The story of music on board the RMS TITANIC by Rebekah Maxner I t was to be an unforgettable voyage. The RMS Titanic was a ship orchestrated to be grander than any other. For those who designed her she was an achievement of the modern age. For the citizens of Belfast, Ireland, who built her, she was a point of pride. For those who booked passage she was a ship that launched a new life in America, or gave passage home from a European vacation. But no one could have imagined the Titanic as center stage of a great tragedy. Music played a significant part in the history of the Titanic, from the time of the ship’s design to the hours of her sinking. The musical legacy extended to fundraising concerts that were performed in the aftermath of the tragedy. It is through the Titanic’s music that we now revisit this story in its centennial year. Music was designed into the very fabric of the ship. There were six pianos on board: one in Third Class, two in Second Class, and three in First Class. The Third Class piano was an upright of unknown origin and manufacture. The Second and First Class pianos were ordered direct from the Steinway CLAVIER COMPANION 19