In Memoriam: Goodbye to Helga the Family Piano

Saturday 18 October doors open 7pm | Concert 7.30pm

Performers to be announced

A concert fundraiser to celebrate the end of life for Helga the family piano, savagely destroyed in the Kennedy & Forest St underpass 7/8/25

Helen Sandercoe for the Piano Guerrillas said ‘We are deeply distressed and saddened by the events which have led to the destruction of the piano in the underpass. We are distressed for the owner of the piano who donated it Maria Chalke whose cherished family instrument, Helga, had such a tragic and violent end. She recalled days when her children and she played together, and it will be distressing for our whole family. We are also sad for the community who enjoyed the piano being there and having the opportunity to play it, even though it was old and out of tune.’

Helen continued, ‘But beyond that we are also very concerned for regular users of the underpass who saw the piano as a positive presence in the community and gave them a sense of positiveness about a neglected and foreboding walk through. Now there is shadow that will exist every time they traverse the underpass. People who felt safe may feel a little less safe because of this single act of wanton vandalism.’

“We have been contacted by several people by phone and email who have been shocked and distressed by the loss and destruction and want us to replace the piano and they commended the initiative of putting as piano in the public domain for community enjoyment. We need lots more of this, one person commented.’

The group was pleased to hear from the Visitors information Centre that despite the vandalism they loved having the piano at the market building on the portico, and despite the extremes of the weather affecting its tunability hope it could last into the future. MPG are hoping to upgrade the piano at some stage.

Alana Joyce, Manager of The Coolroom at the Northern Arts Hotel also commented, “Our venue is well known for its piano concerts particularly jazz, and we supported MPG from the beginning and during Fringe putting a piano outside our hotel for Fringe and hosting wonderful opening and closing concerts. We have agreed to host a memorial Fundraiser to celebrate the life of Helga the piano recently destroyed. It will be at the Coolroom on the Saturday18 October, and funds raised will be split between MPG to plan future piano placements and Castlemaine Safe Space,

Maine Piano Guerrillas, like gardening guerrillas, are a small group of friends who are saving pianos from the tip! The group began as a conversation over coffee at the Wesley Hill late in 2024. The project has grown from finding pianos to inviting well known pianists to become the ‘Pianists at Large’ and hosting community concerts during The Fringe and hopefully into the future.

The group is also pleased to have built a relationship with Joshua McPherson from Making Melody Music in Bendigo who are assisting moving and tuning pianos. contact us at mainepianoguerrillas@gmail.com