As an accomplished performer, Selway Robson suspended his initial career as an electronics engineer to become an instrument maker. Apart from serving the local music industry, his instruments have been exported to several countries. He builds instruments from the harpsichord family, as well as pipe organs.

You started your career as an engineer. What prompted you to become an instrument builder?

SR: I was looking for another job in electronics, but there was nothing else in Cape Town at the time (1968), so I finished a little spinet I had been making at weekends, and then I got an order for a spinet and a harpsichord from NAPAC in Natal and then the Cape Town Symphony orchestra needed someone to do repairs and their bows - so I just never went back to electronics!
How did you start off as instrument builder - was it a “do-it-yourself” learning process or did you do an apprenticeship?

SR: There was an excellent book published in 1965, “Three Centuries of Harpsichord Making” by Frank Hubbard, which I already had and that was my guidebook when I started out.

Luckily, I never apprenticed myself to anyone, because the big harpsichord makers at the time (Goble, Dolmetsch, Sperrhake, etc.) were making very unauthentic instruments more related to pianos than harpsichords. Martin Skowroneck in Bremen was a remarkable exception, however.

Please give us a crash course in the members of the harpsichord family.
SR: Apart from the harpsichord (shaped like a long, narrow grand piano) there are spinets (triangular shaped), virginals (rectangular), and the odd one out - the clavichord, in which the strings are touched rather than plucked, and therefore very soft.

Are the instruments you build custom designed or do you build them according to the plans of historical instruments?

SR: I have normally designed my own harpsichords, based on historical principles, but once made two copies of an 18th century spinet I had the good fortune to restore. One copy is at Tokio University.

Where do you source your materials for building instruments?

SR: Mostly locally, but special harpsichord wire comes from USA or Europe.

How does the choice of material influence the sound of the instrument?

SR: The only really critical part is the soundboard, and for that I use imported Swiss pine or spruce.

Is the quality of South African wood comparable to European wood and how do they differ?

SR: South African woods are every bit as good as European varieties (except for fine-grained pine). We have some of the best furniture woods in the world here, especially those which grow in the Cape, including some exotic species too.

How long does it take to complete the building of a harpsichord?

SR: That depends on the size. A little table spinet at octave or quint pitch would take 5 weeks to build, but a large, double-manual harpsichord, about 5 months, working full-time.

Do you decorate the cases of the instruments you build yourself? How do you choose a design/pattern/decoration?

SR: Yes, I do all painting and gilding myself, basing the designs on historical prototypes, but simplified to suit modern taste. The lid painting for my own Italian harpsichord - in 17th century style - was done by Stella Logie, who painted the family in costume, and set in a fictitious Cape scene. Often I have finished instruments in natural wood.

How is a harpsichord tuned?

SR: This is a big subject, if you are referring to the tuning temperament! Mechanically, the tuning pins of a harpsichord are simply a tight fit in the wooden “wrest plank” and tuning is a simple, quick process, taking no more than 30 - 40 minutes for even a large instrument.

As far as temperament is concerned, harpsichords are never tuned like a piano, in “equal” temperament, because this results in equally out-of-tune intervals, especially thirds, which do not sound good on a harpsichord. There are many historical alternatives. Bach had a special tuning, for instance, for the “48”, but I prefer to use my own temperament which allows one to play in any key, but which accentuates key colour.

Nowadays transportable harpsichords are also built. Do you think this influences the sound quality of the instrument (to be transported)?

SR: All harpsichords can be easily transported, and it has no effect on the tuning. Transportation is of course is much easier in countries where one drives on the left! Then the harpsichord fits neatly up to the glovebox, with the passenger seat flat. I can carry a large harpsichord in my VW Golf.

You prefer to work with hand tools. Is this purely because you like the feel of it, or do you believe you get a better product?

SR: When we lived at Greyton, with no Eskom electricity, I did most of the work by hand, as was done in the 18th century! But now, in Noordhoek, I use power tools, especially for heavy cutting. However, it is always best to do finishing by hand and the critical planning of the thin soundboards, for instance, must be done by hand.

Some of your tools belonged to your grandfather, Walter. Was he also an instrument builder?

SR: No, but he was a house builder who also did all his own woodwork. In those days not much was subcontracted. Some of the hand tools he bought were second hand, dating from the 19th century. I have some wonderful moulding planes, some of which date to the time when Bach was alive!

Have some of your instruments been exported?

SR: I’ve exported many instruments, especially to Akihiko Yamanobe in Japan, a total of about 18, I think, though some were second hand spinets. Also one chest organ to Belgium, two to Germany, a spinet to Namibia, and now there’s a possibility of a chest organ for Réunion.

If you could have a dream come true, what kind of instrument would you still like to build?

SR: I’ve built everything I have ever dreamed of - from tiny spinets to the large, 6 metre high pipe organ at St. Norberts’ Priory at Kommetjie, two manuals and pedals, 1000 pipes, 15 stops - quite big enough for a lone builder! But I’ll only “retire” when I’m physically unable to carry on building the instruments I’m passionate about, that helps to bring baroque music back to life in our time.

Tell us about your own musical career please.

SR: I took piano lessons from the early age of 5 and there was always live music at home. Both my parents sang in choirs and my mother was a very good soloist who also played the piano. She was one of those people who seemed to be able to sight-read anything and sing at the same time - even Bach.

I took up the oboe at 12, but never practised enough, being at boarding school away from home.  I was passionate about the organ even then, but never managed to get lessons. I finally taught myself in my early twenties, using a two manual and pedal spinet I made. I taught myself the recorder and also switched to the baroque oboe, which I’ve played seriously since 2005, as well as the baroque bassoon. (I’ve never played a modern bassoon.)

I perform regularly with The Noordhoek Baroque Ensemble and we’re performing at the Darling Music Festival on Friday 10th February. We play on “period” instruments at the original pitch, a=415,  about a semitone lower than modern pitch. All the stringed instruments are either antiques or copies with gut strings and my oboes are copies of early 18th century instruments.

Published 06.02.2012
Interview by Christien Coetzee Klingler