When you play a violin piece, you are telling a story” (Joshua Bell). And the violin has many diverse stories to tell.
Have you heard of a rabab, Devil’s instrument or a pochette? They are some of the words used for a violin over the years. The Arabic rabab was the ancestor of all European bowed instruments. A medieval legend recounts that Satan played the violin to lure people to dance into hell. A pochette was a pocket-sized violin that dancing masters carried to accompany their students in the 18th century.
The violin is traditionally one of the most important instruments in a classical orchestra. In fact, before the 1700s, the leader of the first violin section led the whole orchestra. However, the violin is much more than a classical instrument in the European tradition. The violin, or fiddle, has a key role in folk music and often accompanies dancers, ranging from traditional Irish music (like “Riverdance”), through a Scottish ceilidh, to New England’s country dance, western swing and upbeat bluegrass music in the upper South of the USA. Violin players like Nicola Benedetti, Vanessa Mae and Nigel Kennedy have crossed the boundaries of different genres to bring the violin into pop music as a star instrument in its own right. But the violin also features in many other pop songs, such as “Fisherman Blues” by the Waterboys, “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles and “I See Fire” by Ed Sheeran.
William Davidson, who teaches the violin at Staplehurst Music Centre, loves to explore the versatility of the violin. He worked in Hong Kong for 17 years in classical groups (including the City Chamber Orchestra and Pan-Asia Symphony Orchestra) and as a session violinist working on backing tracks for the Cantopop industry (similar to K-pop for a Cantonese-speaking audience) and other commercial recordings. Now back in the UK for several years, he has been exploring jazz violin. He teaches students of all ages and levels, including preparation for exams (ABRSM or Trinity).
What story will you tell with the violin?
