1913 Mason & Hamlin Concert Grand Piano

UPDATE: Goal has been met! Thank you to everyone for your support and generosity!!

Greetings, church family. I want to let you know about an exciting opportunity we have for our music ministry. A local music teacher and owner of a fine, full size concert grand piano is interested in selling it. Through mutual acquaintances and the help of our piano tuner and technician, she has offered it to Tabernacle at a generous price.

The piano is a 9-foot Mason & Hamlin concert grand, built in 1913. Mason & Hamlin is an American brand comparable to the finest instruments available such as Steinway, Yamaha, and Bösendorfer. A quick search will show you that new instruments of this size and quality have retail prices in the range of $200,000. We are also advised that despite its age, the period in which this piano was made in many ways represents a finer quality of materials and craftsmanship due to changes in the manufacturing process that are now reflected in modern pianos.

The Mason has been meticulously maintained, and many parts have been refurbished, rebuilt, and restored over the years. I had the chance to hear and play the piano, and I can attest that the sound and tone quality are incredible. While it is true we aren’t in need of a new piano, this would be a significant upgrade to our main sanctuary piano and allow us to move our existing instruments around in the building and have more flexibility and usable instruments in our main meeting spaces and music rehearsal areas.

Several church leaders have been involved in the discussion about this, and all are in agreement that we should pursue the opportunity to purchase the piano; but, we need your help! We are in the middle of the budget year, and the finance team feels this purchase needs to be funded through special offerings. The piano is being offered to us for $25,000—an incredible price for this instrument! If you are interested in contributing to this effort through a special gift (above your regular giving to the general fund), please make your contribution and designate it for “New Piano.” If giving online, select the “New Piano 2024” fund. If we are blessed with more than enough funds, we would use those to continue to maintain the piano. Please be in prayer about this matter for our church, and consider if God is calling you to contribute. We are looking forward to making beautiful music with this beautiful instrument!