I recognized their sentinel

The instrument most associated with the Sherlock Holmes adventures is the violin. Holmes, of course, plays the violin but he and Watson also attended a concert at which it was played (in The Red-Headed League). 

Holmes listens to a violin concert in The Red-Headed League

However, an instrument that gets a mention and which we hear sadly little about today is the Jew’s Harp.

Parker from Granada's Empty House

This was mentioned in The Empty House as the instrument of choice of one Parker. Parker was in the employ of Colonel Sebastian Moran.

"..I recognised their sentinel when I glanced out of my window. He is a harmless enough fellow, Parker by name, a garroter by trade, and a remarkable performer upon the Jew's harp. I cared nothing for him. But I cared a great deal for the much more formidable person who was behind him, the bosom friend of Moriarty, the man who dropped the rocks over the cliff, the most cunning and dangerous criminal in London. That is the man who is after me to-night, Watson, and that is the man who is quite unaware that we are after him."

The instrument is very far from dead. Would it surprise you to know that there is even a website for devotees?

http://www.rvandre.de/jewsharp.html 

A Jew's Harp

Is there some mileage in a new Sherlockian Group where the entry requirement is the ability to play this instrument?

For more information on Arthur Conan Doyle and his time at Undershaw please refer to my book, An Entirely New Country which is available through all good bookstores including Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Classic Specialities, and in all electronic formats including iTunes, Kobo, Nook and Kindle .

The Norwood Author is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Waterstones UK, Amazon UK,  Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, iBooks for the iPad/iPhone, Kobo Books, Nook.

Close to Holmes is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA,  Barnes and Noble,  Amazon UK,  Waterstones UK,  Amazon Kindle,  Kobo,  Nook  and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.

Eliminate the Impossible is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Nook and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.