I have now made two violins using ash for the back, sides and neck. My latest features wood made from an ash tree that came down in a storm in the Peak District several years ago, and I have enough wood remaining for more instruments from the same tree.

Ash across the UK and Europe is now under severe threat from ash dieback — a fungal disease expected to kill a large proportion of the species in the coming decades.

Using ash in place of the more common maple requires careful adaptation in the workshop: the wood’s different density, grain, and tonal response demand precise craftsmanship to bring out its best qualities.

Each instrument not only preserves a piece of a tree that might soon become a rarer sight, but also showcases the skill involved in coaxing a rich, balanced sound from an unconventional yet beautiful tonewood.