Local Church's 50
Year Old Steinway Grand Piano Made Anew
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Muhlenberg Lutheran Church to formally
unveil totally rebuilt 1965 Steinway Grand Piano at a special dedication
concert open to the public.
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HARRISONBURG, VA Jan. 4,
2015 - Old, unpredictable, difficult, and temperamental are
just a few of the words to describe Muhlenberg's Steinway Grand Piano
prior to its total restoration by the local downtown institution,
Whitesel Music. It is true many consider Steinway to be the 'Rolls
Royce' of the piano world, but many people forget that even a Rolls
Royce someday will wear out. This was the case for the 1965 Model
L Steinway that sat in the sanctuary of Muhlenberg Lutheran Church.
Once the determination was made that something had to be done, the leadership
of the church, with the guidance of Music Minister, Elizabeth McBride,
knew an investment must be made in order to restore the
aging Steinway to its original glory.
While Whitesel Music's piano and
organ repair and rebuilding services are sought on a national scale, it 'was
an honor to be of service and assist a church right around the corner.
We treat our job as a ministry and are happy to see that this reborn
piano will breathe life into Muhlenberg's already thriving music ministry for
long after we are all gone from this earth', says third generation company
president, Joshua Dove.
Whitesel Music's team of master
piano rebuilders meticulously rebuilt or totally replaced every single one of
the over eight thousand components that make up Muhlenberg's incredible
piece of art and feat of technology known as the Steinway Grand
Piano. The job took 4 months to complete from start to finish and
required the collective efforts of at least 8 people with a combined piano
rebuilding and refinishing experience of over 160 years.
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Since the piano's restoration
and return to its permanent home in the sanctuary, Whitesel Music's tonal
finishing team has spent over 50 hours fine tuning the piano's action and
sound to fit the exacting needs and acoustical demands of the church's unique
space and talented players. This piano will now last the church
for multiple generations before needing significant work again. The
decision to rebuild their existing piano over purchasing new has saved the
congregation tens of thousands of dollars. Sometimes purchasing new is
best. But with the visionary and open minds of the church leadership, plus
the highly qualified guidance and skills of Whitesel Music, this was a case
where rebuilding was by far the best option.
The work has been completed in time
for a major dedicatory concert that will take place on Sunday, January 18th
at 3:00p.m. in the sanctuary of Muhlenberg Lutheran Church, located at 281
East Market St. Harrisonburg, VA 22801. Musicians will include Elizabeth
McBride, piano, Mark Nichols, piano, Amadi Azikiwe, violin, and Edward Gant,
cello. The program will include music of Mozart, Chopin, Debussy,
and Beethoven. The concert is open to the public and all are welcome.
For albums of before, during, and after the restoration process, please visit our facebook page.
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