Of course, the most prized "things" in my life are my family... however, I'm not sure that I can quite claim them as my "possessions"! So, I will have to go to the material objects that I most prize and hold dear.

In my case, these would be the tools of my trade... my Violins, Violas and Viola dámores... of which, I have pictured my most used ones, the ones that most often have in my hands on a daily basis, even in this lockdown period when concerts are pretty much non-existent for the foreseeable future! (However, there was a period of a couple of weeks at the start of all of this where I was a bit too down about the whole thing to pick them up and play....).

So, about the instruments in general... they are my partners in performance, I spend countless hours with them each week (in some cases, we have been together for decades...), and so you grow to know them incredibly intimately... from each little scratch, to the subtle ways that they respond to your touch.

To a musician, your instruments are your voice... they are the way that you interact with other musicians, and the manner in which you are most comfortable "speaking". So, if I were to lose them.. it would be akin to losing my ability to communicate with the world.

Of course, despite the fact that performance is about communicating with others, there is a certain sense of peace and confidence that comes with having one of these friends in my hands. It is the knowledge that together, we can speak as one, as old friends and partners who know each other intimately, having grown into a team together over many many years. We are extensions of each other... and although there are always different partner instruments in the world, it never is the same!

Classical-era French Violin

This is an instrument that has been with me for the longest time out of the four instruments that were pictured above. It is a beautiful example of a French (Parisian) violin from the 19th century... many of the French violins of that period are just incredibly pleasing to the eye. The scroll is well proportioned and accented (in the style of French violins of that period) with dark highlights.

It is a nimble and fast instrument, that has quite a bright tone... and one that use for Classical-era music such as Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven. It is strung to be played at A=430Hz (which is the standard "Classical" era pitch for Early Music specialists), having two uncovered sheep gut strings on the treble end and two steel wound synthetic core strings on the bass end.

The broad flaming of the back is something that always catches my eye when I'm on stage. It is something that is impossible to capture in a photo... but on stage, in the bright lights... it catches the light differently depending on the angle that the light lands on the back... so, if you move it ever so slightly, it appears quite alive!

Baroque Viola

This is a modern recreation of a Baroque Viola, constructed in the 2000s by a maker in Australia. It's a great instrument to play... with a lovely deep alto sound whilst being relatively quick to respond (for a viola... it's always going to be a touch slower than a violin!). It is a sibling instrument to another violin by the same maker that I also own... but the violin is much less of a pleasure to play!

Interestingly enough, the fingerboard/block is constructed in the original manner, with a nail joining it to the body. This was eventually phased out over time... as the nail would rust and destroy the wood. However, this particular construction has gotten me in trouble at airport security scans as they see a sharp looking object within the wood... which they sometimes think could be used as a weapon!

It is strung for Baroque era (Bach, Handel...) music at A=415Hz (sometimes it does also go up to A=466Hz but I hate doing that to the instrument!)... with two uncovered sheep gut strings on the treble end, a gut core steel wound string on the G and a silver wound gut core on the lowest string.

It is quite a distinctive instrument due to the markings on the double purfling... quite often, its reputation gets ahead of me! So, people recognise the instrument even if they haven't met the person that plays it!

English Baroque Violin

This English violin is the grand-daddy of all my instruments despite being my newest partner... an English violin form the 18th century, it is pretty close to 250 years old! I often wonder what sort of things and players that it has had over the intervening centuries... It is a instrument that has such a beautiful silken treble register with a substantial bass end. Not as fast as the French violin in response, it makes up for it with a much darker sound.

It is strung for Baroque era music (17-18th century music) at A-415Hz (I don't take it higher, if I need a higher tuning pitch then I will use the French violin)... with 3 uncovered sheep gut strings and the lowest string being a silver wound gut core string.

Viola dámore

This last instrument is a bit of a rarity... not many people play it, and it is an instrument that died out in the 19th century. This particular instrument was built by a Dutch maker after I tried out a similar instrument of his and was incredibly impressed... of course, that sort of modern commission is always a gamble as these things can vary quite a bit in playing quality... but I got lucky and managed to get a beautifully made instrument that is a pleasure to play!

This particular instrument has 14 strings (7 playing strings and 7 resonant strings)... it's sound is quite hard to describe, the violin (viola and cello included) family of instruments are bright and virtuoso instruments.... this dámore is more akin to the gamba family of instruments, a softer more mellow sound and timbre.

The most stunning aspect of the instrument is the carved and enameled scroll head. It is a decoration that was more common in earlier ages and with this family of instruments (gamba, not violin)... I have a blindfolded woman's head... other people will have many other avatars, unicorns, angels, demons... whatever catches your fancy!

Wrapping Up

All these violins (violas and dámore) eventually reached my hands after searching for ages for an appropriate instrument... with many instruments, it would be a pick up and play... and then an immediate rejection. With others, there would be a time of "getting to know each other". However, for these four instruments, there was much of love at first sight... the moment that pick up and play, and there is a certain ease that you find rarely in life... and when you find that moment and feeling, you know that there is something special!