Grandfather Salvatore’s Mandolins

My Sicilian Grandfather was a luthier, he was able to make lutes and other musical instruments, and opened a music shop in Grindly Street in Edinburgh, he called it, originally, The Music Shop. We believe he largely used his skills for the repair of instruments, and bought new instruments from contacts back in the old country, possibly from his peers in Sicily. After he died my Grandmother kept the business on, and ran it for many years as a respected businesswoman and my Father also spent years trying to run The Music Shop while holding down his day job as in Edinburgh Airport control tower. He was assisted by my brother whenever his day job permitted. Between them they tried to bring the business into the 20th Century. But its time was past, old Salvatore had been the driving force, a charismatic character by all accounts, and the shop closed when my Father retired. When he died two of his ‘Mandolin Lutes’ came to me.

The Musician Angel by Rosso Fiorentino

Music Teacher? My brother has found small classified adverts in old Edinburgh newspapers that have now put their archives online, showing Salvatore was offering Mandolin lessons, and as the two instruments have clearly been well used, I’m thinking they were used for students.

Location, location, location: What better way to build up your clientele than teach them to play? Sadly my Grandfather had passed away before I saw the light of day, although I had inklings of the character he was from the remains of his life that I found when wandering around in his big house. There was the big table which concealed a huge safe and was covered by a thick green baize cloth where the most valuable instruments were kept. I understand this was where he entertained musicians who came to consult with him from the Edinburgh Lyceum, across the road. If any of the Lyceum musicians had a broken string or anything, they need only cross the road to our shop to get a replacement or a quick repair. I’m sad that I missed meeting Grandfather Salvatore, and certainly would like to learn to play these instruments now. I only remember cold lonely piano practice in my Grandparents huge front room, surely a sad echo of a rich musical heritage.

Crowd Source: How can I make mandolin music?