I wrote last year about the new building we are moving into, and things have been very interesting ever since.  Most of the money that we were supposed to receive disappeared due to the economy - something about it being based on the bonds that were issued.  However, I have just gotten approval to purchase a grand piano for the choir room, which I am estatic about - Up to this time, we have been accompanying the choirs with a Roland HPi-5 - both for rehearsal and performances.

We have a LOT going on in the program - 6 curricular choirs, plus extracurricular groups, but I am the only director, with no accompanist.  Because of this, it's important to me that we have some sort of "player" system.  I often have used my laptop hooked up to the Roland to play parts off of Sibelius.  I used to use a Yamaha disklavier to accompany myself in undergrad and grad school, and am hoping to do the same for the choirs here.

So here are my two choices that I have been offered from two different vendors.

1. Yamaha 5'3" DGC1M4PE (Piano with Mark IV Dislavier), with piano dolly & cover - $26,000

2. Boston 6'4" GP193 with Pianodisc system, with dolly & cover - $26,500

I'm not familiar at all with Boston pianos, though I know that they're designed by Steinway and manufactured in a Kawai plant.  I will be going to look at the Boston this week, and have played the Yamaha - the Yamaha is much darker toned than I remember them being...

Your thoughts?