Letters, emails, online comments

Coruss syntheic bow hair

LETTER of the MONTH

NEITHER HIDE NOR HAIR

Reading the 2019 Accessories supplement, much of which was concerned with ethical and sustainable products, I was particularly impressed by the article on synthetic bow hair (‘Unbridled Possibility’). I was so pleased to read that Sarah Markle of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra uses Coruss bow hair in order to avoid animal products. Like Markle, I am vegan and I struggle with the ethics of playing an instrument – the violin – that does not conform to my wish to refrain from supporting industries that kill animals. Some industrial production of horsehair involves the slaughter of horses, a fact most string players are unaware of. By promoting synthetic bow hair to her colleagues, Markle has demonstrated that she is a wonderful advocate for animal welfare. I hope that luthiers will follow her example and begin to research substitutes for animal hide glue.