Melody Bowl in Birch

Description

Melody Bowls in this 12-string size are the bards of the Sounding Bowl world. Light-weight and easy to hold up while performing, with a good vocal range.

This example, in Birch, is extremely rare and the last one I am likely to see in my lifetime. Birch trees usually hollow out from heart-rot before they grow large enough for 12-string bowls. Birch has a particularly emotional sound, affecting people more deeply even than your usual Sounding Bowl. This may be due to Venus being the over-lighting pattern-giver for Birch trees.
Tuned from F3 to C4 and the sound sample below is in the A, the Aeolian mode. The Pentatonic sound sample is an ancient scale from Hebridean work music. Such scales were used by Tweed weavers’ work songs right up into the 1990s.

Smaller than standard, making it ideal for those without the long arms required for the usual 12 string bowl, the ‘ball’ style tuning pegs accommodate closer-fitted strings. Made by Wilfred Pinson in the Devon Workshop that Sounding Bowls originated from, this bowl holds it’s tuning well and comes in a birch-bark-grey hard-case with a soft-cushioned red velour lining, complete with tuning handle and auto-tuner.

This one is now sold. Five pieces of Birch remain suitable for 9 string Melody bowls and 12 string Bridging Bowls.