The   SANCTUARY   PIANO   Of

St. Andrews-Covenant Presbyterian Church

Wilmington, North Carolina 

The piano in St. Andrews-Covenant’s Sanctuary was made possible through a generous donation from the family of Jane Reams.  This gift brought a long-standing dream of having a quality piano in our Sanctuary into reality.  Through donations, the instrument has been brought up to concert quality joining our other marvelous instrumental resources in praise to God.

Who built this piano?

The piano was manufactured by the Chickering firm in Boston.  This firm was founded in 1823 by Jonas Chickering.  By the 1860’s and 1870’s, there was a great rivalry in piano making between the houses of Chickering and Steinway.

Jonas Chickering, Founder

How does the tone of this instrument compare to other quality piano manufacturers?

Chickerings usually have a full tone in the bass register but somewhat less power in the tenor and treble ranges as compared to Steinway or Mason & Hamlin.  Sound is always a matter of taste, but there are many concert pianists who prefer to perform on a Chickering over other pianos.  Chickering pianos built up until around World War II are considered second to none.  This piano falls into that category as it was built in 1925.

The Chickering Nameplate

Who are some of these pianists who preferred Chickering?

Perhaps the greatest pianist of all time, Franz Listz, owned two Chickering pianos.  Liszt, halfway through his first test of a Chickering abruptly stopped and exclaimed, “It is Imperial!  I have never thought  a  piano  could  possess such  qualities!”  Listz’s instruments are still housed in European museums.  The great composer, Edvard Grieg, also once referred to a Chickering as “… the glorious Chickering.”  Throughout its history, Chickering won more than 200 major awards for their pianos.

Trivia Fact:  Sir Arthur Sullivan used a Chickering piano to put music to W. S. Gilbert’s words, bringing to life the now infamous Gilbert and Sullivan songs!

Inside the Chickering Piano

 Can the St. Andrews-Covenant sanctuary piano be considered a “Concert Grand” piano?

No, to be considered a “Concert Grand” piano it must be 9’ long.  Our Chickering is technically considered a Medium Grand as it measures 5’8” in length.  A true Grand Piano must 6’ or longer.

What innovations did Chickering bring to the piano industry?

As early as 1837, Jonas Chickering improved upon and patented the design of the Full Iron Plate.  This innovation allowed the necessary support for the greater string tension of larger grand pianos.  Somewhat later, he developed the system of overstringing, where bass strings cross over the strings in the next register.  These designs were universally adopted such that all modern grand pianos are overstrung, and are reinforced with cast frames.

Interior of Piano Showing Overstringing of Bass Strings

Why do artists prefer grand pianos over upright pianos?

Since the strings are stretched horizontally, parallel to the floor, the grand action is gravity fed.  It does not rely on springs to return the hammer to a resting position, allowing greater control and expressiveness.

Trivia Fact:  Grand pianos sound so rich because of the length of their strings and the size of their soundboard.  Even when a pianist is not playing on the bass notes, those strings, (and indeed all of the unplayed strings), are reverberating sympathetically to the rest of the sound waves being produced.

Anatomy of a Grand Piano

 What has been done to restore this instrument?

At some point, both the keys and strings have been replaced.  Since its arrival at St. Andrews-Covenant the action was regulated to make the depth of stroke consistent note-to-note.  Further, the hammer felts were shaped to minimize flattening and improve the tone quality.