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Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information

Hawkes & Son Bach Trumpet for Bonhams Sale

An unusual Hawkes & Son Bach trumpet which was played at dances at Balmoral Castle is being offered alongside other exciting lots at a Fine Musical Instrument auction on Wednesday 10th March 2010, Bonhams New Bond Street, London at 11am.

The trumpet was the property of the late leader of the Kincardine O’Neil Dance Band who regularly provided the dance and reel music for balls at Balmoral Castle in the 1940s and 50s, during the reign of King George VI. It is offered for auction with related documents including a receipt for its purchase as well as Balmoral dance cards listing dances such as Strip the Willow, the Dashing White Sergent, the Floatation Polka and the Eightsome Reel. It is estimated at £800 – 1,200.

Another unusual lot is a golden flute by Hamming which offers a rare opportunity for musicians to demonstrate their Midas touch. In excellent condition with hardly a blemish, it is a soloist’s instrument of the finest quality or a trophy flute for the gifted, gilded amateur. It is estimated at £15,000 – 20,000. Sir James Galway – ‘the Man with the Golden Flute’ – used just such an instrument.

Violins from all periods, from 17th century Venice to 19th century Milan, are also available in this sale. During this period playing technique and the repertoire developed enormously, but the violin stayed much the same, its evolution having reached perfection in Italy around 1700. Two outstanding examples of early craftsmanship are included in the sale – a 1692 Venetian violin made by M. Goffriller (estimated at £120,000 – 150,000) and a violin attributed to Nicolo Amati (estimated at £50,000 – 70,000). Amati was an Italian violin maker from Cremona who was the early teacher of the great Antonio Stradivari. He also almost single-handedly preserved and passed on the tradition of Cremonese violin making when he was the only violin maker in the city to survive the famine and plague of 1630.

For jazz hands, ‘Anything Goes’ with 3 Gibson guitars from the 1920s expected to achieve in the region of £2,000 – 3,000 each. During the 1920s Gibson was responsible for many innovations and their instruments were popular with jazz musicians. For those more interested in classical repertoires there are several Twentieth Century Italian violins by Pedrazzini (Lot 246), Garimberti (Lot 245) and Fagnola (Lot 244).

Philip Scott, Head of Bonhams Musical Instrument Department comments, “We rarely blow our trumpet here, but this varied and inclusive auction offers a remarkable opportunity for the local and international market to acquire a Venetian Violin played for Vivaldi in local sacred cloisters or a jazz guitar from Kalamazoo undoubtedly enjoyed on the Chattanooga choo-choo!”

www.bonhams.com/music

Image: The Bach trumpet which played for Kings at Balmoral is held by Rebecca Mair, Aberdeen local and Junior Cataloguer in the Musical Instrument Department at Bonhams.