I'm sorry but some of your responses are putting me on the verge of a rant
myself, something which I try not to indulge in too often. Idealism is all
very well--I admit to having aspirations to someday playing only with period
instruments, but bucks are bucks and there are so few jobs for harpsichordists
that I suspect that day may be far off, if it ever arrives. I have toyed with
the idea of, when my new instrument is ready, leaving the Gough at 440 and
making it my modern instrument harpsichord (poor dear), but, since it is small
enough to fit into a hatchback, it is very likely that it will still have to
serve me for period gigs outside of the city. As for being able to borrow
harpsichords, some people seem to think, Don Simons's pointed remark on the
subject notwithstanding, that there are just scores of them floating around,
begging to be borrowed!
As far as institutions go, the best thing would be to have two harpsichords,
one at modern and one at low pitch, but these days you are lucky if your
college even has one!
Forgive these ravings, there are just a few things I feel absolutely adamant
about, and this is one of them!
 
Rebecca