Agatha Christie’s
Piano
Agatha Christie’s wonderful Steinway Boudoir Grand Piano, beloved to visitors at Greenway fell silent during the summer while specialist conservation work was carried out. Anita Newcombe chats to volunteer pianist Jane Wibberley to find out more.
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gatha Christie was a highly talented but very shy that Agatha Christie’s dream was to be a concert pianist. concert pianist, who regularly played privately on As a child, she regularly attended musical comedies with her Steinway in the drawing room at her holiday home her Granny, who would also buy the musical scores for at Greenway. Dating back to the late 1800s, the piano her. Agatha would take them home to Ashfield in Torquay was based in Agatha’s London home when Greenway and practise for hours each day. By her mid teens she was requisitioned during the Second World War. During was practising for up to 7 hours a day and during this its stay there it survived a bombing raid. Returned to time, she played her first concert. It was a disaster - she Greenway after the war, it’s now regularly played by was totally overcome by the stage fright she was never National Trust volunteers and visitors alike and there’s a to conquer. She could perhaps have been a celebrated definite frisson of excitement knowing that the Queen of concert pianist but it was not to be. Crime herself once played this marvellous instrument. In the mid 1930s, now married, Agatha bought her The Steinway’s restoration project began at the end of Steinway piano and kept it in her private room in their July, when Jeff Clamp, London home, along with Before Jeff set to work it was getting restorer and tuner of her writing desk where she difficult to play. You couldn’t get the antique and modern had now started writing right dynamic range and much of the keyboards, began the her world-famous novels. sensitivity had been lost. It now sounds She is reported to have said work in the drawing just like a Steinway should. room at Greenway in that she was never to be front of an audience disturbed unless the house of visitors. After gently cleaning the strings and the was on fire. There she played her concert repertoire in soundboard, he explained, “I’m taking away the workings splendid solitude – a wonderful talent never to be heard of the piano – pedals, action and dampers. I will totally outside her own home. She also enjoyed singing and was strip them down to their component parts and rebuild, a talented soprano but again this was very much a private replacing any damaged parts with authentic replacements, pursuit for Agatha. while trying to keep as much of the original as possible.” For visitors to Greenway, seeing and being encouraged Today, with the restoration successfully completed to play Agatha Christie’s piano in the Drawing Room is and the piano back in its place, I’m popping in to meet quite delightful, while volunteer pianist Jane Wibberley regular volunteer pianist Jane Wibberley at Greenway. She makes it the perfect experience. She often gets people obviously loves playing here and tells me, “The restored dancing (practise your Tango or Waltz beforehand) and piano is an absolute delight. Before Jeff set to work it loves to get children involved. Jane will turn her more was getting difficult to play. You couldn’t get the right classical fingers to childhood favourites like Twinkle, dynamic range and much of the sensitivity had been lost. Twinkle and Wheels on the Bus to the delight of younger It now sounds just like a Steinway should.” visitors. Jane tells me, “If you engage the children, the Jane generally plays the piano and chats to visitors at parents and grandparents are also engaged.” Greenway on Thursdays from 11am- 1pm. She tells me So it’s very jolly around the piano when Jane is playing.
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22 | December/January 2018/19