Can money be found to replace old piano?

OVER recent weeks music lovers have been privileged to have had three international pianists performing with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra at the University of Exeter's Great Hall.

The piano there is so old it is a disgrace and indeed an insult to these world class performers.

One of the pianists said: "The instrument would have been wonderful 25 years ago but now it is only just possible to play it."

I am told that not many years ago another international pianist stopped playing during the performance and apologised to the audience because the piano had immediately gone out of tune.

To read in the Echo that the university is spending £47m on new building raises the question, cannot some money be found either to replace the existing instrument or hire one for such occasions?

I realise building is not the arts, which could be construed as an unacceptable word up there on the hill — the closing of the music department comes to mind — but the shame of it is these international pianists may never return to enrich our lives.

Nola White

Cowick Lane Exeter