Amazing Grace at Bryant Park.

I thought there was something sad about a woman sitting at a piano alone playing for an inattentive crowd. I also thought, what could be sadder still than when the woman starts singing to herself?

Such was the state I saw her in when I ambled into Bryant Park where I supposed in the summer an entertainer was hired to bring music.

An opportuning photographer that I was, who as far as she was concerned, had only regard for capturing images and none for comprehending music, I approached slowly from behind knowing that my camera’s noise would surely rouse her from her melancholy.

Whether or not she heard me snapping photos, she kept on playing. She sang “Amazing Grace” listlessly I’d say as if in resignation to the fact that an audience of one however disinterested was better than none.

Soon, however, I heard footsteps and a small crowd formed behind me. I stepped to the side and then to the back of the piano to give the crowd room. I raised my camera and took more pictures at my new location, this time facing her.

As I did, she looked up at me and smiled. She held her smile for some time while she continued singing until perhaps she was sure that I had taken my shot. She then lowered her eyes again at the keyboard.

While I had my camera pressed to my face, I realized I was in the prime spot for hearing her music — in front of her and in the back of the piano — and thought it a shame that her back was turned to the crowd because I alone could hear the fullness of her voice and how relaxing and gratifying it sounded as she sang with growing passion and emotion.

When it was over, the crowd gave applause and she bowed in return. She talked to them about music — a young crowd of what appeared to be college students.

In the past, I have on occasion been to places where I was asked to not take pictures and to leave the premises. So always in the back of my mind I was prepared to leave promptly and politely however picture-perfect the scene may be and however dour and downcast I might feel.

This time however, I walked away feeling valiant and lofty. As the smile on the woman’s face seemed to attest perhaps thanking me from the bottom of her heart for bringing to her the crowd, photography was welcome. I’m no knight in shining armor but I like to think that my actions however perfunctory and my thoughts however delusionary bring justice to the world and peace to humankind, and even then when circumstances arise, find occasion to respond and dispense aid to a damsel in distress.

The piano player’s name is Christy Tennant. Her website is everythingchristy.wordpress.com.