I could not be more delighted with the service I received at Cardiff Violins. As an enthusiastic fan of “Sherlock BBC”, I’ll admit I wanted to see the shop that had supplied the violins for the TV series. As soon as I walked into the shop, I told Cecile and her assistant that I couldn’t afford to buy a violin, but despite that they readily brought out two of the “Sherlock” violins and even allowed me to play them. Because I am a beginning violin player, I was self-conscious to play in front of other people, and Cecile and Katja were kind enough to let me have the practice room to myself for as long as I wanted. Alone in the room, I closed my eyes and squeaked out a few notes on these beautifully crafted instruments. My heart soared. Of the two violins I played, the violin I fell in love with was the one used in the final episode of “Sherlock.” (For “Sherlock” fans, this was the violin Eurus used, then passed to Sherlock. Eurus then plays it for the finale piece “Who You Really Are.”) The instrument was so smooth in its tones and the craftsmanship so superior that I found myself in tears just from playing it.
This exact violin was particularly important to me, because the song that is played at the end of the final episode had inspired me to learn the instrument despite being 40 or so years older than an average violin student.
In my wildest dreams, I couldn’t have imagined owning this precious violin, and you can imagine my shock when Cecile was willing to work with me on paying for the violin with which I’d fallen so deeply in love. She was even willing to ship it to me in the United States, and it arrived just a few days after our return to the United States. (I was so nervous while it was en route, but it arrived in absolutely perfect condition. It was even mostly in tune!)
As my violin and I get to know each other better, I realize that its outstanding craftsmanship will really help me move to the next level in my playing. Several problems I’d had in my playing disappeared simply because this instrument is so intuitive. I predict I will have many years of joy, thanks to this violin and the kind expertise of the staff at Cardiff Violins.