Legendary producer Sir George Martin is celebrating the completion of the new state-of-the-art Montserrat Cultural Centre after a Yamaha CLP 295 ‘Baby Grand’ styled digital piano arrived on the remote Caribbean island to provide the final piece of the jigsaw for a pioneering regeneration project. The new facility will provide a national focal point for the islanders and an international centre for cultural excellence and education.
Yamaha’s Commercial Audio team had already worked closely with Sir George on a solution for the exacting audio requirements, equipping all areas of the multipurpose Montserrat Cultural Centre, and the classic looks and authentic sound of the beautifully crafted CLP 295 will now take centre stage at the 450 seat Sir George Martin Auditorium.
Conceived in the wake of the devastating effects both of hurricane ‘Hugo’ in 1989 - which destroyed 90% of the Caribbean island’s structures - and the eruption six years later of the Soufrière Hills volcano, Sir George initiated and drove the project because of his love for Montserrat, which stretches back thirty years. Sir George first visited the island in 1977 and within two years had built Air Studios, which saw the recording of many albums by some of the world’s biggest artists over the next eleven years.
Initial core funding for the project was generated following a star-studded benefit show at London's Royal Albert Hall, featuring many artists who had previously recorded on the island. Further funds were raised by the sale of 500 numbered lithographs of Sir George’s score for the Beatles song 'Yesterday’, each signed by himself and Sir Paul McCartney.
The MCC is intended to be a focal point for Montserrat and is designed to support education and training and host a wide variety of events ranging from parliament sessions, weddings, beauty pageants, cinema shows and local concerts to DJ club nights and annual celebrations of the Queen’s birthday. In addition, it is anticipated that guests, including world-famous musicians who had previously used Air Studios Montserrat and personal friends of Sir George will come in to perform at benefit events for the Centre.
Yamaha EKB Director Robert Webster told us, “We are extremely proud to be involved with the Montserrat project and honoured that Sir George Martin chose the CLP 295 to be located in the first auditorium in the world to bear his name. As we celebrate the Clavinova's 25th anniversary this endorsement of the award winning Clavinova brand by Sir George Martin is most gratifying.”
Sir George Martin stated, “I very much hope that our centre can play a positive role in regenerating the Island and we are all immensely grateful to our friends at Yamaha, not only for their technical expertise and excellent equipment, but also for the obvious passion they showed in helping us realise our aims.”
