Though there is no actual music collection at Crathes Castle, music has an important part to play in the Castle's history. There are four instruments – an ancient horn, a square piano, a mandolin and an Irish harp. There is also an extraordinary painted ceiling in the Muses Room, dating from the sixteenth century, with pictures of many instruments showing how they were played. And there is a strong connection between the Castle and an important historic collection of music in the National Library of Scotland.
The Horn of LeysThe Horn of Leys is kept in a glass case above the fireplace in the main hall. It was presented to Alexander Burnard (Burnett) by King Robert the Bruce in 1323 as a sign of ownership of the Royal Forest of Drum. It is reputed to be made of ivory, but is more likely to be a boar's tusk. The striations (i.e. 'grain' and markings) are more like those of a boar's tusk, and the horn has a very nicely carved hogshead into which a mouthpiece is fitted. There are two jewels down the side, one pale (opal?) and the other red (ruby?). There is a legend that if the instrument is played a member of the family will die.
The Square PianoA Square Piano of five and a half octaves, with the following on the fall board: "John Broadwood Co. and Sons | Makers to His Majesty & the Princesses | Great Pulteney Street & Golden Square | London," has a manufacturer's serial no. 20,108 indicating it was built around 1815. Although not in playing condition, and although there has been limited moth damage, because there is so much original material, the instrument would seem to merit a full restoration.
This piano has an interesting history, having been hired over the summer season 1816 first to Mrs. W. Whitmore of 12 Bruton Street, London, from February to April, then to Mrs. Duncombe Shafto, of 75 Lower Grosvenor Street until 18th September. On 7th October it was then taken to Lady Montague of Ditton Park, where it remained for three and a half years. It was subsequently hired to Mrs. Boddington (or Beddington) of 37 Lower Brook Street in April 1820, and then to Mrs. Cook of Maida Place, Edgeware Road, in July 1820. It was then sold for 25 guineas, to Colonel Anderson of Inverness, and left Downes Wharfe, London Dock on Thursday 12th October 1820. The sale of the piano was effected through an introduction by a Mr Horn (possibly the composer C. E. Horn 1786-1849), and the bill for the piano and its shipping went to Mr. Bigg of Brompton Row. After this the record of the piano is unknown. [Information from Dr Alastair D. Lawrence in a letter of 4.4.19]
The Irish Harp
An Irish Harp with two metal labels at the head of the boss indicating that it was made in Ireland by James McFall, 22 York Place, Belfast, and was titled 'the banoic no. 62'. The Maker is described as 'Maker and Reviver' – a reference to the revival of Irish folk music. James McFall was a celebrated harp builder, completing around 300 instruments which were very highly regarded in their day. The instrument most probably dates from around 1900 and has various Celtic designs (cf. instrument in Maas Museum, object 256561 – information accessed 5.7.17). The word Banoic is a reference to Ban the King of Banoic (Benwick) in Brittany, one of the sons of King Lancelot – hence the Celtic designs. The usual description of these instruments is of Ash, with 30 strings and semi-tone adjusters – all of which this instrument shares.
The instrument seems in reasonable condition, with many strings still in place, though it is not currently playable.
A Mandolin of Neapolitan design (there were different designs for different cities and regions) with the characteristic bent sound-table, canted in two places, with a fretted hardwood fingerboard. There are 8 tuning pegs suggesting four different pitches, with two strings for each. There are two f-holes on each side of the belly, close to the 'table'. The instrument could well be made of rosewood and has mother of pearl decoration, both on the fingerboard and surrounding the rose. Though there is no label visible inside the instrument, it is possible that the instrument might date from the late 18th or early 19th century. The instrument looks in good condition with no obvious damage to the very rounded belly. The stringing is incomplete which makes it currently unplayable.
The CeilingThe ceiling in the Muses Room, dating from 1599, has been written up by John Purser in The Leopard Magazine 7th Oct. 2014. Four panels contain seven musical instruments all of which are very detailed. In line with traditional depictions of the Muses, they are here presented as women in expensive and courtly dresses. Where they can be seen, their feet are bare.
Panel 6 depicts Melpomene with a bass viol of four strings and a bow held with the thumb in an upright position. Thalia plays an instrument looking like a fiddle with four strings and frets on the fingerboard. It is interesting to note that there is no bow and from the position of the right hand of the player it looks as though the instrument is being plucked. Perhaps this instrument, which is being held in place by the right arm across the chest, is also some sort of viol?
Panel 7 shows Euterpe playing a bell-ended transverse flute, and Terpsichore plays a 12-course lute. The 'Crathes Flute' has been the subject of much speculation and the accuracy of its depiction has been questioned – largely because the bell-shaped end of the instrument is more like a shawm. But very definitely the instrument is being blown on its side, as though it is a transverse flute. Further, if this is a flute, then this may well be one of, if not the, earliest recorded example of a flute in Scotland. As all the other paintings at Crathes not only show the instruments in faithful detail, but also how they are played, it seems unlikely the painting of this bell-ended flute is an error. This unique depiction is so rare that a replica has been made and Elizabeth Ford has written it up in a Ph D Dissertation – The Flute in musical life in the 18th century (University of Glasgow 2016).
In Panel 8 Erato plays a small lute (or is this a cittern?). There is a large number of strings (12?) on the instrument, but being smaller than the full-size lute, the actual number is blurred. Calliope plays a small portable harp (similar to a clarsach), with 11 strings, which seems to be supported on a table.
Panel 9 shows Polyhymnia playing a fretted clavichord. There are tuning pegs on the left (around 13 of these) and over 20 movable bridges below the strings – clearly showing the derivation of the clavichord from the psaltery. There is a keyboard with a mixture of black and white notes, but not in the characteristic 2-plus-3 patterning which would have been common by the end of the sixteenth century. (Perhaps the painter did not quite realize the significance of the standard keyboard?) There are many more keys (more than 20) than strings, perhaps explained by the many bridges – as each string could produce several pitches, depending on their placement. The instrument is being played by one person, with the left hand on the keyboard and the right hand on the strings. The placement and shape of the right-hand gives the impression of plucking the strings which could give a different note as a bridge would subdivide the string into two varied lengths. The instrument is painted green on the outside, and on the inner part of the lid, which seems to be lined in red cloth, there are a couple of paintings or drawings of faces (not an uncommon feature of the lids on keyboard instruments from the 17th century). Below the player's left hand there is an open flap lying on the table, similarly lined with red cloth, which would fold into a gap in the case, so that the whole instrument could be closed into a box. The details of this painting are quite extraordinary, and seem to be accurate – even to the numbers of strings, bridges, keyboard, the hands and their position. The depiction of such an instrument is unique – no other similar representation exists of such an instrument being plucked while simultaneously being played with a keyboard. It seems as though this is a unique depiction of contemporary practice, not recorded elsewhere.
Duncan BurnettDuncan Burnett (1590?-1651) Master of the Sang Schule in Glasgow in the late 1630s, was a member of the family of the Castle – Burnett of Leys. He is an important musical figure, because of his celebrated Music Book of c.1615 – 'Panmure 10' in the National Library of Scotland. It is due to this collection that we have keyboard music of the period, especially of William Kinloch. It also seems highly likely that it was he who commissioned this ceiling.
© Roger B. Williams 2020
