Les Maitres et Elèves par ordre alphabétique

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Historical fortepianos, clavichords and harpsichords are not merely tools for music-making; they are also valuable pieces of furniture and witnesses to forgotten sound-ideals. Thus, today's restorer and builder must participate in organological and historical research, and be fully conversant with it. The best instruments of the past were not imperfect experiments; on the contrary, they were vehicles entirely adapted to the needs of the music of their time, full partners in the expression of the musicians' art. Today, as then, a good instrument is the fruit of an interaction between the knowledgeable musician and the builder; their skilled fingers can together bring to life the music of the past, sounding clear and true in the present.

In the Christopher Clarke workshop, we try to think and work as faithfully as possible in the spirit of the past masters, to rediscover and use the same rules, the same materials, tools and techniques as they did (the proper choice of materials is essential to the good sound of an instrument). Building a keyboard instrument requires first-class cabinetmaking skills, a sound mechanical sense, and the capacity to work a wide range of materials – metal, wood, bone, leather and cloth – for the action and sounding parts of the instrument. Drafting plans, analysing and mastering sound-production, tuning, voicing and regulating are also neccessary. In sum, a wide range of skills and trades are required for the profession of keyboard instrument maker.

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