CLP Rental Leads to Church Sale

hen singer Michael Lundberg first approached secretary/treasurer Mary Ortigara of Ortigara's Musicville in Chicago Ridge, IL, about renting a piano for a special concert last fall at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in nearby Palos Hills, Ortigara was initially hesitant. "Sometimes, with even one night of rental, instruments can be damaged," she says. "But I figured, 'it's a church, what could happen?'"

The event commemorated Lundberg's 25th year as a vocalist, and he had a special program in mind. "I chose a CLP950 digital piano because I wanted to do selections in different keys," says Lundberg. "We have an organ that switches keys, but I really wanted a grand piano sound. With the CLP950, you just push a button and the key changes. I also liked the string sounds since I wanted to do some numbers with strings and others combining strings and piano. The CLP950 offered so many options!"

The next morning, Lundberg asked Ortigara if he could keep the Clavinova until a committee of church members could meet to discuss a possible purchase. Two days later, he called Ortigara again: the committee voted unanimously in favor of buying the CLP950.

"I talked everybody into buying it," Lundberg laughs. "I said, 'We don't need this Clavinova, but we have to have it.' I suggested it was perfect for teen masses in our small chapel, because our chapel organ sounded like it belonged at a roller rink. I knew the Clavinova would appeal to young people. And," he adds, "when we don't have a pianist, we can record songs for the teens to sing along."

"The sound is so wonderful and the speakers are really good," continues Lundberg. "It has a really rich sound, like an acoustic piano."

The church also owns a Yamaha P22 upright piano, which it uses for afternoon masses featuring the Filipino Choir. "Now," Lundberg adds, "the committee wants to buy wheels and a cover for the CLP950. It will remain in the chapel most of the time, but we'd like to be able to move it into our Parish Center and our ministry building when we need to."