Henry Alford composes a radiator symphony

Studio 360
A building radiator in Paris

In New York, heat runs on steam. Although radiators are notorious for their banging, clanging and shrieking, they do get the job done.

Henry Alford is actually a fan of those steam-powered screeches — to him, they’re music: “Sometimes when I hear my radiator, I think: Renata Tebaldi.”

Alford and producer Pejk Malinovski were so taken with the noise, they decided to compose an entire symphony out of the radiator sounds they'd collected.

Stay warm.

Bonus audio: Radiator Symphony

(Originally aired February 26, 2010)

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