In 2014, the historic Patricia Theatre became home to a mahogany baby grand piano, donated by qathet resident Esther Dyck.
Unbeknownst to most moviegoers, the (around) five-foot horizontal piano with strings that extend out from the keys sits stage right, at the foot of the movie screen. Unlike a grand piano which can be as large as nine feet, and usually played in concert halls, the baby grand was created to be played in more modest circumstances, such as a person’s home.
“My aunt Eve left me her baby grand piano in 2013, with the condition not to sell it,” said Dyck.
The glossy mahogany piano was then professionally crated and transported from Vashon Island, just off Seattle, where her aunt had lived, to here. Dyck, who moved to the region in 1990, was so impressed with the number of local talented musicians and artists that she wanted to contribute to that legacy.
“This was so fantastic and my dream was to have this beautiful gift played before movies at the Patricia Theatre, that’s why I donated the piano,” said Dyck.
In the days before theatres played advertisements to audiences before a movie, a patron would usually play the piano, to entertain guests before a show.
“Then I thought how wonderful it would be to have some of our young friends playing and sharing their talent,” added Dyck. “I was so thrilled to have found Jesse [Jahrig], who is a very talented pianist.”
Jahrig, a 17-year-old high school student, is a self-taught pianist, who is keen to play for Patricia Theatre moviegoers. He learned to play as a way out from negative influences in his life.
“Learning to play the piano helped me get away from unhealthy habits,” said Jahrig, who is in grade 12.
The teen pianist sat down and played for an audience of four on a recent Saturday afternoon before a matinee, as a kind of test-run and audition. His hands hit the keys on the baby grand piano, triggering the hammer to strike the strings, creating a crisp, pleasant, resonating sound throughout the historic theatre.
Laura Wilson, manager of the Patricia, hopes to organize special events and pre-movie entertainment for audiences that include the baby grand being played by talented folks, such as Jahrig, in the near future.
