There is something about a piano shop.
T. E. Carhart’s ‘The Piano Shop on the Left Bank’ is a literary trip through the magical world of Parisian piano-dealers, and while we can’t quite match the romantic location of his tour through Erards and Pleyels, we music staff embarked upon a pianistic odyssey of our own just before lockdown.
Our tour of piano dealers went from smart Soho, through ugly warehouses in west London, to Swansea and the New Forest while storm Desmond was at its fiercest, trying dozens of instruments as we went.
There is nothing that matches the sound of a really good piano in a really good acoustic setting, and our Music Hall now has both of these things. Our Steinway Model B is now sitting there, waiting for the moment when the building is once more filled with OHS pupils making music.
Many years of use have taken their toll on our practice room pianos, and I am happy to say that we are also taking delivery of six new upright and one baby grand piano, which will hugely improve the quality of sound girls are able to make in their lessons.
You can hear The Steinway in the background of some of the pieces in our YouTube ‘Virtual Concert’ videos, but it will take centre stage in an inaugural concert by staff and pupils next academic year – watch this space for details.