The Phantom Serenade: On the Rails

It's the end of summer, and taking advantage of the holiday we're going on a rail jaunt, accompanied by some music by Lumbye.



I've talked about Danish composer Lumbye before, so I won't go into much about him. But this piece delights me; the whimsical reproduction of the train sounds accompanied with an upbeat tone that illustrates the smiling faces of holiday-making passengers. The video illustrates the real train voyage from Copenhagen to Roskilde, at the time a popular destination from Copenhagen for day trips.

Nothing like a train trip to bring excitement! So many stories of mystery and adventure are on trains; I once saw a joking Onion story about a homicide on a train that was quickly solved, much to the disappointment of the passengers who expected something much more draw-out and dramatic. Movies ranging from The Lady Vanishes to Murder on the Orient Express play up the romance of rail, and there's one Victorian author whose name I forget who specialized in mystery stories set on trains. Ghost and horror stories set on trains aren't as numerous, but they are out there, like Dickens' "The Signal-Man."

So relax and imagine joining your friends on a train trip, and fill in your own adventures...