A Few of Our Favourite Things: Music on the piano in the Founder’s House
by volunteer Chris Pugh
It is no surprise to find a piano in the sitting room of the Founders House. During the early part of the twentieth century when the Barltrop family were living at no 12 a piano demonstrated cultural financial and social status. The ability to play the piano was seen as an essential social accomplishment for middle class ladies Piano playing and singing around the piano was a major source of home entertainment. Both Dylis and Octavia were competent pianists. In the early days of the Panacea Society Octavia arranged several musical evenings at no 12.
But it might be surprising to realise that the piano is probably the most modern piece of furnishing in what would have been for the time a conservative indeed almost old-fashioned room. It is a Reid Sohn piano which was developed as an affordable reliable piano for the suburban home or educational establishment by the then recently established north London factory of T Reid. (the firm is still in existence, its pianos are now manufactured in Korea) and purchased at Fraser and Son of Bedford (originally of Harpur street but by 1926 had merged with Mckenzie’s and moved to larger premises in Broadway. There were several piano dealers in Bedford at the time. Frasers also sold other musical instruments and HMV products including gramophones records and sheet music.
The music on the piano is at least ten years older than the piano itself so probably was a family favourite. A collection of Sacred Songs from the Bowerman Monster Shilling series published in 1910 (1/-=5p in 1910. That would be the equivalent of about £5 today. The monster shilling series also included ‘101 Best Songs ‘,’A pleasant introduction to the Classics ‘, ‘Funny Song Folio’ and ‘The Mendelssohn Masterpiece Album’
Sacred Songs, ideal for Sunday evening gatherings were especially popular in the inter war years Songs such as The Holy City or the lost Chord were part of most choirs’ repertoire. Our book is open at one special favourite ‘O For the Wings of a Dove ‘the soprano solo from Mendelssohn’s ‘Hear My Prayer’. Although composed in 1844 it only became popular in the late 1920’s. probably as a result of recording of ‘O for the Wings of a Dove’ made at the Temple Church with the boy soloist Ernest Lough which was HMV’ s bestselling record of 1927 The technology to allow such recording on location had only been developed two years earlier. The shellac disc record was replacing the more cumbersome phonograph cylinder and that too would be replace by the more durable vinyl in 1930. ‘O for the Wings of a Dove ‘has remained on the HMV catalogue but is now available in CD, as a download as well as in the traditional vinyl format.
There is no evidence of a gramophone being at no 12 but Octavia certainly enjoyed listening to the BBC (established 1922) radio broadcasts, and the popularity of the wireless amongst Panacea residents created the need for the Wireless Room a dedicated space to enjoy this entertainment without disturbing other residents in the various community houses.
Gradually the golden age of the piano as the primary source of musical entertainment in the home came to a close, but for many years after the possession piano remained a sign of middle-class respectability
