By TIM UNRUH
Salina Journal
As Forty Fingers tapped out patriotic and holiday tunes on two pianos, the four ladies attached to them had a grand time.
The 80-minute concert Sunday at Church of the Cross, 1600 Rush, had more than 100 people tapping their toes and praising the piano quartet with fortissimo applause.
Their music was enhanced by props that put smiles on audience faces and moved one child to dance.
"It was very good," Kay Rickard, Salina, said as she left the church sanctuary. "They had fun playing. They enjoyed their music."
The melding of the four pianists into a group began in 1998 at a Delphos United Methodist Church Celebration Dinner. For a "share your talent" program, Verna Davidson, a longtime piano teacher in the Delphos area, brought the other three musicians together.
When the church needed storm windows the next year, the group came together again and performed a benefit concert. Out of that gathering came the Forty Fingers name.
The group became a ministry of the church and has performed 50 times across Kansas since 1998.
Freewill and CDs
Admission on Sunday was a freewill offering. They also sold CD recordings. A portion of their proceeds is donated to the church or to a church-based cause. On Sunday, Forty Fingers gave a tithe to Church of the Cross.
"Thanks for coming out to share music with us today," said Tanya Wollenberg, Hesston, Verna's daughter.
Wollenberg is an adjunct faculty member at Bethany College, Lindsborg, and Central Christian College, McPherson, and is working on her master's degree in piano at Wichita State University.
Nancy Sipes, Sabetha, is the accompanist for the Sabetha middle and high school vocal music department and teaches piano lessons. Jenna Carver lives near Delphos and is the vocal music teacher in the Southern Cloud School District, of Glasco and Miltonvale.
"We don't get together very often. We used to live five minutes from each other. Now it's, like, five hours," Wollenberg said.
In the holiday spirit
Playing musical arrangements they have purchased at garage sales and estate auctions and from Internet Web sites, the women donned holiday-theme hats. They snapped their figures to the music and injected some funny lines.
"If you find (a song) that's really hard (to play), Mom picked it," Wollenberg said.
As they motored through musical pieces, the performers threw in some Victor Borga-esque style from their pulpit perch.
Forty Fingers has loyal followers, including Liz and Gib Wenger, Salina.
"That's our third time," Liz Wenger said after the concert.
"We are fortunate with these girls, their talent, timing, selections, everything. They're so entertaining, along with their musical abilities," she said.
"And they're having fun," Gib Wenger said.
n Reporter Tim Unruh can be reached at 822-1419 or by e-mail at tunruh@salina.com.
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