I have been distracted from this blog in this strangest of years by the very time-consuming ‘Catalogue of Stradivari’ which I am contributing to, for Beares Publishing. It will eventually be a six volume set, and it has been in the ‘final stages’ of editing for some time now. Whenever the end appears to be in sight, some new material appears, of course, but I hope it will be published soon, and I will get back to my usual workshop routine. Meanwhile, very best wishes to colleagues everywhere, and especially to all the musicians for whom the lockdown has been so difficult.
One of the pleasures of discovering the histories of great instruments is the people you meet along the way. Past owners and players of fine instruments are not ordinary people. The great and the good, the great and the not … Continue reading