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PIANOS: THE GIFT THAT CAN KEEP ON GIVING

When I was very little my grandfather bought a piano from a neighbouring farmer as a gift for me. My Pop believed that the piano would help my childhood development. It wasn’t a Christmas

present but for me, it holds decades of memories, including those from Christmas past.


I acknowledge now that I didn’t fully appreciate my grandfather’s gift until I was much older in life, but I wasn’t the only child remiss in that area. This letter from Lylia Eastick of Culcairn to “Uncle Jeff” at the Albury Banner and Wodonga Express’s “Children’s Corner” suggests that even the generous Christmas gift of a piano has to compete with many other things going on in a young person’s mind:


"Dear Uncle Jeff, I went to my grandmamma's place for my Christmas holiday and I enjoyed myself. When I was away my uncle killed a great big snake. I will be 13 years old in February. We had an examination before school broke up. I got 368 marks, so I will be going up to sixth class this year. I like the song that Myra sent in. Dad gave me a piano for Christmas. I have only been to Albury once. If you come to Culcairn don't forget to come and see me. I have a bicycle, but I would sooner a pony. — From your fond niece, Lylia Eastick."


“Uncle Jeff”, maybe trying to impress upon Lylia of the value of her father’s Christmas gift replied:

That's a very nice Christmas present, Lylia. I expect you wish Christmas came more than once a year. I'll look you up in Culcairn one of these days. (1)


Christmas traditions have evolved through the centuries from pagan winter customs, Christian ceremonies and taking in familiar items introduced during the Victorian era, such as decorated trees, cards, games and crackers. As the Christmas festive season became a popular event, celebrations were often facilitated by pianos. In doing so, pianos became custodians, the catalyst even, for so many cherished memories. And perhaps, some ghosts of Christmas Past.


About the same time that Christmas celebrations became popular in Great Britain during the Georgian period (1714 to 1830), a musical instrument created by Bartolomeo Cristofori in Florence made its appearance (1709). That instrument was the piano, referred to then as the “pianoforte.”


The first recorded Christmas celebration in Australia took place in December 1788, almost a year after the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove. It is not known whether there was music played for that first colonists Christmas, but it is feasible. The First Fleet piano, a square piano made by Frederick Beck, was brought to Australia by George Worgan, the ship's surgeon on the HMS Sirius and this piano was known to have been played on board the ship during the voyage. Pianos were the privilege of wealthy families during the Georgian period. These families would gather round the square piano in the drawing room and sing carols such as The Holly and the Ivy, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, In Dulci Jubilo, Joy to the World, or Adeste Fideles, which are still sung today. (2)


Handcrafted Piano Christmas Tree (Maker: Sean Scully) 139 leaves that can be individually positioned to create a number of configurations. Folds completely flat for easy storage when not on display. (On sale in the Pianos Recycled online shop)


However, by the middle of the 19th century, pianos were finding their way into thousands of Australian homes, churches, schools and halls and they would become the magnet for entertainment and gatherings across all social classes. (It is conservatively estimated that more than 700,000 pianos were imported into Australia before Federation, and another 250,000 before the great Depression). Pianos became a popular household gift and a particularly popular Christmas gift because “most gifts, no matter, how great their cost, soon lose their novelty whereas a piano renewed itself with each new piece of music”. (3) The purchase of a piano was made easier with the “English style of time payment”, and the high number of music warehouses and department stores selling pianos. If you had been shopping for a Christmas gift piano in central Sydney in 1886, there were seven major music warehouses within a kilometre of each other! (4)



Once the piano found its new home, scenes filled with warmth, music, and togetherness come to mind. Lively piano tunes made musical chairs a fun Christmas game. (5) Christmas was also the time when children and students would have piano recitals, showcasing the new skills and songs they'd learned through the year to families and the community. Pianos prominently positioned in homes were very useful for traditional decorations. The “centre of a small piano back” was a most effective place to display your Christmas cards for instance. (6) (“Christmas card”? Ask a grandparent).


Pianos reached the peak of their popularity during the Victorian era. The piano had become a symbol of culture, cementing its place in both homes and concert halls. Coincidentally it was not until the Victorian era that the British people adopted the German Christmas tree tradition, after the Illustrated London News printed an engraving of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their family around their Christmas tree in 1848. In another Christmas-piano coincidence, 90% of pianos imported into Australia before 1914 were from German makers. (7)


There are many in the community for whom pianos will evoke cherished memories during Christmas time, with these memories blending music, family, and tradition, a tapestry of nostalgia and festive spirit. Sometimes, however, we spend a lot of time living with our memories and we forget we should be creating new ones. At Pianos Recycled we are proud to be custodians of piano heritage, but believe in balancing nostalgia with the creation of new experiences, something we can especially reflect on at Christmas time. A bit like the “Ghosts of Christmas Past” in Charles Dickens' classic novella &" Christmas Carol" where the spirit helps help Ebenezer Scrooge to reflect on earlier life choices, emotions, and experiences, pianos symbolize past memories and experiences which can now serve as a prompt for transformation.


Pianos Recycled’s mission is to create new futures for pianos. During 2024, Pianos Recycled achieved a significant milestone. We have now diverted more than 500 pianos from landfill. All these pianos have their own stories and most of them have been a part of someone’s Christmas time memories.


You can invest in new memories from piano Ghosts of Christmas Past. We prompt transformation by

commissioning local artisans to make new things from high-quality, old piano materials. Check out our website for our 2024 Christmas Gift Guide. (Pianos Recycled | Victoria | Australia)


You can also find a range of unique, sustainable handcrafted products at our online store. (Shop | Pianos Recycled). All the products we sell are hand made from pianos that would have ended in landfill, and Pianos Recycled guarantees the provenance of the materials used.


Just as music plays a significant role in “A Christmas Carol”, particularly the singing of Christmas carols, which symbolizes the joy and communal spirit of the holiday season, Pianos Recycled extends to you all the joy of the season. And remember, pianos really can be a gift that keeps on giving.


References:

(1) The Albury Banner and Wodonga Express (NSW) Fri 8 Feb 1924, Page 12 - PIANO FOR CHRISTMAS

(3) Warwick Examiner and Times (Qld) 13 Dec 1913, Page 2 - FOR CHRISTMAS: A STECK PIANOLA PIANO

(4) The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW) Tue 21 Dec 1886, Page 4 - CHRISTMAS GOODS

(5) Glen Innes Examiner and General Advertiser (NSW) Tue 27 Dec 1881, Page 2 - Christmas Games, &c.

(6) The Week (Qld.) Sat 21 Dec 1889, Page 36 - Christmas Cards

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