’s birthday was approaching. His mother counted her money and asked Billy what he wanted for his Birthday.
‘I want to go to the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. There’s a music competition there. It lasts all day. The judges hear all the musicians and select the very best who play in a concert at night. I’d love to see that,’ he begged.
‘A day out in Glasgow! That’s a train journey, meals out, tickets for the concert. Ummm we’ll see if we can afford that. Are you sure that’s what you want Billy?’ asked his mother.
‘Yes Mum, please Mum. It can be my Christmas present too, if you like,’ said Billy.
Chapter 6
Billy’s birthday arrived. He had a card from his parents, a card from his uncle in Cornwall and his Grannies’ in Bridge of Earn and Wigan. His uncle gave him a mouth organ. But he did not have time to play it that day. The train left very early in the morning. He was on the train to Glasgow with his parents.
Glasgow was a very busy city with lots of people and traffic. It was the first time Billy had seen such a big city.
They made their way to the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. They entered the large building and found their seats at the front. The expensive seats were in the gallery. It meant that they were very near the stage. They would have sore necks looking up at the stage before the end of the day!
Billy noticed the competitors were at least twice his age. First to play were the percussionists. They played drums, xylophones, maracas and cymbals. The competition got off to a very loud start.
Then came the sweet sound of the strings section. There were violins, violas, cellos and double basses. Each musician was asked to play two pieces. That was in the rules of the competition of course, which Billy knew.
Next to the stage was the brass section. Trumpets and trombones, euphoniums and French horns arrived on stage to play.
Then it was lunchtime. The Hansen family ate their sandwiches that they brought from home and drank water from the water dispensers in the Hall.
‘Are you enjoying your birthday son?’ asked his father.
‘Yes Dad,’ said Billy a little nervously twitching his twelve fingers.
Chapter 7
At 2pm the woodwind section gave their performances. Clarinets and oboes, piccolos and bassoons entertained the rows of proud parents.
One hour later, a grand piano was carefully set in the centre of the stage. There were three soloists to play this fine piano. As this was their first time at this piano, the adjudicator ensured they were comfortable before playing. Each pianist played their two pieces.
Polite applause was given to each player. Then to Mr and Mrs Hansen’s surprise, the adjudicator made his next announcement.
‘And now we come to our final musician. From Dumfries, our last piano player, Billy Hansen.’
The audience applauded. Voices of ‘he’s so young’ were heard. Mr and Mrs Hansen were speechless at first. Then Mr Hansen said, ‘You never told us you could play the piano! You won’t be able to play very well. Come back Billy!
But Billy was already mounting the steps to the stage. He looked out at the rows and rows of people. He had never seen such a full concert hall before. He momentarily froze.
‘Are you ready to play Billy?’ asked the adjudicator. ‘What pieces will you play for us?’
‘I ...I....I..will...play...ummm...’ said Billy.
‘This is going to be a disaster,’ said,’ Mr Hansen.
‘I will play.... the adagio in G minor by Albinoni first,’ said Billy
‘He can’t play music like that,’ said his mother.
‘Then after that, I will play the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2,’ said Billy.
There was a gasp of utter astonishment that one so young could take on these difficult pieces.
Billy sat on the piano stool looking at the bright black and white notes of what seemed to him to be a brand new piano. The notes seemed to be at his eye level. The adjudicator then approached and asked him to leave the seat!
He then took hold of the seat at the sides and turned two wooden wheels. The seat rose and Billy sat on it again. This time he could look down on all the notes. He felt more comfortable. He flexed all of his fingers, all twelve of them.
And his parents became less anxious as Billy played with feeling, Albinoni’s adagio.
‘He can play,’ said his father.
‘Shhhhh....yes, he really can,’ whispered his mother.
And somewhere in the balcony, looked on another astonished listener.
Billy finished his first piece and heard everyone applaud. He did not know what to do next.
From the wings the adjudicator shouted to Billy.
‘Stand up and take a bow Billy, can you hear me?’
Billy heard and did as he was told. The applause grew louder. It was still ringing in his ears when he returned to the piano to start his second piece.
The second piano concerto by Rachmaninov brought tears to the eyes of many of the audience as it was such a romantically moving piece of music. Again, when he finished, Billy was not quite sure what to do but then remembered what he had been told, so he bowed again...and again...and again. The audience cheered more and more and more.
He stepped off the stage and rejoined his parents. They hugged him proudly and the people on the row behind patted his back.
‘Bravo, young man. Well done. You are another Mozart. He was composing and performing at the age of six as well!’ they said.
‘Ladies and Gentlemen. We will now have a break of thirty minutes. Then we shall return and announce the winners of each section.
Mr and Mrs Hansen stood up and took Billy to the side of the hall where they could stretch their legs.
‘Where did you learn to play like that Billy?’ asked his father.
‘I hear these tunes in my head and with twelve fingers, I find them easy to play,’ he said.
‘But we have no piano. Where do you play?’ asked his mother.
‘I think I know where,’ said a voice behind them. ‘I have been listening from the balcony. You play so beautifully Billy...and I think I know your secret. Was ‘Happy Birthday’ your first tune?’ Miss Polly Stroud the organist asked.
‘Yes it was,’ said Billy in surprise.
‘He played for Miss Smart’s birthday at school you know, Mrs Hansen?’
‘Really?’ she replied.
‘Oh yes, he really did. And haven’t you been playing the church organ too, Billy?’ she asked.
