crosthwaite

 

Jamie Barnes introduces Peter Crosthwaite, sea captain, inventor and museum curator.

 

Six Singing Stones

Crosthwaite

Peter Crosthwaite recorded finding his first six 'musical' stones in June 1785 while walking on Skiddaw.

Amazingly, Peter claimed that all six stones were perfectly in tune. During the next six months, he found another ten stones.

He worked twelve hours a day, tuning the stones to make a sixteen stone (two octave) set.

 

Cabinet of Curiosities

Cabinet

Peter Crosthwaite found an unusual way of attracting visitors into his museum in Keswick!

 

Peter The Map Maker

Map

As a ship's captain, Peter Crosthwaite became an expert map reader and map maker.

When he returned to Keswick, he drew detailed maps of the lake district which he sold to tourists from his museum.

kesmap.jpg

Peter Crosthwaite's maps included hand drawn views (vignettes) of places of interest. The map of Derwentwater includes a view of Skiddaw, surveyed by Peter Crosthwaite with his own quadrant, and carefully drawn to scale.

 

lofty.jpg

Notice how the contours of Skiddaw rise and fall. These might suggest a tune, or melody

see:http://www.geog.port.ac.uk/webmap/thelakes/html/crosth/ct2fram.htm

Can you identify:

  • the lowest point
  • the highest point

 

Now decide on your lowest and highest notes to represent these.

The other notes of your mountain melody will lie somewhere in between.

Try out your mountain music on musical stones or xylophone. What changes will you make?