Summer School 2003
Part 2

27.jpg (68 K) On Thursday we had a visit from Peter Forrester, who brought several of his citterns and a newly completed bandora destined for America.
28.jpg (45 K) El Presidente! Ian Harwood was another visitor on Thursday.
29.jpg (60 K) As was Lynda Sayce, who demonstrated her amazing versatility by playing everything in sight, at sight and in all sorts of tunings and temperaments.
30.jpg (56 K) We even had a mini concert.
31.jpg (45 K) Back to work, Jay scrapes the newly completed back of the lute.
32.jpg (52 K) And Julian fits the pegbox.
32a.jpg (49 K) The forest of go-bars clamping the soundboard bars in place.
37.jpg (48 K) The end of an al fresco evening meal and Lynda prepares to drive back to Oxford.
32b.jpg (44 K) The bridge is finished...........
33.jpg (33 K) .........and clamped in place on the soundboard.
34.jpg (36 K) Finally the finished soundboard is checked for response and tuning.
34a.jpg (38 K) Loek marks out the neck blank for shaping.
35.jpg (49 K) And Diann irons the neck veneer in place in the vacuum bag. She denied that ironing was womens' work.
36.jpg (46 K) Kneeling at the lute-making shrine, we check the neck alignment.
63.jpg (50 K) On Friday evening we had a “works outing” to South Creake church in deepest Norfolk to hear a fine fully staged performance of Monteverde’s Poppea produced by the Yorke Trust. This was made specially exciting for some of us because the theorbo used in the opera was the very one we built in the 2001 summer school and on hire from the Lute Society! A Glyndebourne style interval picnic in the churchyard completed a very English experience.
43.jpg (60 K) A little light scholarship after lunch.
45.jpg (48 K) And lots more lute-playing.
49.jpg (49 K) The duetting was great fun.
50.jpg (51 K) And even an authentic performance of My Lord Chamberlain his Galliard, for two to play upon one lute by Dowland. Click here to see the movie! (requires QuickTime)
51.jpg (70 K) The light and air was better outdoors for scraping and sanding. Jay on the top step.
52.jpg (54 K) And Julian on the bench.
53.jpg (49 K) Nearly ready for the soundboard to be fitted.
54.jpg (40 K) But before that, the label required an international team of latin scholars to finalise the wording.
56.jpg (46 K) Jay prepares to trim the overhanging edges of the soundboard with a chisel.
57.jpg (50 K) Several people had to leave early on Sunday so we had the celebratory final barbeque on the lawn under the trees.
59.jpg (54 K) The final day, and Francesco cuts the rebate for the soundboard points. The dentist’s magnifying glasses evidently worked well because the points fitted perfectly.
60.jpg (52 K) A joint effort to finish on time, here Diann glues on the ebony soundboard edging.
61.jpg (49 K) The theme of the week! But only hide glue was used in the construction!
74.jpg (43 K) The finished lute! As yet uncleaned and varnished but all the woodwork completed and promising very well indeed.
76.jpg (51 K) The most famous 11 course lute picture for comparison. Not quite the same shape but we did use the same rose and bridge design and copied the general layout.
77.jpg (160 K) The final group portrait with ladies. Actually this was taken on Saturday evening so that everyone could be present. The little pile of wood has been magically transformed into a lute.
Lutesoc.jpg (160 K) The lute was presented to the Lute Society at their meeting in London on September 13th. It was inaugurated by Bill Badley who played some French 11 course music (Courant le Canon, Sarabande la Mercure and Gavotte la Frondeuse) from the little Manuscrit Milleran (c. 1690) and very fine it sounded, several people told me how impressed they were. So all the makers should feel very proud.


At the moment we are not sure whether we will be running another summer school next year or whether we will take a break after five years of them. However we will almost certainly run one in future years and if you would like to be kept informed please me.

Report on 1999 summer schoolReport on 2000 summer school
Report on 2001 summer schoolReport on 2002 summer school
Report on 2005 summer schoolReport on 2006 summer school
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