Dear Holy Comforter Family,

We have been a blessed church since the days that we met in living rooms and made plans for our, what was then, future church. That was in the days prior to our first service on December 24, 1999. Robbie and I and some of our musical friends provided music for several years using a wind quartet of flute, two saxophones, French horn, and an occasional baritone. None of us were paid for our services, we did it because we wanted to. That is not a usual combination, so all of the hymns had to be arranged for this group, which Robbie did every week. Once we were able to get a full-time pianist, Robbie and I carried the keyboard that is currently in the storage room in our minivan to the Savannah Rapids Pavilion each week for service, along with a sound system. The quartet continued to play until we made the move into the new building.

When the church was built, the church purchased the electronic keyboard that we have used until this past year, when we had some very generous folks give us pianos that they no longer needed. The first one was a baby grand but had some issues that had developed over the years from use. The next gift was a 9-foot concert grand. This piano was impressive but had strings missing and would not hold tuning. It left us extraordinarily little room at the front for special presentations, such as the children’s pageant at Christmas. In order to get the 9-foot in good working condition to last for the years, it was going to cost over $50,000 and still be a problem with its size.

Father Glenn wanted to find something that would fit the space better and be more economical in the long run. So, we started the process of looking for a replacement before he left. It was not a quick process by any means. After searching, we found the piano we have at Turner’s Keyboards. Robbie, Vivian, and I went to the showroom and played every piano. If you want to know more about what we were listening to, please ask.

The piano we have is a Steinway & Sons that was completely refurbished by Steinway & Sons, not a refurbishing shop. So, all of the parts are brand new Steinway parts except the bronze plate and the shell. The cost of a brand-new piano of this nature is about $150,000. We were able to get this one at one-third the price at $55,000. We also added a spider dolly to make it more movable for various future events.

This piano will, as I mentioned on Sunday, outlast a lot of us. As with anything you purchase, you get what you pay for, and we think we were blessed to get more than we paid for with a “new” piano at one-third the cost from a local vendor that will back and service their product if we have any issues, which is very unlikely.

This decision was made with thoughtfulness for the needs of our congregation now and in the future. Most importantly, this decision was made prayerfully. We have NEVER had a piano in the almost 25 years of the existence of the church. I think we, as a congregation will be able to draw closer to God through our musical experiences and the part that this piano will play in those experiences in the years to come. It will be a worship tool that we will use for God’s glory EVERY service – Sundays, weddings, funerals, outside concerts, etc.

I most respectfully ask that you consider donating whatever you feel appropriate to the Piano Capital Campaign fund to help us pay for the piano. A donations link is available on SecureGive here. We already have $2100 donated. And I thank God for the opportunity to continue my worship and praise with you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me, Robbie, or Vivian.

Love and blessings!

Gail Jarrell

Director of Music