St Albans School has joined a very exclusive list after taking delivery of a special set of pianos.
The school, in Abbey Gateway, has now been named one of only two All-Steinway Schools in the country. A school is given All-Steinway status if its students only learn and perform on the expensive Steinway pianos.
Eight of the pianos were delivered to the school at the beginning of September after all the old instruments had been taken away.
Delivery of the new pianos was a difficult task as the music rooms are based at the top of a narrow staircase in the school.
Director of music, Mick Stout, said: “Each piano weighs in at around 300 kilos and each one has to go up a small staircase. The old ones had already gone down the staircase, so we knew it could be done.”
Seven of the pianos are in the practice rooms and a Steinway Model ‘B’ grand piano is being housed in the school library, where it will be used in concerts.
The department’s former pianos have been distributed among staff and pupils. All piano-playing students at the school will benefit from the new instruments, which are said to be the best money can buy.
An inaugural concert featuring the grand piano was immediately arranged to take place in the school library, featuring professional soloists and pupils.
The only other All-Steinway School is Wellington School in Somerset, after it took delivery of 15 Steinway pianos last year.