Postcard Competition

Visit to see the private collection of

Jeremy Montagu Sunday 26 February

(See events listings)

Friends of the Bate Hilary Term 2012

Collection Visit

Hitchcock craftsman and scion of a famous family

Peter Mole

James Steffkin

Lute Workshop

with

Lynda Sayce

Saturday 21st January, 2012, 11am - 4pm. This workshop will explore the traditional tunes and folk music in the lute's historical

repertory, and how to find and arrange more music in similar styles on renaissance and baroque lute. Other early plucked instruments are also welcome. The day will include a short recital by Lynda,

and there will be opportunities for individual tuition. The workshop is also open to spectators. £40 for participants, £20 for listeners.

Free to music faculty students. For more information and to book, contact Lynda Sayce on 01235 816158 / 07976 944910 or email

lyndasayce@gmail.com

Students of the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art working with the Bate Collection in

the production of a series of postcards.

Lute by Harwood & Isaacs – Donated by Edward Olleson

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James  Steffkin  –  Hitchcock  Craftsman  and  Scion  of  a  Famous  Family  Peter  Mole

Museum (MS 15864/3) were inspected and found to contain an entry dated 8th July 1715 reading, ‘James Steffkin Son of Frederick Steffkin late of Bazinghall street Musick Master bound to Thomas Hitchcock for eight years from [the date] Fetter Lane Musicall Instrument maker’ Armed with that information, and after some digital manipulation, the inscription emerges as ‘James Steffkin May 7th 1723 616’, the figures 616 being the serial number of the instrument. How it was that in the eighteenth century, boys came to be apprenticed many miles from their homes to master craftsmen is usually unclear. How was it, for example, that John Player, the son of a Gloucestershire shepherd came to be apprenticed in 1650 to the prominent London virginal maker, Gabriel Townsend? We shall probably never know, but in the case of James Steffkin, there is less mystery, for the Steffkins (or Stoeffkens, as they are sometimes spelled) were a famous family.1 Dietrich Steffkin, who would have been James’s grandfather and who was of German origin, had served the English Court from 1629 as one of Queen Henrietta Maria's musicians, but at the outbreak of the Civil War in 1642 he returned to Germany. While serving at the Court of the Elector of Brandenburg he met the savant, Constantijn Huygens who described him as ‘that marvellous man Stephkins, who performs more miracles on the viola da gamba than any man before..’ Frederick Steffkins, James’s father, was a viol player for the Private Music of William and Mary, as was his brother Christian. James himself was Frederick Steffkin’s last known child and was baptised on 16th October 1699 at St. Michael, Bassishaw, so the binding referred to above can be seen to have taken place when he was almost sixteen years old, which was quite normal. (Ashbee & Lasocki 1998: 1048‐1052). The son of family of musicians would no doubt have been welcome in the Hitchcock house, but there may be more significance in this choice of apprentice than at first sight appears. Was the undoubted success of the Hitchcocks in developing the market for the English spinet due to a connection with royalty, perhaps through the  Steffkin family? It is certainly possible.

1 The author is indebted to Paula Woods for pointing this out to him.

It is surprising what you can find if you look, particularly when examining historical keyboard instruments, for they often bear inscriptions, or the initials of craftsmen in places which are hidden from normal view. Quite recently the author was lucky enough to find an intriguing inscription when inspecting the Bate Collection’s English Spinet by Thomas Hitchcock, shown below.

The inscription was on the upper face of the baseboard within the keywell and was only visible once the keys and keyframe had been removed from the instrument; it is shown in the plate below.

