Some instruments of the past are not played very much today. Instruments fall out of fashion for different reasons, sometimes because they are not loud enough or the music they play becomes unpopular. The cornett sounds a bit like a gentle trumpet or like a boy soprano. It was used with trombones in an early version of the brass band.
Specific usage history: Used by Christopher Monk as a playing instrument, latterly as a pattern for new cornetti.
Technical Description
Overall size: length 577 without mouthpiece.
Sounding length: with holes closed, 576.
Bore: minimum 11.0; 288mm from bell end, c 16.59; c 76mm from bell end, 23.5; bell 25.8.
Dia of mouthpiece receiver: m.r.t. 11.0 at proximal end, tapering to 8.0 at 15mm from end.
Technical description: Wood; made in two sections, bound together with cord and covered with leather. Finger holes all substantially undercut.
total curved length 576.025.8.
No inscriptions.
Silver reinforcing bands probably a later addition by Christopher Monk to hold the instrument together.
Usable pitch: A4 = c 465 Hz.
Specific literature references: Campbell 1996; Campbell 1999.
Illustration references: Workshop drawing by R. Parks published by the Collection, 1993; Galpin Society Journal, 1996, XLIX p.184; Brass Bulletin (1/1994) No. 85 p.17; Campbell 1999, p.125; Campbell et al. 2004, p.160 Figure 5.6b; World Wide Web picture at www.music.ed.ac.uk/euchmi/
Specific usage history: Used by Christopher Monk as a playing instrument, latterly as a pattern for new cornetti.
Technical drawing available from the Friends of St Cecilia's Hall. Please see http://www.stceciliasfriends.org.uk/
Provenance
ex- C.W. Monk collection, ex- P.A.T. Bate collection (1956).
; on loan to the Collection.