Restoration of historic piano in Peterborough, NH fully funded
Imagine the lively contra dance tunes that have echoed through the Peterborough Town House, all accompanied by this Chickering 110B grand piano, built in the 1890s. This instrument has been a staple of dances and concerts for decades. Here are some facts about the piano:
This grand piano was gifted to the Town of Peterborough on the occasion of the Town House’s grand opening in 1918.
Chickering & Sons was the first piano manufacturer in the United States.
Local contra dance musician Bob McQuillen, who played this piano for 60 years, celebrated its rich sound and history.
Bob’s mentor, Johnny Trombly, a member of the Ralph Page Orchestra in the first half of the 20th century, played for dances on this instrument.
Read about the fully-funded restoration project here: https://www.monadnockfolk.org/about/help-save-bobs-piano/
REQUEST FOR CHICKERING "FULL" CONCERT GRANDS
Dear Colleagues,
I am a new member on this page and this is my first posting. I'm in my quest for collecting and restoring a sample of every concert scale Chickering created in order that this sacred name in American piano-making can be once again heard on stage and in the recording studio and might, at the end be better understood. At the conclusion of this journey I wish to leave this entire body of instruments (whatever stage it might be) as a whole, unbroken work which can be studied and enjoyed by the musical arts community here in New York City.
Amazingly, while Steinway & Sons produced just two modern, full-plate concert pianos, Chickering created at least 18 concert scales with full plates along with around 10 others with 3/4 plates. My feeling is that the greatest explosion of scale-creating at Chickering occurred when Steinway & Sons introduced their magnificent "Centennial-D" in 1876, replete with full plate, Capo D' Astro Bar and Duplex scaling which, at that moment, redefined the treble aesthetic in the way of a complex, soaring and singing soprano section - and that Chickering's outpouring of one fascinating concert scale after another was their response, in an epic battle, to retain what had indisputably been, prior, their leading presence on the American concert platform. While that never really happened for Chickering, they left, in their wake of heroic efforts, a precious body of musical treasures which ought to be revisited and preserved.
In addition being thankful for any leads on available pianos I do not have which might join this family, I most eagerly welcome all observations and photographs from those of you who have experienced these pianos. Indeed, in addition to my own "hands-on" experiences with the pianos I have, it is through sharing with other Chickering admirers that I've accumulated the knowledge I presently have of which I am profoundly grateful. The great thrill of this project is that this knowledge is constantly being revised as it is fine tuned. Currently, I have seven concert scales - all most different from each other in the way of their lengths and scale natures. The collection, to now includes Scales 33B, 77, 95, 97A, 105, 105B, & 105D and incoming 76. Five of them have Edwin Brown actions and the others the "Swiss" action, as they labeled it - meaning the Erard-Herz system.