BATTLEFORD — A century-old grand piano arrived not with fanfare, but with a quiet reverence — its polished surface reflecting a lifetime of music, memory, and meaning. Once the cherished instrument of the Battlefords’ Glenn Goodman, it now rests in its new home in the town of Battleford, filling the space with echoes of a legacy deeply rooted in the community.
Goodman’s family donated this prized grand piano to St. George’s Anglican Church in the town of Battleford, and the act of generosity ensures his music will continue.
For more than 60 years, Goodman’s name has been inseparable from the soundscape of the Battlefords. A concert pianist, organist, and tireless advocate for the arts, he shaped the region’s musical identity through countless performances, choirs, and festivals. His influence reached beyond the stage and into classrooms, where he served as a sessional pipe organ instructor at the University of Saskatchewan, and into adjudication halls, where he guided aspiring musicians with a practiced ear and a generous spirit.
The donation of his beloved grand piano was no simple task. It required the careful coordination of certified piano movers — five in total — who skillfully guided the delicate instrument into its new space. Their effort was met with admiration by the recipients, who welcomed the piano not just as an addition, but as a gift with history and heart.
Goodman’s wife, Myrna, acknowledged that her husband’s dedication to music and the arts in his community was a lifelong passion.
Goodman’s legacy, already etched into the cultural fabric of the Battlefords, finds new expression in this gesture. It lives on in every note that will be played, every voice it will accompany, and every listener it will move — just as he did for decades.
Jan Trost, an assistant Priest at St. George’s Anglican Church in Battleford, says the family’s generous gift was a remarkable gesture.
“I knew Glenn when he had his business in Saskatoon so have been privy to his musical talents for a lifetime,” said Trost. “He used to play accompaniment for a dance teacher when I was part of a dance group, so have known him since I was a little girl.”
Hope to enhance the role of the church with the new addition
The 100-year-old grand piano was received in November. Trost, along with the family, says this addition helps enhance the role of the church, allowing for an expansion into a concert venue as well as church services.
Trost adds, “We as a group don’t really know a lot of people in the arts culture so we are hoping the addition of this grand piano will add to our location’s exposure.”
Although Goodman was not a member of this church, Trost noted that he really liked the venue and wanted his piano to be loved and appreciated somewhere special so the family selected this recipient.
“Glenn would check our organ for us, and it seemed he felt a connection here. We love it and polish it up every Sunday for services,” says Trost. “We are networking and hoping our congregation also helps us spread the word for music instructors and/or performers to host an event at our location, increasing the use of our facility and adding the experience of playing on this magnificent grand piano.”
Trost mentions that often people don’t know what to do with these magnificent musical instruments, so it was great to find a match, and when Glenn’s piano was offered to them, they were happy to accommodate and are grateful this piano has found a new home in Battleford
Gift was welcome
The gift wasn’t just accepted — it was welcomed with gratitude and a sense of responsibility to carry its story forward in Battleford.
Myrna Goodman shared a detail that deepens the instrument’s significance: “The Weber grand piano, 6’6”, was made in Canada in 1923. This was the first grand piano Glenn ever played.”
Long before it filled a church with music, it was the beginning of something — of a lifelong devotion to sound, to teaching, to community.
Myna also adds that the grand piano’s journey itself began with a gift. The instrument had been gifted to Glenn by Bill De Stroke, who believed it would be both played and appreciated in Goodman’s hands. It was a belief that proved true for decades — and one that continues now in its new home.
“It all came together so well and sounds marvellous in its new home and was in place just in time for Christmas season 2025,” Myrna added. Fittingly, the piano didn’t wait long before finding its voice again. On Dec. 27, the family gathered to hear its first concert in its new setting, performed by a visiting artist from Toronto. The verdict was immediate: the tone of the vintage instrument was as rich and vibrant as ever.
Glenn’s roots in North Battleford shaped both the musician and the man. Guided by dedicated teachers and mentors, he grew into someone who gave his time and talent — at churches, weddings, funerals, fundraisers, musical theatre productions, and community events. His music became part of the rhythm of everyday life in the Battlefords.
And now, that rhythm continues.
Though his list of contributions to the musical community is long, the family finds comfort in something simple and profound: the piano has a home again. More than that, it has its voice back. And in every note that fills the church, there is a quiet reminder that Glenn Goodman’s music was never meant to end — it was meant to be passed on.
