Twenty Minutes

Join Andrew McGregor as we step inside the bow maker's workshop, following the master craftsman who needs to be engineer, woodcarver and silversmith. We reveal how precision and technical skill are only the foundation of the art and examine the modern day issues facing bow makers - such as how Pernambuco, a rare Brazilian hardwood which has been used in the making of string bows for over 250 years, has been driven to the point of extinction. With insights from violinists Rachel Podger and Daniel Hope we discover the difference a good bow can make and how the bow continues to evolve today.