Baby Grand piano rescued from rubble

Andrew Harrison, who has been a professional piano technician for twenty six years, spent four months renovating the piano after it was given to the UGT in September last year.

The UGT's existing piano '“ used regularly for Sunday afternoon chamber concerts, Friday jazz nights and Saturday coffee mornings - had reached the end of it's days and a replacement was urgently needed.

The committee agreed the time had come to look for a replacement but acknowledged that the theatres' budget would be put under severe strain.

However, their dilemma was solved by a friend of the Eastbourne Arts Centre, who discovered the Danemann baby grand in the rubble of school being demolished in Hampshire. He told the theatre they were welcome to have the piano, which he had stored in his garage.

Andrew, along with the founder of the Underground Theatre chamber-music seasons, Robert Milnes, were dispatched to give their verdict.

They reported the piano was "in a terrible mess", but beneath the grime they saw that this was no ordinary piano but a superb nine-foot-six concert grand manufactured by Danemann approximately fifty years ago.

Andrew said: "It has the potential to be a good piano. Danemann's were built after the war and were top quality instruments for schools etcetera. Their grand pianos are extremely good quality and very well built. They are not as well known as bigger manufacturers but quality wise they are excellent."

The rescued piano was bought to Bexhill last September and Andrew spent four months completely restoring it's mechanism including fitting new 'hammers', which had to be ordered from Germany.

The badly scratched outer case was dispatched to a specialist company in Yorkshire where it is being renovated, refinished and polished.

The cost of repair will still be considerable but far less than buying new and the UGT say they are confident that they will be able to offset some of the costs by the sale of its existing piano.

Andrew said that once the piano is finished he will reassembled the interior with the outer-casing at its new home at the UGT. He will then "make it work" by expertly regulating, tuning and adjusting each note.

The UGT say it has the potential to be one of the best pianos on a public stage anywhere on the south coast and they plan a special

'launch' when it is completed, possibly by way of a special concert.

Chairman of the UGT volunteers Pam Keen said everyone associated with the theatre is "ecstatic" at its good fortune, and is looking forward "tremendously" to hearing the concert grand in its new home.

For further information on the UGT visit the website at: www.undergroundtheatre.org.uk