Violin by John Grice, Edinburgh, 1731

About John Grice

We are incredibly excited about this violin! John Grice was an English violin maker known to have worked in Norwich prior to moving to Edinburgh from London in the 1730s. Grice was almost certainly invited to move his workshop to the city: this was a period in which music making at the highest level was supported by subscriptions from members of the Edinburgh Musical Society. We know that Grice had certainly moved to the city by 1733, as a violin from this year exists within the Hill archive, however the original label on our instrument states that the violin was made in Edinburgh in 1731. Excitingly, this makes ours the oldest surviving violin known to have been made in Scotland! John Grice moved to Antwerp in 1743 and then returned again to Edinburgh. His connections to other cities helped to bring a more broad understanding of instrument making to Edinburgh at a time when it was very much a distant outpost in the violin making world.

About this violin

The violin has an incredibly beautiful tone: rich and haunting, with a good deal of power and a slight suggestion of gravel to the sound.

The front is made of locally grown pine and the one piece back is of quarter sawn flamed maple. The violin is in good restored condition and has a length of back of 354 mm. It is based on a personal model and shows a slight Stainer influence.

Our intention for this incredibly special instrument is to preserve it for the future by retaining ownership of the violin within our own collection. It will be loaned to a succession of fine musicians in order that its voice is heard in Scotland once more.

How does it sound?

The violin has an incredibly beautiful tone: rich and haunting, with a good deal of power and a slight suggestion of gravel to the sound.

Certification

The violin has been certified by John Dilworth and Ben Hebbert, leading experts in the field of British violin making.

More information

Our intention for this incredibly special instrument is to preserve it for the future by retaining ownership of the violin within our own collection. It will be loaned to a succession of fine musicians in order that its voice is heard across Scotland once more.