Baroque Guitar
Last night Andrew Boniwell and I went down to the Music Garden in Toronto. The garden is by the lake surrounded by trees, flowers, and grasses. The weather was pleasant. We were there to hear violinist Linda Melsted and guitarist Terry McKenna play on period instruments music from the 17th to the 20th century. The music was lovely. Both Linda Melsted and the Terry McKenna had moments of brilliance.
Being a guitarist I was really drawn to the sound of Terry McKenna’s 10-string Baroque guitar. It’s like a baritone mandolin. I preferred when he played that instrument as opposed to the two other instruments he brought. They were both classical guitars – one built in the early 19th century style (I think) and the other one in a modern style. I suspect it was the wind, humidity, traffic, and technique that made it a struggle to get a decent sound out of those instruments.
However, after the performance I talked with Terry and he let me play a couple of his guitars, the Baroque and 19th century classical. They look and sound so beautiful up close. The natural sound without amplification is resonant and rich, intimate and inviting to play. I love the character of the Baroque guitar, but the feel of the classical guitar was an invitation to seek out one for myself. It has perfect action, tone, weight and size. Terry said the instruments were built by Michael Schreiner. I found his website and here’s a photograph of one of his Baroque guitars.
