The Presbyterian College community has recently received two grand pianos that have been gracious gifts to our campus and music department, along with donations from Rehoboth Presbyterian Church to the Neville Hall Project.

On Nov. 15, 2015, the PC choir traveled to Columbia where they were introduced to Charles Weston, ’69. Weston wanted to know if the college was interested in being home to an 1894 Steinway Model M grand piano that has been restored, and is almost showroom quality. The Steinway belonged to Charles Weston’s father, Vernon Wylie Weston.

Vernon Wylie Weston graduated from Furman University in 1927. He attended Peabody Institute in hopes of becoming a concert pianist. After returning home to Charleston due to the Great Depression, he began teaching piano, organ, and voice. He was the choir director of several churches throughout his career and even into retirement. He taught music history and music appreciation at the College of Charleston, Southern Baptist College, and the Citadel. He and his wife, Mary Wilbur Weston, started the Charleston Choral Society, later known as the Charleston Opera Company. He led the Citadel men’s choir to perform at the Pentagon in D.C, and on the “Ed Sullivan Television Show”. Mr. V. Weston was declared “Mr. Music of Charleston” in the late 60s.

Weston hopes that in giving the piano owned by his renowned father to PC, it will finally be used again by talented musicians. “Actually, I am thrilled, and cannot wait to hear and see it used in Belk Auditorium,” Weston explained.

There was some question surrounding the location of the piano. Edmunds already had two grands, with Belk Auditorium only having a utility piano. It was time to put a performance level piano in Belk, and with Weston’s permission, it was placed there.

Rehoboth Presbyterian Church in Decatur, Ga. decided to close its doors recently, and donated to the college. A grand piano was among the donations.

Two PC alumni were essential in the donation of the 1984 Steinway Model D from Rehoboth Presbyterian Church. Brad ‘75 and Kay ‘76 Bryant were members of the church and placed Dr. Porter Stokes in contact with those in the church in charge of the donation. The Bryant’s daughter, Katherine, is a ’07 graduate of PC as well. Brad Bryant is a new member of the Board of Trustees as of last year. Brad Bryant’s mother originally owned the piano, and then donated it to Rehoboth Presbyterian Church. Not only did the church donate the piano, they also made a significant donation towards the Neville Hall project, in hopes of a religious office bearing the church’s name.

Due to these significant gift donations by Charles Weston and the Rehoboth Presbyterian Church, PC is able to have instruments as antique and classic as the Steinway pianos, and without the pianos being gifts, we would not have instruments such as these. Being an alumni, like Charles Weston and Brad and Kay Bryant, making any sort of donation can be significant without it having to be monetary.

Dr. Porter Stokes explained that gifts to the Music Department by alumni and friends “have created new opportunities for students and faculty.” He went on to say, “Since most of PC’s pianos (performance and practice) are from 50 to 100 years old and have been used by generations of students, many are well-worn.  The donation of these instruments has provided an immediate and lasting effect on everyone in our department. We cannot begin to express our deep and abiding appreciation to all the donors.”

Presbyterian College is located on a striking 240-acre campus in Clinton, between Columbia and Greenville, S.C. Offering challenging academics and a culture of honor, ethics, and service that prepares students to be leaders in communities, PC offers its students the benefit of engaging with an exceptional faculty who take individual interest in their students’ well-being, both personally and in the classroom. The Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy opened in 2010, and is dedicated to the ideals of leadership, honor to the profession, and service to the community. For more information about Presbyterian College, visit www.presby.edu.

Written by Ashley Cowart, a senior English major from Woodruff, S.C.