17th century viola thought to have been in Newark during Civil War loaned to Newark School of Musical Insturment Crafts in support of their campaign
A 17th-century viola with links to the English Civil War has been loaned to students as they continue a campaign to prevent the closure of courses.
At the beginning of May, Newark’s School of Musical Instrument Crafts, one of the very few dedicated facilities in the country, announced the cancellation of its BA (Hons) programmes in violin, guitar, piano, or woodwind making and repair, due to low application numbers.
The news led to past and present students creating a petition to save the courses, which has over 17,000 signatures, in order to ensure the continuation of the heritage.
The viola, which was loaned to the students, was made in 1641 by Jacob Rayman, regarded as the first violin maker in Britain, and was loaned by a private owner.
It was arranged by violin expert Benjamin Hebbert, who said the owner wished to support the students quietly, while hoping to help further if the school survives the current crisis.
First-year student Daisy Muir described the viola as a powerful symbol of what the school teaches.
She said: “It’s nearly 400 years old, and it’s a testament to how long things can last if they’re looked after properly.
“It really shows the importance of preserving the restoration skills we’re learning here.”
The viola is already familiar to Newark students, having visited last year alongside two Stradivari violins when the Royal Academy of Music funded a documentary to celebrate the Violin Making School.
Students have used the instrument to study its form and produce working copies as part of their studies.
The student added: “All of the instruments we make as part of our coursework are different, but having access to this one means there’s a real source you can pull from.
“You can touch it, see all of its shapes and reference your work from it, something we definitely wouldn’t have anywhere else.”
Jacob Rayman, who is regarded as the father of British violin making and it is believed that in 1641, he made a set of instruments for use at the Chapel Royal of King Charles I.
In 1642, Rayman’s workshop was demolished to construct the Blackman Street Redoubt, part of London’s Civil War defences.
The Royal Court, along with its musicians and instruments, decamped to Oxford and later Newark, which became a key Royalist stronghold and it is likely that the viola travelled with them.
A second instrument from Rayman’s 1641 set is now housed at the Faculty of Music at the University of Oxford, alongside a wartime self-portrait by Nicholas Lanier, the Master of the King’s Music.
For the past few years, the Rayman viola has also been used by Professor Peter Sheppard Skærved of the Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music, who also holds the Viotti chair as lecturer in historic performance at the Royal Academy of Music in London and is also a passionate advocate for the Newark school.
The school is part of Newark College under the Lincoln College Group, and the courses were validated by the University of Hull.
Last week, Lincoln College’s assistant principal for higher education, Mel Watson, reassured the students that despite not having a new degree programme starting, alternative courses are being explored to ensure the practical skills key to the craft can continue to be taught.
Students currently enrolled in degree programmes at the school, validated by the University of Hull, will continue their studies to graduation.
Daisy Muir said that despite the school’s future not affecting her directly, it goes beyond current students.
She added: “The way that we are seeing it is that our ability to finish the degree isn’t affected, but because it affects the industry and other people in the student body, it affects everyone.
“It affects every maker and musician.”
