Music Stop Created for Pedestrians in Danish City Street
Celebrating Carl Nielsen Through Interactive Outdoor Music
- Client: "From Street To City"
- Location: William Werner Park, Denmark
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Carl Nielsen’s birth, Percussion Play Denmark created a bespoke outdoor musical instrument that transforms a city street into a playful cultural destination. Designed for everyone to enjoy - regardless of age or musical ability - the installation brings one of Denmark’s most loved songs into the public realm.
Bespoke MyTunes – Outdoor Aluminium Chimes Panel
The instrument is based on “Jeg ved en lærkerede” (“I Know a Lark’s Nest”), a song with lyrics written by Harald Alfred Bergstedt in 1921 and music composed by Carl Nielsen in 1924. The melody, inspired by the Danish lark and a child’s connection with nature, remains deeply rooted in Denmark’s cultural identity.
Installed at William Werner Park, Denmark, the chimes form a welcoming “music stop” within the streetscape. The panel features 26 precision‑tuned aluminum chimes, arranged so the melody plays intuitively from left to right. This simple, inclusive design encourages spontaneous interaction and shared musical moments among pedestrians.
Funded by the From Street To City project, the installation demonstrates how interactive public art and outdoor musical instruments can support placemaking - turning everyday routes into engaging destinations that invite pause, play, and social connection.
Born on 9 June 1865, Carl Nielsen rose from humble beginnings to become the most famous Danish composer in history. His belief that “Music is the sound of life” is embodied in this installation, where music becomes a living, shared experience within the urban environment.
MyTunes – Bespoke Musical Instruments for Placemaking
This installation uses our MyTunes, Percussion Play’s bespoke musical instrument, which transforms well‑known melodies into playable outdoor chimes for public spaces. Each MyTunes instrument is carefully tuned so familiar songs can be played intuitively by the public, turning music into an accessible form of interactive public art.
Alongside “Jeg ved en lærkerede”, MyTunes melodies have included well‑loved compositions such as Take Me Out to the Ball Game, Old Macdonald, Happy Birthday, Teddy Bear's Picnic, Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside and other culturally significant pieces created for parks, streetscapes and civic spaces around the world.
Learn more about MyTunes bespoke outdoor musical instruments
