The White Church in Blandford is home to an original 1894 Herman Miller Grand Piano.
This summer Marcia Eckart, a pianist and teacher based in NYC, performed at the church as part of a fundraiser to restore the antique piano.
Learn more about the history and importance of Blandford’s Old White Church in our full feature on the structure.
Read the full transcript:
Marcia Eckert, Pianist/Instructor: Every space is different, so every piano sounds different in every space. And that was one of the things that attracted me to the piano in the first place, was the fact that I thought it would sound very good in this space.
And in fact, it does. It’s a large space with was high ceilings, but the piano fills up that space somehow. Not in a heavy way, not in an exceptionally bright way. It brings us a mellow bell-like sound that just, I think, fits perfectly.
This piano is very beloved by the community. People love it. Take care of it.
This one was built in 1893. That’s four years before Johannes Brahms died. That’s — it’s like putting us in a really different era, the Romantic period, really.
It was a fixer-upper when we got it. It’s a great piano, but pianos, like people need help and sometimes need new parts. So, we started doing piano benefit concerts for Henry — we call him Henry. Starting in — 2016 was the first one — they’re called Pianopaloozas. And little by — the plan was over many years we would replace one set of parts, another set of parts.
I have to say, the piano is beautiful in this space, now. Very fun to play. And piano in a community is just a really important thing.
And — and it has opened up the opportunity to have all kinds of events, not only our concert series in the summer, but, you know, weddings and other events, the piano is there. So, it’s been it’s been wonderful to have it.
