Musical Instruments, Historic, Rare and UniqueHipkins, Alfred J. (Alfred James)
History
Musical Instruments, Historic, Rare and Unique
Hipkins, Alfred J. (Alfred James)
Musical instruments
Besides the uses named under Burgmote Horns (Plate I.) horns were
blown to give alarm in circumstances of danger, to announce the
arrival of visitors of distinction, and, as Mr. M'Intyre North
informs us respecting the horn in Drummond Castle, for summoning the
household and guests to dinner. But horns were not restricted to
winding, there were also drinking and powder horns, often beautifully
adorned.
The extreme length of this Horn, measuring along the outside of the
curve and including the mouthpiece, is 28-1/4 inches. The greatest
circumference is 11-1/2 and the least 2-3/4 inches.
[Illustration: VIII]
PLATE VIII.
QUEEN ELIZABETH'S VIRGINAL.
This beautiful Spinet is, in the drawing, placed upon a stand, which
served for its support in the Tudor Historical Room appertaining to
the Music Loan Collection of 1885. I believe this instrument to be
Italian, not Flemish or English, and Italian spinets had no stands or
legs, but when required for use were withdrawn from an outer case, as
this one would be, and placed upon a table, or some other convenient
position. They were even taken in Gondolas, as Evelyn records, for
pleasure and the performance of serenades.
We may assume 1570 to be approximately the date of this instrument.
The green and gold decoration, including a border of gold two and
a half inches broad round the inside of the top, is of later date,
perhaps by nearly one hundred years. An indistinct number on the back
of the case, inside, appears to be 1660. The Royal Arms of Elizabeth
are emblazoned on one end to the left of the key-board; to the right
a dove is seen rising crowned. The dove holds in its right foot a
sceptre; beneath it is an oak tree. This decoration, whether original
in 1660 or the copy of a former one, goes far to support the claim
for this Spinet having been Queen Elizabeth's. Her musical taste,
inherited from Elizabeth of York, and skill as a performer upon the
spinet, need no more than a passing reference.
I characterize the instrument as a spinet because a true virginal is
a parallelogram, not a trapeze-shaped instrument. The attribution
of virginal is, however, not incorrect as a generic term; for all
key-board stringed instruments with jacks were known in England as
virginals from the Tudor epoch to that of the Commonwealth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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