Asking Jane Booth about any relationship with her instrument is immediately complicated by the fact that she owns so many – over forty clarinets ranging for use in works from those which first gave the instrument a voice to those which saw it favoured it beyond all other woodwinds. On reflection, in an orchestra which strives to discover more about great music by performing it on the tools for which it was originally written and has subsequently been rediscovered, this isn’t surprising.

‘In this orchestra we generally play music from the baroque era through to that from the end of the 19th century, even touching on music from the twentieth century occasionally. That’s music from all over Europe and from over three centuries, so if you are going to be ‘authentic’ then there are plenty of opportunities to use a range of instruments, because instruments were always changing. In our Listening in Paris series earlier this season we used nineteenth century French instruments to play a Beethoven symphony – we were exploring how this music was first heard in France by playing it on instruments which those French musicians - working much later than Beethoven and in a different century - would have used. Playing great works on different instruments is relevant because it tells you something about their performance history.’

‘As soon as you pick up a different instrument you discover new things – it always reveals something new about the music and offers new perspectives on its performance. When we play music by Brahms, the clarinets as well as Tony our oboist use instruments that are copied from those used by the musicians in Brahms’ orchestra. This is a special experience; you really feel that the sound from all the woodwind players fits together that bit better. Playing together becomes a real joy.’

‘Also, you’ll often find that playing the right music on the right instruments immediately eliminates many of the difficulties you encounter with modern instruments. I recently heard a performance on modern instruments of the Mozart Piano and Wind Quintet that we’re playing tonight, and it struck me how much more difficult it is to balance a piece like this on modern instruments because instruments now are engineered to make high levels of noise and to sound ‘smooth’. Playing it on the wind instruments it was written for and with a fortepiano is in some ways easier – the instruments speak for themselves, and balance isn’t so much of a problem.’

In contrast to some of her colleagues, Jane’s number of clarinets could be said to preclude a close tie with ‘her’ instrument, as ‘her’ instrument is not one object but an entire collection, any one of which can find its way into her hands and mouth depending on the job in question. But close musical ties do exist, and though it may seem like a cliché to do so, it seems obligatory to ask if there are any favourites amongst her brood of instruments and if there are any which cause problems.

‘It’s true that there are frustrations and that it takes time to have both an instrument working at its best and me working with that instrument at my best. You have to remember which one needs repairing, which one needs practicing and which one needs resting. But similarly each one has its own qualities to discover. If I had to single instruments out it would be my Brahms clarinets which are modeled on instruments by Richard Mühlfeld who was Brahms’ Clarinet player. They have a certain colour and directness, and people often comment on their sound. They really sing – and I don’t think I could be without them.’

Andrew Mellor