Flinders University’s beautiful historic harpsichord, built for Sturt CAE in the 1970s by well-known South Australian instrument maker Richard Schaumloffel, has become a beloved feature of Adelaide’s spectacular new Baroque concert hall in North Adelaide.

The long-term loan of the harpsichord to the North Adelaide Baroque Hall, which is modelled on an 18th century concert hall, will allow it to be appreciated more widely by music lovers.

The instrument is a copy of the 1769 Pascal Taskin double manual French harpsichord in the Russell collection in Edinburgh. It sits on a Louis 16th apron stand, and it has a soundboard decorated in the usual floral style. The black and red lacquered case is decorated with faux Chinese gold scenes (chinoiserie).

In recent years, Flinders is pleased to have found homes for several instruments in its collection, which had been hidden away in storerooms.

An older but less authentic harpsichord made by Goble has been donated to Brighton Secondary School, which was used to great effect during its recent Twilight Classics concert.

The Goble spinet, a smaller kind of harpsichord, is on loan to St David’s Anglican Church, Burnside, where it is regularly used in its concert series, and a chamber organ, which was not in good condition, but has found its perfect home with Alistair Knight, a secondary Tech teacher and keen organist. Alistair has used the instrument as a restoration project for his students.

Flinders also owns a beautiful Yamaha grand piano, which is located in the Oasis function centre and is played during Flinders’ ongoing concert series.

Information about the 2023 concerts at Flinders will be available soon. Meanwhile, students are welcome to play the piano in Oasis, if they wish.