Trust is a great quality, and sometimes it pays to trust one’s instinct. I took a punt on a trust and it has paid off. Our paths may never have crossed but we have each gained a friend.
After a honeyed stain and at least twenty coats of varnish later my instrument was ready. From the moment I picked it up, it nestled perfectly under my chin and felt like an extension of myself. Light and compact, just over fourteen inches long, it’s not much larger than a full-size violin, but Alan’s genius has resulted in a small viola with a commanding voice, and a lightness partly achieved by replacing the traditional tuners with geared tuning pegs (bliss). How lucky am I to be the owner and custodian of such a lovingly-crafted instrument! It even turns pedestrian practice into pleasure.
Here are the two of us, Alan and me, each holding something we have produced from within ourselves. My book whispers to him, and his viola sings to me.
