The title sounds dramatic, but the reality is no less so. Yesterday, news broke that sent shockwaves through the small community of violin makers worldwide. To sum up the situation, the international violin making school known as Newark & Sherwood Violin Making School, or rather its representatives, announced that the Foundation years and 1st year would have no students at all in 2025. In other words, the students currently at the school may be the last batch of luthiers to tread the floors of this legendary establishment. Is this the end of an era of lutherie?
The end of an era of lutherie
The Newark School, in a nutshell, is one of the world's leading institutions, which has seen many of today's most famous and renowned luthiers pass through its doors. Founded in 1972 under the direction of Eric Ashton at Newark Technical College, it comprised three sections:
Violin Repair & Construction led by Maurice Bouette
Piano Maintenance, Repair and Tuning by David Taylor
Woodwind Repairs and Restoration led by Louis Rousseau.
Of course, I'll only discuss the violin section here. But the other two sections are of equal importance, as much for the musical economy of Great Britain as for that of Europe and the rest of the world.
The story of the school's creation
The emergence of the Newark school is largely due to Maurice Bouette, descendant of a family of musicians and craftsmen. His interest in the violin and its construction led him to attend William Luff's evening classes at Ealing.
After a while, Maurice took an active part in these evening classes, undoubtedly highly motivated by his passion for transmitting, and eventually replaced William.
In 1971, he responded to an advertisement in The Strad, posted by Eric Ashton, then principal of Newark Technical College, who wanted to create a school specializing in the musical instrument trades. It was then that the school opened its doors in a(tiny) disused part of the school.
The international aspect of a school in the English countryside, in the heart of Sherwood Forest, is highly improbable. Unlike other European schools, which are part of the century-old tradition of towns renowned for violin making, and which showcase it in every possible way, there is nothing to suggest that this school is a beacon of knowledge and transmission to the world.
Photo of students and teachers in 1978 with Maurice Bouette, Glenn Collins and some may recognize : John Dilworth, Roger Hargrave, Julie Reed-Yeboah, Andrew Fairfax, Koen Padding and Helen Michetschläger.
Since the 1970s, students from all over the world have been attracted by the quality of teaching and reputation of this school. These young luthiers, returning to their home countries or traveling to other parts of the world, have passed on the heritage they acquired in the heart of the Midlands. According to in-house statistics, around 77% of students went on to work in some 37 different countries after their studies.
An education apart
Maurice Bouette's principles
I expect everyone who leaves to be able to find a job and earn a living, and this has proved to be the case. I don't think many of them will earn a living just making instruments, as they must be exceptionally good at it, but there will be a few who do. I also think that with more and more good instruments available, the world will become more selective about what it accepts, and eventually only the best instruments will be welcome. These need to sound good, look classic and be well finished, so that they look good, with flowing lines; this will always give them an edge over something mediocre.
Maurice BOUETTE - 1978
Education in Newark
The teaching at this school is quite different from what is usually practiced, in a rather Anglo-Saxon way where freedom is very present, even too present. Indeed, far from the strict teaching that other schools might provide, the Newark environment was based more on confrontation and exchange. Students from different cultures, traditions and generations were brought together in an equally heterogeneous school environment, with each teacher bringing his or her own vision to the table.
I might as well tell you that this could make things rather confusing for the younger among us, who were constantly being tossed back and forth between different methods and opinions. However, it did create a critical, independent and individual spirit, which can also have its advantages in the profession.
Beyond that, the very pragmatic, workbench-based approach to teaching forged good basic tool handling skills. Not to mention the early emphasis on repairs and restoration, which exposes students to the realities of the trade long before they enter the professional world. This is simply not the case at other schools.
My experience in Newark
For my part, my time in Newark has been an incredible experience. From my arrival in August 2018 to my departure in June 2022, it's been one event after another, each one more significant than the last, and all of them now influencing my life on a daily basis.
In fact, the English school brand has a strong presence in Strasbourg, and its representatives are numerous. This is also the case in many other cities in Europe and around the world. It's a bond we share, bringing us together across borders.
How do you recommend the school?
I cannot, of course, compare it with another experience that I would have fictitiously had in another school, in contact with another culture, and in other circumstances... And so I can only speak of my reality... A reality that today seems very remote to me as the Brexit, and now the possible closure of the establishment, have given me less and less opportunity to recommend to younger generations to follow in my footsteps in learning violin making in Newark.
Indeed, while a few years ago I might still have been full of praise for the educational opportunity represented by the NSVM, my views have gradually changed over the years.
The main reason is not necessarily the quality of the teaching, which is always debatable, even if many are victims of the "it was better in my day" attitude. In fact, for me, it's more the loss of this international openness and the increase in tuition fees, as well as certain management choices that are currently leading to the school's decline.
Is this the end of an era of lutherie?
Despite the incredible impact that the Newark ecosystem has had on the profession over the past 50 years, perhaps this story is now turning its final pages. And so, since yesterday, the various players have been mobilizing and seeking support around the world to keep the flame alive. But will this really change the game?
The lutherie of the English school has a worldwide influence, not necessarily through its production itself, but through its know-how and the expertise of its workshops, particularly in London, which still influence the whole world today. The question now is: to what extent will the loss of this school impact the world of lutherie and music?
In this article, I'd like to look back at the history of Cecilia rosin. Many of you already use Cecilia rosin under its former name: Andrea. In fact, the name has changed over the course of this year, but nothing else has changed. In fact, it's the same recipe, the same manufacturer and the same passion. But in any case, here's the story of how we got here.
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