Venetian Double Bass c 1770
Lovely Italian Bass from Venice; made c.1770 and attributed to the famous luthier Domenico Busan. Has huge sound and projection with rich tone
Back of Italian Bass
I am a very experienced amateur double bass player and have been leader of one of the country's best orchestras (Brandon Hill Chamber Orchestra - see webpage for details) since 1987. I have played a significant part of the chamber music and symphonic music repertoire. I also play Baroque Bass with Bristol Camerata
English Double Bass c 1820
Sonorous old English Bass with lovely walnut back
I have played with numerous orchestras across the UK including Brandon Hill Chamber Orchestra (Bristol), Bristol Camerata, Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Oxford Symphony Orchestra, Isis Chamber Orchestra (Oxford), Radcliffe Orchestra (Oxford), Bath Symphony Orchestra, Plymouth Symphony Orchestra, Lytham-St-Annes Symphony Orchestra, Chichester Symphony Orchestra, Newbury Symphony Orchestra, Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra, Oxford Studio Orchestra, St Giles Symphony Orchestra (Oxford) and Banbury Symphony Orchestra. I have studied with Tom Martin
Baroque Bass (orig. German bass c 1850)
Lovely swell back Lowenthal German bass which has been sympathetically modified to resemble a Baroque set-up
I am an music enthusiast and in addition to attending many concerts and studying scores I also have an interest in amateur orchestra administration in the UK. I am aware of instrumentation issues, ensemble problems and bowing styles. I also play the 'cello for fun (quartet and orchestral) and have orchestrated the slow movement of Rachmaninoff's cello sonata which is being premiered in St Geroge's, Bristol in 2011 by Morwenna del Mar. I am happy to travel to help out other amateur orchestras as long as I have time to practise the parts and listen to the relevant pieces. I am well situated in South-Central England to allow me to travel.
Bass bow by Eugène Sartory (1871-1946)
Lovely bow by reknowned bowmaker living in Mirecourt near Paris and taught by his father. Bow clearly marked "E.Sartory à Paris"
Cat admiring bow (September 2010)
My cat, who normally pummels everything in sight (she has a particular penchant for attacking full wastepaper bins proceding to knock them over and then violently scattering their contents all over the floor; she has also learnt the trick of knocking an important document into the bin before she starts the onslaught so I am constantly losing things!!) here showing clear deference to the skills of the Parisian bowmaker