Dean Castle, Kilmarnock, Scotland, inv. no. 75
Material: Original: ivory; copy: boxwood.
Pitch: c” at a’=500. i.e. fundamental a bit higher than modern d”.
Design: Simple form without ornamentation, very thin walls.
Finger holes: All in line.
Musical characteristics: Clear and bright sound, unlabored top notes up to c””, while d”” requires stronger attack. The pitch seems stable in the face of modified air pressure, which gives a nice feeling of resistance.
The recorder’s history: It was presumably built about 1650. Since 1945 belonging to the instrument collection at Dean Castle, Kilmarnock, Scotland, its possible connection with van Eyck’s music first came to notice in 1995. I was the first to examine and undertake detailed measurement of the recorder in 1998.