English Virginals

The virginals is a copy of the 1642 rectangular virginals by Thomas White at the Victoria and Albert museum. The case is largely in oak, with the less visible parts in deal. The decorative hinges and hasps are made of steel. The inside of the instrument is very colourful. The coffered lid and keyboard flap have rather naïve pictures, and the soundboard is painted with birds and flowers.
The spaces between the mouldings have either arabesque paintings or gilded embossed papers, a style peculiar to this type of instrument. The virginals has a fairly small compass of four octaves C to c´´´ and is entirely strung in brass. The stand is of my own design. This instrument has recently been featured in a film about the life of Francis Tregian, the collector of the Fitzwilliam virginal book.

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