Mini-feature

Violins lead to a labour of love

Harrogate Advertiser 04.05.12, p.8

Violin making is no longer the preserve of the old masters, thanks to a Yorkshire craftsman and his class of enthusiasts.

Peter Hall has been a professional stringed instrument maker and repairer for over 20 years, and has been teaching the 3-hour evening class at Rossett High School in Harrogate since 2007; one of only a handful like it in the country.

With no previous experience, Peter suggests a build time of 2 years to complete a violin.  “It’s a long haul. But if you’re prepared to put the work in and get it right, you can achieve a good instrument, and hopefully, a good deal of satisfaction.”

Peter travels from Beverley in West Yorkshire to teach the class, which due to its rarity, draws enthusiasts from even further afield. Professional musicians, amateurs, and those that plainly possess an interest in stringed instruments attend the class each week, attracted by its unique appeal.

“It’s a great course,” Peter explains. “There’s no pressure. There’s no certificate. If you’ve never made an instrument, we recommend starting with a violin, but after that – well, you can make what you like.”

John Metcalfe, a long-standing member of the Yorkshire Stringed Instrument Fellowship, is currently working on thinning the body of a cello – one of the more tedious stages of the making process. “It’s a precise job, and the only way of achieving it is to manually carve, gouge and chisel the fine wood to exact specification – otherwise it won’t work. It won’t resonate.”

As he consults his 18^th century Pietro Rogeri cello body template, scattered with thickness measurements reminiscent of a paint-by-numbers guide, John explains that he hopes to finish his instrument some time next year; adding to the viola and fiddle he has already made with the support of the class.

“Once this cello is finished, I’ll make another fiddle. Then I’ll have made a quartet. The whole process is quite relaxing – It’s very good therapy.”

Fiona Mayo is another well established member, stumbling upon the group in one of its earliest forms at the Leeds College of Music 10 years ago. A professional musician from Harrogate, Fiona also teaches classmates that want to learn to play their various creations.

“I take great pleasure in learning the intricacies of the instrument that I play. I’m a better teacher as a result, and I have a much greater respect for the instruments that I use.”

The YSIF feels more like a group of friends sharing a hobby than an evening class in a High School’s technology department – one member recently completed a 13-year project for his son, which the group celebrated with a champagne toast.

Skills, advice, and tools are shared freely in the friendly environment, and as Peter roams the workshop engaging with projects only when needed, all that seems necessary from a student is the willingness to learn, and a few years worth of patience.

The YSIF meet at Rossett High School every Monday 6.30PM-9.30PM and follow the academic calendar. Those interested are welcome to visit the class. For more information visit www.YSIF.co.uk.

COLORS

 

Magnificent magazine. Colorsmagazine.com

Outdated peacekeeping and Russian responsibility

Syrian President Assad’s barbaric crimes against his people have featured heavily in the media for weeks now; with reports on the areas affected most by his government’s systematic attacks on opposition forces, and indeed, everything and everyone in-between.

The date of agreed withdrawal and cease-fire laid out by Kofi Annan fast approaches, and will now likely pass as new and unrealistic conditions were set by Damascus on Sunday – which included the impossible demand of written guarantees from opponents to give up their arms.

Internationally, the pressure is rising. The violence in Syria has entered its second year and has resulted in more than 9,000 deaths, according to UN estimates. The longevity of the conflict and lack of international action is casting light on the ineffectiveness of traditional methods of conflict resolution; including that of the UN Security Council.

The 15-member-strong council (of which only China, Russia, France, the United Kingdom and the United States are veto-wielding) is responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security. Russia and China vetoed resolutions laid out by the Security Council condemning Damascus, and hindered further any attempts at giving international military protection to those attempting to bring down Assad’s regime.

For Russia, this public denouncing of international assistance in Syria will no doubt prove an embarrassment. Moscow has a vested interest in the survival of Assad and his government, with outstanding arms contracts thought to value $4 billion, according to CAST, a Moscow-based defense think tank. Add to this the fact that the one Russian military base outside the former Soviet Union is situated in the Syrian port of Tartus, and Moscow’s motives become even clearer.

The Security Council’s blocked resolutions could have resulted in an international arms embargo on Syria, and the stepping-down of Assad. Countless lives could have been saved. Instead, the self-interest of Russia is facilitated through an outdated system of international peacekeeping. Arms continue to reach Syria, and innocent lives continue to be lost as the UN frantically attempts to convince those that vetoed to exercise their influence.

Interview piece

24-hour Stray challenge

A SOLDIER who has just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan is preparing for a different kind of challenge.

Platoon Sgt Spencer John Davies will run around the Stray for 24 hours non-stop, supporting four different charities.

Dressed in full army attire complete with a 15kg backpack, Sgt Davies, or “Taff”, of Harrogate Army Foundation College will start from Tewit Well on the afternoon of Friday, June 22, and hopes to run and speed march a 3.2k circuit of the stray until 2pm the following day.

Of his daunting challenge, amounting to roughly five consecutive marathons, Sgt Davies said his main concern was the early hours of Saturday morning, when his body will be feeling the strain.

“It certainly won’t be my mind that quits,” he said.

“When my muscles are in a constant state of spasm and my feet are blistering, it will be tough – but I can’t quit. There’s no such word – my body will have to give up before my mind does.”

Fortunately, Taff will not be alone. Dedicated friends and family have committed to camping out on the stray for the duration of the 24-hour challenge, taking turns in supporting him. Members of the public are also welcome to join in for a circuit or two, should they feel able.

As well as Help for Heroes, Sgt Davies will be supporting Cancer Research UK, the NSPCC and Diabetes UK. He has a personal interest in each charity; from friends and family being affected by diabetes and cancer, to his own experiences serving overseas where he witnessed the devastating effects that conflict can have on civilian and military personnel.

He said: “They always say charity begins at home – and don’t get me wrong – I support international charities whole-heartedly, but I just feel the charities here in the UK need some more support, and this is my way of showing it.

“I first had the idea of doing something for charity whilst on a tour of Iraq. We were serving over the Christmas break, and one of the guys suggested we do something a little crazy on Christmas Day to distance our minds from home and family.

“We found an old bike, and I decided I would try and ride it for 24 hours to raise money for charity. It turned out really well, and we raised nearly £4,000 for the NSPCC.”

Since returning from a six-month tour of Afghanistan, Taff now works at the Army Foundation College, and lives in Harrogate with his wife. Originally from Swansea, he has embraced North Yorkshire as his new home, and confesses to being in love with the region, claiming to be one half Welshman and one half Yorkshireman.

As his training amps up over the coming weeks, so does Taff’s dedication – devoting every opportunity to preparation. Even lunch breaks at the College have been sacrificed for distance runs with weights, gym work and speed walking over harsh terrain.

The 24 Hour Challenge starts at 2pm on Friday June 22nd. You can follow Sgt Davies’s progress online, through both his website and Facebook page. To show your support to the 24 Hour Challenge, donate online by visiting www.taffs24hourchallenge.com.

Cuttings.

Some collected column inches from the past couple of weeks, including front page by-lines.

Hia.