Bow Rehairing

I had one of my bows rehaired last month. It's a bit of a monster - quite the longest bass bow I've ever seen, and too long to fit in a "normal" bow case. The person who rehaired it did not put on sufficient hair for my liking - I think it may even have had less hair after the work than it had before it went in...

Anyway, I got the bow back, and tried it out and it seemed to be OK, so I thought nothing more about it. I finally got round to using it properly in a Schubert Octet, and got halfway down the first page before I noticed that the bow seemed to be a bit loose. Kept tightening it up as I went along, and by the repeat mark realised that the thing was not at all happy. It seems as though the hair is not being gripped properly at the frog.

Does this sort of thing happen regularly? I did once have a cello bow that failed completely at the tip - the glue just gave way in the middle of a concert (most embarrassing). But surely a rehairer should be able to deal with a bigger bow?

Anyway. I am waiting for a refund, and a recommendation for a rehairer somewhere near Leeds who's up to the challenge! (The length of the playing area is 24 inches, and I like white hair - thanks!)

Trout Quintet

At last! The piece I have been waiting for all week. A pleasant romp through Schubert's "Trout" Quintet. Although I have played this many times, it still has potential to catch me out in places. And it's remarkably evocative - I find it very hard to play without remembering the times I played it with my grandmother taking the piano part. Music & Memory - I'm sure there's research potential here.

We coupled this with the Mme Farrenc's second quintet for the same combination (Piano, violin, viola, cello, bass). Like other works of hers that I have sampled, this is eminently playable without too much to worry the bass player.