‘ er...yes I did,’ said Billy looking sorry for himself.
‘Well I think you must be a child prodigy and that’s wonderful. I’ve heard such a wonderful concert today and at last I’ve got to the bottom of the phantom pianist!’ She gave him a hug.
‘You must be very proud of your son Mr and Mrs Hansen,’ she said.
‘We certainly are Miss Stroud.’
‘Do let me know how well he does today because I have to go now.’
‘We will let you know on Monday,’ said his mother.
Chapter 8
At 4pm the judges resumed their seats and the audience were ready to hear the results.
The Hansen family clapped loudly to the winners of the percussion section and then the strings section. The brass winners were announced and then the woodwind winning players too, to much applause.
‘Our winners are now forming on stage to join with the Scottish Symphony Orchestra to play Tchaikovsky’s 1st Piano Concerto this evening. We have two flutes; two oboes; two clarinets; two bassoons; two horns; two trumpets; three trombones; timpani; strings and now we need a pianist. The jury is unanimous. The winner of the piano section and the guest pianist to play this evening is ...Billy Hansen.’
Billy’s parents had tears in their eyes. ‘Can you really play Tchaikovsky too?’ asked his mother.
Billy smiled. ‘Yes Mum I know it well. It’s easy with twelve fingers.’
The winners were taken behind the stage where they and their parents were given a hot meal. Mr. and Mrs Hansen were then given new tickets in the balcony as all the successful parents were to sit upstairs for the concert. There was going to be a rehearsal so all the parents had to leave until the concert started.
Television cameras took their places in preparation for the concert on the stage and from the balcony.
At 7.30pm the curtain rose to see Billy arriving to applause just before the conductor. He began to play the grand chords at the start of the three movements of the score. The audience was mesmerized with the music and particularly with Billy’s active sliding up and down the piano stool as his twelve fingers made their way around the keyboard to Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky’s heavenly delight.
When the concert ended Mr and Mr Hansen were approached by a man in a dark suit and a bright yellow bowtie.
‘Mr and Mrs Hansen, you must be very proud of your son,’ he said.
‘Yes, we are. We did not know he’d be so interested in music,’ said his father.
‘Come, come Mr Hansen. Your son is very gifted to be able to play like he does at his age.’
‘I think it’s because of his twelve fingers,’ said his father.
‘Yes, I noticed. They are very unusual but very useful. I should have introduced myself better. My name is Professor Larry Scholes. I am the Director of the Scottish Arts School here in Glasgow. I hope you would consider Billy becoming a pupil with us.’
‘Oh no, we can’t afford for him to travel every day from Dumfries or to pay your tuition fees. I am afraid that is out of the question, Professor,’ said Mr Hansen.
‘Ah but you don’t understand Mr Hansen. By winning the competition, Billy has a scholarship. We pay for all his fees, his classes his meals and his accommodation. We will look after him well and give him regular paid visits to his home. You will not be out of pocket.’
‘Well that does make a difference darling, doesn’t it?’ asked Mr Hansen.
‘Yes, as long as Billy agrees,’ Mrs Hansen replied.
Chapter 9
Of course Billy agreed. His school was now in Glasgow. At last he had many friends who played like him with other instruments. Billy could not be happier. He gave end of term concerts each year and after ten years at the school he left to play wherever he was asked.
As a professional musician, he made lots of money playing a piano. He gave his parents some money to make their lives easier. First of all he bought them a big screen colour television and they saw him perform all over the world.
He played at Buckingham Palace and at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. He played in the National Concert Hall in Dublin and the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik in Iceland as well as the Paris Concert Hall.
And his twelve fingers made it easy for him to play some of the most difficult and testing pieces of music. Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B minor was one of his favourites but it was Frederick Chopin’s music which he loved most. He played all the different styles of his music. He played:
Mazurkas Etudes Preludes Nocturnes Waltzes Polonaise Rondos Impromptus Ecossaise and Sonatas.
And he played the piano for more than seventy years. But wherever he played in the world and at whatever event he was asked to play, he was the only musician in the whole wide world, with twelve fingers.
Ends.
How to listen to the piano pieces that Billy played in this story.
Ask your parent, older brother or sister to search in your computer engine, the music Billy played:
Happy Birthday / piano version
The Trumpet Voluntary by Jeremiah Clarke.
J.S. Bach’s Jesus Joy of Man’s Desiring / piano
Adagio in G minor by Albinoni
Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 2
Tchaikovsky’s 1st Piano Concerto
Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B minor
Frederick Chopin’s music for mazurkas, etudes etc.
And here are some more Classical pieces of music to discover. Try listening to the music with your eyes closed and instead of Billy playing, you are. Can you see why Billy found the music so interesting?
Cannon by Johann Pachelbel
The Swan by Camille Saint Saens
Largo from the New World Symphony
Largo by Handel
Pavane by Gabriel Fauré
Air from the Water Music by Handel
Intermezzo from Cavelleria by Mascagni
Beethoven’s 5th Symphony
The Four Seasons by Vivaldi
March from the Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky
Arrival of the Queen of Sheba by Handel.
Mendelssohn Overture A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Symphony No 40 by Mozart.
Perhaps one day you will play like Billy. Or you will play another instrument like a violin, accordion, trumpet or a clarinet. If you do, I hope you will enjoy the music you will make as others will enjoy listening to you.
budd