Singer Cocus 8-Key, D

This flute was originally fitted with an ivory headjoint, which has been replaced with a new headjoint in matching cocus wood by restorer Jon Cornia. A small-holed instrument, it produces a sweet and mellow tone. The craftsmanship is beautiful throughout, with particularly interesting keywork. Plays at A440 with the headjoint extended just a few mm.

Singer was a 19th-century woodwind instrument maker based in Karlsruhe, Germany. Located in the southwestern region of the country near the French border, Karlsruhe was a center of culture and craftsmanship during this period. The Langwill Index documents Singer as a maker of clarinets and basset horns, though this flute suggests the workshop's output may have extended to other woodwinds as well.