Piano society holds last recital at closed museum

A piano society founded during World War Two has held its last recital at the museum it called home.

Sunderland Pianoforte Society has for decades hosted performances at the city's Museum and Winter Gardens, which shut in August ahead of a two-year refurbishment.

Despite the closure, on Tuesday the society was given the chance to hold one last performance on its Model D Steinway, which it has kept at the museum since the 1960s.

With the society moving to Hope Street Xchange in the city centre, Chair Eileen Bown thanked the museum for a "long and really happy relationship" but said it was unclear whether the group and piano would be able to return after the revamped facility reopened.

The piano, made in the Louis XVI fashion in light walnut, was made sometime around 1902 in Hamburg, Germany, and is believed to be one of only six built in that style.

Following years of borrowing instruments, the society obtained the instrument in the late 1960s at the recommendation of pianist Ronald Smith.

Concert pianist Daniel Lebhardt, who played the instrument at Tuesday's recital, said it had been "exciting and inspiring" to play the Steinway, which had a "special character to the tone".

"This really affects my interpretation on the day of the performance," he said. "I might spontaneously linger on certain notes more or less."

"The society started in 1943," said Bown.

"That was just a group of like-minded people who enjoyed playing the piano, then it just grew and it's still here today, which is amazing really.

"This is the end of an era and the beginning of a new era."

The £13.6m upgrade of the museum, including a new entrance and galleries, is currently planned to be finished in time for a reopening in late 2028.

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