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Recorder31 Day 14 | An Interview & Giveaway from Aafab

Recorder31 Day 14 | An Interview & Giveaway from Aafab

Today we are thrilled to have an exclusive interview to share from Aafab, the recorder workshop in Utrecht, Netherlands, and for one lucky Recorder31 reader, the chance to own a brand-new Aura Conservatorium alto recorder in boxwood.

We’re reviving our Featured Maker blog in honour of this year’s Recorder31, where today the spotlight is on Aafab. Known for producing the Aura and Coolsma ranges, as handed over from Hans Coolsma around 35 years ago, we are pleased to stock their instruments at The Early Music Shop, and here’s a chance for you to get to know their range a little better.

Click here to read the Featured Maker interview.

 

WIN an Aura Conservatorium Alto in Boxwood

Courtesy of our friends at Aafab, we’re delighted to have a stunning Aura Conservatorium recorder to give away. One lucky reader will receive this instrument, crafted from beautiful boxwood, and here’s how to enter:

  1. Ensure you are signed up to our mailing list. (If you aren't already, sign up here!)
  2. Comment on this blog post telling us your (current) favourite piece of music to play on alto recorder!

Enter by 23:59PT on Thursday 21 August 2025 to be in with a chance of winning. The winner will be chosen at random from all eligible entries. For full T&Cs please see the bottom of this webpage.

About the prize

The Conservatorium recorders by Aura are made in the Coolsma workshops in the Netherlands. They are based on Bressan recorders, with a curved, highly conical windway which produces a broad, rich sound. This Conservatorium alto is made of boxwood and is thumb-bushed.

This recorder comes with a canvas zip-case, cleaning stick, cork grease and a fingering chart.

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Today’s prize instrument, the Aura Conservatorium Alto in Boxwood is a well-made and great-sounding instrument. The boxwood gives a balanced and rounded tone and it has an even sound across the register. Check out the audio clips below or follow this link to find out more about this instrument.

Listen to this recorder! 

Bach Sarabande:

Vivaldi La Notte:

Scale:

 

Prize Draw Terms & Conditions

  • Entries must be submitted by midnight (PT) on Thursday 21 August 2025.
  • Entries may be submitted by following the instructions on this website, or on The Early Music Shop's social media channels on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. Entrants may use more than one platform to record multiple entries if they wish.
  • The prize recorder is available to one winner only, and is not able to be exchanged for any cash alternative or replacement prize. The winner will be determined at random from all eligible entries and notified on the platform on which they entered; they will be asked to email The Early Music Shop in order to claim their prize.
  • The Early Music Shop will never contact entrants via social media asking for bank information or payment details. Please do not give any such information to anyone contacting you on social media. We will be monitoring this prize draw closely for spam comments and invite anyone concerned about anything they have received to email us on recorder31@earlymusicshop.com
Previous article Recorder31 Day 15 | Friday Fun!
Next article Recorder31 Day 13 | A Look Back at Recorder Festival 2025 with Kate Allsop

Comments

Mel Scoufalos - August 15, 2025

My favorite alto piece? At the moment it is a very simple rendition of Bach’s minuet in G, because I am teaching my son recorder and it is the first duet I have gotten to play with him, which I have waited years to do! But in general, I prefer playing anything by Telemann.

Lee - August 15, 2025

My favourite alto piece right now is Greensleeves to a Ground.

Caolyn - August 15, 2025

Currently and always love playing anything Bach, especially Sleeper’s Wake on alto.

Marie Flechas - August 15, 2025

I am currently enjoying playing “His Mercy Is More” by Matt Papa. It’s not the most fancy or difficult song to play, but flows nicely and has a beautiful melody.

Alfonso Valdes - August 15, 2025

Please enter me in this raffle. I am primarily a lute player these days, and have ordered some tablature compilations from EMS. I am intrested in recorder to play the vocal part to my lute accompaniment on Renaissance songs. Working on “Flow My Tears”, “Awake Sweet Love”, “Now Oh Now”, and “Gentle Robin”. I need some low notes that my soprano recorder cannot produce.

PaolaM - August 15, 2025

I am only a beginner, but I am enjoying playing Entrèe Du Bal by Jean Hotteterre from the Baroque Recorder Anthology, volume 3, by Peter Bowman and Gudrun Heyens

Joanne Elms - August 15, 2025

What a beautiful recorder!
My current favourite piece to play on Alto is Van Eyck – Daphne arranged by Sarah Jeffery for her book, My Favourite Pieces. Its such a beautiful tune.

Druesilla Wallace - August 15, 2025

What a beautiful recorder. My current favourite piece to play on my alto has to be from Sarah Jeffreys ‘My favourite melodies’ for alto, called Prelude: The Seafront by Althea Talbot-Howard.

Neil Stafford - August 15, 2025

Currently my favourite piece to play on Alto is J.S. Bach’s Air on a G String arranged by Aldo Bova. Air on a G String was the first serious classical piece I learned to play at school on Descant. To play it now transports me back over 60 years.

ClareH - August 15, 2025

I’m enjoying Norman Fulton’s Scottish Suite at the moment.

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