Merlin Music

The Merlin owns a Steinway Model ‘D’ Grand Piano (Steinway & Sons), which has its own housing in the Blake Theatre. It is played regularly not only at Merlin concerts but also at other concerts staged at the Blake, and is also available for use by music scholars and ‘A’ level music students from the Haberdashers’ Schools in Monmouth, and by ‘A’ level students from Monmouth Comprehensive School.

The Merlin purchased the piano, new, in 1973 for £4,400, and in 2005 it underwent full reconditioning by Steinway and Sons at a cost of over £14,000. The Arts Council of Wales kindly awarded the Merlin a grant to meet half this amount. Of the Balance, about £2000 has already been raised, through donations from the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers and individual supporters, and through fund-raising events. The remainder is currently covered by a medium-term, interest-free loan, kindly made by anonymous well-wishers. The Merlin is therefore continuing to raise funds in order to repay this loan as quickly as possible and would be extremely grateful for any donation towards this. Donations can be made by cheque (The Merlin Music Society) and sent to the Treasurer, Dr. Ashley Catterall, Hill House, Great Doward, Whitchurch HR9 6DU, or handed to any Committee member on Concert nights.

Since 1973, the Merlin’s Steinway has been played by many artists, including:

Fou Ts’ong, Louis Kentner, Stephen Bishop-Kovacevich, Claudio Arrau,
Radu Lupu, Peter Frankl, Peter Donohoe, Paul Crossley, John Ogdon, John Lill, Ronald Smith, Melvyn Tan, Cecile Ousset, Roger Vignoles, Vladimir Ovchinikov, Richard Rodney Bennett, Julius Drake, Pascal Rogé, Freddy Kempf, Daniel Tong.