30 Jun 2013

Spectrum for 30 June 2013

From Spectrum, 12:06 pm on 30 June 2013

Now semi-retired, Geoffrey Higgs tuned his first piano in 1948. His ear has lasted and he can still coax instruments to the right pitch. He can also persuade his stiffening fingers to pick out the old standards on his 107 year-old German piano while his wife Alison sings along. In his garage-cum-workshop, Geoff demonstrates his tuning tools to Spectrum's Jack Perkins but his pride and joy is a restored pianola, or pneumatic piano, dating from the 1920s and dozens of paper rolls containing hits of the day.