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Roger Dowling: Secretary/second violin
Secretary of The Alderley Edge Orchestra, Roger Dowling came to the violin relatively late in life. Although there was always a piano in his Yorkshire childhood home and his mother a capable pianist, it was not until one of his own children started having violin lessons some 30 years ago that Roger was able to seize the opportunity to learn to play the instrument himself. Working for the BBC in Manchester at the time, he had the luxury of lunchtime tuition from Glenn Janes, a violinist with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, to whom he will always be deeply indebted. He has been a member of The Alderley Edge Orchestra since 1989 and is also a regular player with KEMS Orchestra in Macclesfield. In addition to playing the violin, Roger has also made a number of string instruments in his spare time and has some five violins and a viola to his credit so far; he often uses one of his own instruments at Alderley Edge Orchestra concerts. Formerly Joint Managing Director of a business promotion and corporate design company, he has always had a deep interest in graphic art and typography. He is responsible for all programmes and other printed material at Alderley Edge concerts and for the Orchestra's comprehensive website.
Roger is also a sound archivist for the National Trust.
Before commencing the construction of a violin, it is desirable for the maker to have a thorough understanding of the way in which the instrument works. Vibrations are produced by drawing a bow across one of the violin's strings, but without amplification they would remain virtually inaudible. The principle of the violin is that the vibrations travel down the bridge and are transferred to the back of the violin by a so-called 'sound-post', a small wooden dowel which is literally wedged in position within the soundbox beneath the bridge. The back of the violin acts rather like the loudspeaker of a radio set and converts the vibrations of the string into an audible sound which is released to the world through the two f-holes or 'sound-holes' which are such a distinctive feature of any stringed instrument.It therefore follows that the physical profile of the back of the violin has a very profound effect on the quality of the sound produced by the instrument, as does the bridge and the precise position of the sound-post. Surprisingly, the top or 'belly' of the violin has little influence on the sound; in fact, experimental instruments have been produced without bellies and the sound has been affected hardly at all. The back of most violins is formed from two wedge-shaped pieces of maple which are carefully glued along the spine of the instrument. The outside is shaped to the required profile using tiny thumb-planes and gouges, after which the inside is similarly shaped to produce a wall thickness of around 5 mm at the centre and 3 mm at the edges. The side-walls or 'ribs' of the instrument are also of maple, in strips about 1 mm in thickness.The violin belly is quicker and easier to shape, being made of the much softer and more easily worked pine. Cutting the f-holes is a test of the craftsmanship of the maker, and their precise shape has a marked effect on the appearance and character of the instrument.An even bigger test is carving of the violin's scroll and neck, made again from maple and presenting a real challenge to the maker's woodworking skills.Mass-produced violins are often varnished with a quick-drying spirit varnish. Most makers, however, prefer to use an oil-based varnish, often of a secret and well-guarded formulation of which they are inordinately proud.
More about violin-making