Jack Darach is one of Britain’s leading young Woodwind Instrument Makers. Based in Brighton, Jack was awarded the QEST (Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust), Turners’ Livery Company Prize for 2016.
Even though England used to be a European Centre of Excellence of Woodwind Instrument manufacture, there are no woodwind instrument craft courses available in the UK in 2016. Jack’s Scholarship will give him the chance to study under those such as internationally recognised English Recorder makers Tim Cranmore and Tom Prescott.
At the Turners’ Company Livery Lunch on Wednesday 28th September 2016 Jack played a delightful instrumental solo on his own, beautifully crafted, Ganassi Recorder as the Master and Wardens of the Company processed into Apothecaries’ Livery Hall.
Jack played music by Jacob van Eyck (1590 – 1657) a celebrated Dutch nobleman and musician who produced the most work for solo woodwind instruments in European history. Jacob van Eyck was born blind and his brilliant work was dictated rather than being written down by the composer himself.
A selection of instruments made by Jack Darach are shown below.