[Magdalen] Grace's Birthday.

[Marion Thompson]

Interesting account of Grace's contributions to your musical life.  I was
caught by the mention of Knabe.  From before my birth nearly 81 years ago,
my mother, an accomplished pianist, had a Knabe upright, which she
treasured.  When her downsizing happened, my brother ended up with the
Knabe.  Now he is selling his house and offered it to me.  Alas, I have no
space to take it, having had to leave my lesser upright behind in Whitevale
with the young family that bought my place.  *Sic transit gloria mundi.*

Marion, a pilgrim

On Fri, Aug 2, 2019 at 10:48 AM cantor03--- via Magdalen <
magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:

>
> This is my Cousin Grace's birthday.  She would be 120.
> She lived three doors away in my hometown in Wisconsin,and she was also my
> piano teacher and the O/C of thelocal Methodist church where I sang alto
> until thevoice change at about 11.
> Grace taught piano via her treasured Mason & Hamlin grand piano.Though not
> a concert grand, the piano still filled her front parlor andI recall that
> tunes sounded better on her M&H than my familyupright.  We eventually
> bought a Knabe spinet which even in thatday (1950) set my father back
> somewhat more than $1,500.This was a step up musically, but it still wasn't
> a grand piano.
> Grace was an advocate of USA brands of pianos such as the M&H.Chickering,
> Knabe, Steinway and Baldwin.  Japanese pianos were not onthe horizon then.
>
> If you can imagine, I rented, for pittance, a real Bosendorfer grand whenI
> was living in Frankfirt/Main, Germany.  What a thrill that was, andGrace
> played it when she visited us in Germany. Bosendorfer is nowowned by Yamaha.
> But Grace's real claim to fame was her chocolate cake with crushedwalnut
> frosting.  No one seemed able to duplicate the recipe.
> RIP. Cousin Grace.
>
>
> David S.
>