It is not easy to read but Thomas Hitchcock was a Freeman of the Haberdashers’ Company, so that Company’s binding records in London’s Guildhall

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Forecast of Events

Flamenco Guitar Tuesday Evenings 6.30pm - 8.30pm - commencing Wed 10 Jan Under the tuition of Rafael, this series of workshops would suit guitarists of middle experience who are wishing to develop their skills in the Flamenco style. Learn Gamelan with the Oxford Gamelan Society Wednesday Evenings 6.00pm -9.30pm – commencing Wed 11 Jan OGS meet at the Faculty of Music on Wednesday evenings during the University Term. This is a chance to learn to play on the Javanese Gamelan with other members of the group. Play guitar with Oxford Guitar Society Tuesday Evenings 6.00 – 9.30 – commencing Tue 31 Jan Oxford Guitar Society meet in the Faculty of Music, monthly

FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES

HALF TERM

13 – 17 February (half term week) 2 – 5 pm Gallery activities including trails, colouring and word-searches. [Free of charge, no advanced booking necessary]

FAMILY FUN DAY Saturday 18 February 10am – 2pm A day of family events featuring: A treasure trail, live musical performances and demonstrations. This will feature an experimental concert using Glass Flutes from the Special Exhibition. [Free of charge, no advanced booking necessary]

MUSIC WORKSHOPS Viola da Gamba consort with Alison Kinder Alternate Tuesdays 9.30am – 2.00pm In collaboration with the Viola da Gamba Society The Bate has started a new Viol Consort with membership open. This is suitable for beginners and intermediate ability. Meeting fortnightly Recorder Consort Alternate Wednesdays 12.00 – 2.00pm Working with instruments from the collection.

GALLERY RECITALS

Zelman Kelber - Harpsichord Monday 6 February 1.00 Zelman Kelber plays the 1700 Tisseran harpsichord. Featuring Pieces de Clavecin by Francois Couperin. Mascerata Trio Thursday 23 February 1.00 Featuring Richard MacKenzie, lute, Catherine Groom on recorder and Adrian Horsewood on harp. Leon Acquah – Violin Zelman Kelber - Harpsichord Monday 5 March 1.00 Leon plays pieces by Vivaldi, Bach and Vitali

BATE RESEARCH SEMINAR

“The Northumbrian Small Pipes – A Missed Opportunity?” by

Dr Graham Wells Tuesday 7 February 5.15pm

A brief history of the Northumbrian Small-pipes and why their usage ended up being confined to the North-East of England

SPECIAL VISIT

Sunday 26 February 3 – 6 pm

Members of the Friends are invited to visit the private

collection of our Chairman, Jeremy Montagu – 171 Iffley Road, Oxford, OX4 1EL

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Action Potential

Friends of the Bate Contacts: Chairman - Jeremy Montagu: jeremy.montagu@wadh.ox.ac.uk or jeremymontagu@gmail.com, (and for anyone without internet at 171 Iffley Road, Oxford OX4 1EL Secretary - Sarah Montagu: sarahmontagu@googlemail.com Bate Collection Manager - Andy Lamb: Andrew.lamb@music.ox.ac.uk

The Bate Collection

Faculty of Music University of Oxford St Aldate’s Oxford OX1 1DB

www.bate.ox.ac.uk

On Saturday 19th November, the Bate in collaboration with Shelley James of the Royal College of Art, was proud to present a new work titled ‘Action Potential’ by Joseph Currie, a second-year student from the Faculty of Music.

The piece was an experimental, interpretive work, utilizing the musical qualities of a series of glass sculptures produced by Shelley James. A group of musicians explored the musical potential of the objects to develop a dialogue with dancers who sought to interpret and respond to the unique sounds.

The sculptures were in glass and formed to reflect aspects of the human body, each resembling one or another of those organs that produce or receive sound. The musicians worked with their flute-like qualities, expressing a range of emotive tones that blended harmoniously together. The dancers used the shapes and the sounds of the instruments as inspiration for a moving sculptural conversation.

Shelley James described her work thus: “While developing a series of glass sculptures about the connections – and disconnections - between the eye and the brain, I became aware of the extraordinary sounds that were created while blowing, cutting and polishing the work. I was intrigued by the way that the form of the piece seemed to give no hint as to how it might sound and wondered how the eyes, the ears and the brain work together to make sense of the world.”

NEW POSTCARD DESIGNS

Students of the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art have been working with the Bate to develop some new postcards on a Bate theme. The project was in the form of a competition with students being invited to come and work in the Bate to develop their ideas. The entries were judged at the beginning of November by Andy Lamb and Sarah Wilkinson. The winning entries are now on sale in the shop