EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY COLLECTION OF HISTORIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

PROGRESS REPORT 1987

In the year, the University has been given instruments by Mr Brian Rattray, Mr John L. Cranmer, Mr Tom K. Dibley, Mrs Eileen Bourne, Miss Pauline Holden, Mrs Diana Kell (the clarinets of the late Reginald Kell) and the students of Stevenson College. Several further items have been lent to the Collection, notably an octet set of the instruments of the New Violin family, designed and made by Carleen Hutchins - the only set in Britain.

The purchase of a contrabassoon by Cermak of Prague, c 1830 has been made with assistance from the Government's Local Museums Purchase Fund and the Pilgrim Trust. Five further instruments of the Mickleburgh Collection were purchased from Mr Jack Mickleburgh, and a bassoon by Besson was purchased from the University of Bristol.

A successful weekend practical course on late 19th-century woodwind instruments was organised by the Collection in September. In October, a special lecture-recital, The Sound of the Sackbut, was held to celebrate the acquisition of the trombone by Anton Schnitzer of Nuremburg dated 1594. The lecture was given by Alan Lumsden and the recital by the London Wind Consort with Alan Lumsden.

A Guide to the Collection compiled by Catherine Gray and Arnold Myers was published to coincide with the Edinburgh Festival and has proved successful.

The work on technical drawings has proceeded: three further drawings were published this year, making a total of 16 workshop drawings now on sale.

A programme of X-ray imaging of certain instruments has commenced in co-operation with the University's Department of Medical Radiology at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. It is believed that some of the techniques developed are novel.

The Scottish Museums Council's Antiquities Conservation Officer undertook work on four of the instruments in the Collection, the work being grant-aided by the Council. Important conservation work was carried out (by Stephen Gottlieb) on an early 17th-century guitar by Pietro Railich, this work also being grant-aided by the S.M.C.

The Collection has been used for teaching purposes by University Staff, in particular for courses in the Faculty of Music on the History of Instruments, Ethnomusicology and Musical Acoustics. Several parties have made organised visits, and various scholars and instrument makers have visited to study particular instruments.

Arnold Myers, 31st December 1987

[ Report for 1988 ] [ Report for 1986 ]