There is no more iconic sound to be heard from the City of London than Big Ben. I’ve used it many times in many shows, most recently to disturb Scrooge’s sleep. Lots of folks have recorded it, but I had to record it for myself, here. I found a spot across the Thames where the traffic sound is at its lowest, and waited for midnight. This is what we heard.

The clock begins its familiar melody, and then there is this tremendously long pause—long enough that you think it’s not going to chime, and you feel let down. Then, BOOOM!  It tolls, catching you completely by surprise…. Strange sleeping birds on the river wake and squawk in protest. On the third chime, suddenly all the exterior lights on all the Parliament buildings and Westminster go out simultaneously, plunging the city into seeming darkness. The river continues to flow by silently. You can’t help but count along and, by the twelfth chime, experience chills of emotion and mystery….

Today we went by again and a kind man took our picture just as Big Ben tolled Noon. I got chills again despite sunshine, crowds, and rushing traffic.

My mental soundtrack for London has been Richard Thompson’s The Sights and Sounds of London Town. It’s not about the bright and sparkly London, but it still manages to make the city a real place in song.