Double flageolet, nominal pitch: E♭ or E (three-finger tonic)

Bainbridge

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Instrument

Double flageolet/Flutes/Wind/Musical Instrument ; Double flageolet

Instrument Family

Wind

Maker

Bainbridge

Place Made

London ; Europe ; England ; United Kingdom

Date Made

1821-1831

Description

This instrument is ebony with 8 silver keys, ornamental silver ferrules, a three-part windcap and 11 finger holes (7 for left hand, 4 for right). The mouthpiece and studs are ivory. The key-heads are square. It is stamped on the upper section “NEW” royal arms “PATENT / BAINBRIDGE / INVENTOR / 35 / HOLBORN / HILL / LONDON” and “C KEY”: stamped on each pipe “PATENT” and with note names by the respective finger-holes. Technical description: Ebony; 6 sections; silver keys and 2 cutters; engraved silver ferrules; ivory studs and mouthpiece; left-hand pipe has 6 finger-holes (top one containing ebony plug), and keys for D, F and D♯; right-hand pipe has 4 finger-holes, and keys for C (thumb, with ebony plug in key-hole), B, F and D♯; both pipes have a vent-hole on the lowest keymount (that on the LH pipe may also act as a finger-hole, giving a note between C and C♯); high C key on head section above pipes, played by L1; three-part wind-cap. Keymount type: ring/knob. Keyhead type: flat square and octagonal, notched and chamfered. Performance characteristics: Lowest six-finger note (LH pipe) sounds B♭⁴ (if in E♭) or B⁴ (if in E). Usable pitch: If in E♭, sounding A⁴ = c 456 Hz (c 60 cents above A⁴ = 440 Hz); if in E, sounding A⁴ = c 431 Hz (c 35 cents below A⁴ = 440 Hz).

Notes

Edgar Hunt, 1985; Arnold Myers, 1982; E. Smith, 2010.

Measurements

492.

Provenance

Bought by H.I. Brackenbury from Howarth for £10/0/0. ; Government Allocation to the University, 1991.

Collection

MIMEd ; C.H. Brackenbury Memorial Collection

Accession Number

1023

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