Sir Tim Rice played the piano on an interactive installation at the UK’s largest light festival and declared it “a nice place to play”.

Durham’s Lumiere festival started 10 years ago and draws thousands of visitors on dark winter nights into the city centre to enjoy free, public art pieces.

Lyricist and author Sir Tim played the Keys of Light piece, a white piano which boomed out his notes across the city and simultaneously projected light and shapes onto a nearby student block.

Lumiere Durham light festival 2019
Stones by Tigrelab Art at Durham Cathedral (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Afterwards, he said: “It’s great.

“I’m a bad piano player, but you have to bash it a bit. It’s a nice place to play.”

Other pieces among the 37 installations include a giant snow globe in the market square, a whale in the Wear and a mysterious fog sculpture.

Lumiere Durham light festival 2019
I Love Durham by Jacques Rival (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Lumiere takes place from Thursday November 14 to Sunday 17.

Artistic director Helen Marriage said: “This year’s 10th anniversary edition offers the chance to relive some of the wonderful memories of previous festivals, sprinkled as always with an element of surprise.

“We hope visitors from across the county and beyond join us as we take to the cobbled streets of Durham for four nights of wintry magic.”