In 1975 I was
introduced to the lute and its repertoire by Vancouver lutenist,
lutemaker and lute historian Ray Nurse. Under Ray's
direction I learned the skills required to build lutes, but of perhaps
greater importance I was guided into pursuing my own inquiry into
surviving historical instruments. In 1978/79 I toured
European museums for a full year: examining, meticulously
documenting, and photographing most of the important historical lutes
that survive. This direct experience of the instruments of
Renaissance and Baroque lutemakers has given me a solid grounding in
the traditions and aesthetics of the past masters. In 1986
I was awarded a Canada Council grant, enabling me to apprentice for a
year with lutemaker Stephen Gottlieb in London, England. Since my return to Vancouver, B.C. in 1988, I have
worked fulltime as a lutemaker, producing instruments of the highest
quality for an international clientelle of both professional and
amateur players. I have built instruments for some of the
world's finest lutenists, including Paul O'Dette, Jacob Heringman and
Robert Barto; and for a number of years I have taught lute building
and lute maintenance classes at the Lute Society of America Summer
Workshop West seminars.
* * * *
* Wherever possible, the models
I have developed are based on those surviving instruments which
exhibit the appropriate qualities, proportions and style for their
musical requirements. Where a suitable model is lacking, I
have worked out my own designs (usually drawing on iconographic
evidence). All my instruments are based on a careful
consideration of the surviving lutes and their musical repertoire.
I generally use the same materials as those found
on surviving lutes (with the exception of ivory and some of the exotic
hardwoods). I have an excellent supply of fine quality,
seasoned timbers, which include German spruce, Pacific yew, curly and
bird’s-eye maple, Swiss pear, English plum, Honduran rosewood and
ebony. Hide glue is used throughout; this glue dries much
harder than most modern glues, and helps to produce a clear-sounding
instrument. I make my own turpine-resin oil
varnish. It is difficult and time-consuming to both make
and apply this varnish, but the finished result in both richness of
colour and subtlety in sound cannot be achieved with commercial
finishes. My instruments are assembled at between 38 and
42% relative humidity, which makes them very stable and
crack-resistant. All my instruments are built to the
highest standards of craftsmanship, with careful attention to detail
and overall design. |