Crumhorn Home Page

Presentation in the Temple, Vittore Carpaccio (ca 1510), Accademia, Venezia (detail).

Compiled by Nicholas Lander

Introduction | Modern reconstructions | | Used Instruments | Grow Your Own Crumhorn | Music | Sound Files | Discography | Accessories | Iconography | Further Reading | Other Sites of Interest to Crumhorn Players

Introduction

The name of the Crumhorn comes from the German krumhorn (krummhorn, krumphorn), meaning curved horn (cf the older English 'crump', meaning curve, surviving in modern English in 'crumpled' and 'crumpet', a curved cake). The crumhorn, used in the 14th to17th centuries in Europe, had its origins in the bladder pipe, and the chanter of the bagpipes. It is wooden, with a cylindrical bore and a double reed that is covered by a wooden cap pierced by a raised slit against which the player's lips rest. Articulation is effected by the tongue stopping and opening this windway.

Crumhorn cap & reed
Crumhorn cap & reed

The cylindrical bore (as opposed to a conical bore) and the reed closing the end of the resonating tube mean that (like the clarinet) the crumhorn overblows a twelfth rather than an octave. However, the lack of direct control of the reed of a windcapped instrument renders these higher notes extremely difficult of access. Thus the normal range is limited to the simple fundamental sounds produced by successive opening of the lateral holes giving an octave and one note. Many larger surviving instruments have auxiliary holes (covered by sliders - the modern equivalent of which is Selotape!) that extend the range downwards by one or two notes. On some modern reconstructions additional keys are provided to extend the range upwards by one or two notes. And there is some evidence to suggest that crumhorns were played without the windcap, possibly to facilitate the production of higher notes.

Crumhorns have a characteristically sharp attack which is very effective in an ensemble. Depending on how their reeds are voiced, they range in tone from a gentle, somewhat nasal humming to a rich, resonant buzzing.

The crumhorn was turned out of a length of wood, which was then bored out, filled with sand, plugged, and the lower end steamed (to soften it) and finally bent into a half circle. The curve is decorative only, perhaps being a reminder of earlier wind instruments made out of cow's horns, but perhaps to make the long pipe less clumsy for the player. The curved bell section of many surviving instruments is hollowed out to form a more or less conical foot, which has the effect of raising the volume.

The reed comprises a thin strip of cane, folded over and bound to the staple (a short tube) inserted into the top of the wooden pipe. When the reed is blown through, it vibrates, causing a standing wave to develop in the bore of the crumhorn. Pitch is governed not only by the length of the pipe down to the open finger holes, but also by breath pressure, so that the crumhorns have to be played at a fixed dynamic level. Crumhorn dynamics can be suggested by shortening notes. Variations in pitch from changes in breathing are like the change in pitch of a bagpipe chanter as the player starts to fill the bag.

A four-part consort usually comprised an alto crumhorn (in G), two tenors and a bass. Less frequently, soprano and great bass crumhorns were used.

Set of crumhorns, Anonymous, French, 16th century, Musée Instrumental, Brussels
Set of crumhorns, Anonymous, French, 16th century, Musée Instrumental, Brussels

King Henry the Eighth of England owned 25 crumhorns, so they may have been played at his court. However, they were not as popular in Great Britain as on the Continent, from where a small repertoire of music specifically for crumhorns has been preserved. But any renaissance instrumental or vocal music with parts of suitable ranges may be appropriated. A few anthologies are noted below. In modern times, crumhorns have been used to stunning effect by Brian Gulland and Richard Harvey of the folk/rock group Gryphon.

Modern Reconstructions

The following instrument makers and/or suppliers offer crumhorns either fully completed or in kit form:

As of February 2013, a consort (SATB) of Renaissance Workshop Company crumhorns will cost you £1,034 in kit form.

Set of modern crumhorns by Moeck, Celle
Soprano, alto, tenor, bass, and contrabass crumhorns by Moeck, Celle

Used Instruments for Sale

None at this time.

Grow your own Crumhorn!

The crumhorn is a very simple instrument to make yourself and does not require expensive tools or materials. The Early Music Shop (see above) supply kits which are extremely easy to build and which will yield crumhorn-coloured crumhorns vastly superior to the plastic ones from Susato. Whone (1975) gives instructions for growing your own from cataloy resin and wood, as does Stevenson (1980).

If you would like to design your own crumhorn an Excel workbook that can be used to calculate the hole size and position for a crumhorn provided by Charlie Jackson may be downloaded at http://members.aol.com/cornetto45/cj/cjmusic.html

Instructions for building an alto cornamuse (a very similar instrument to the crumhorn) are presented in a detailed article by Jörg Becker at http://web.archive.org/web/20070311055520/http://members.aol.com/gerraith/corna.htm.

A novel set of instructions for building a loud, low cost cornemuse from CPVC in 1.5 hours are presented in an article by Daniel Bingamon at http://www.mimf.com/archives/cpvc_cornemuse.htm

Plastic reeds can be purchased from the Early Music Shop (UK), from the Kelisheck Workshop (USA), or from Keith Loraine (USA). With care, they will last for years. Cane reeds may be purchased from any of the above makers.

The contruction and adjustment of reeds are described by Hanchet (1980), Leguy (1978), Loraine (1982), Papineau (1980), Smith (1992), Early Music Shop (undated) and Moeck (undated). Reed-making tools and supplies are obtainable from Keith Loraine (USA). Servicable crumhorn reeds can be made from plastic yoghurt containers (see the article by Jörg Becker, above).

Music

Thomas (1973) has given a catalogue of modern editions of original music for crumhorns as well as that arranged for crumhorns or playable on crumhorns. Thorn (1984) has provided another useful list of suitable items availabe in modern editions. Further items may be found amongst the catalogues of a number of music publishers, including:

The anthologies of music arranged for crumhorns published by Nova Music, in one volume; by Musica Rara and by Musica Sacra et Profana, both in two volumes; and by London Pro Musica in three volumes are especially good value.

Sound Files

If the computer on which you are reading this is equipped with a sound-card, speakers and the necessary drivers you can listen to the following music by clicking on its title.

Johann Hermann Schein: Padounà from Banchetto Musicale (1617) – MIDI file

The one example of music for a consort four crumhorns which has survived does not fit the modern quartet of instruments in C and F. In its original form it goes too low -- to E flat -- for the bass, and the top part lies too high for the soprano - going up to g''. The alto part also lies high and there is often a gap of more than an octave between the alto and tenor parts. Thus the original was scored for alto (pitched in G), two tenors and a bass with sliders to extend the range downwards by a few notes, though these lower notes may have been produced by underblowing an instrument with a specially modified reed, a technique documented by Agricola (1529) and discussed by Smith (1992: 127-129).

Francesco Corteccia: Guardan almo Pastore (1539) – MIDI file and notes by Ralph Vaughan

This was written for a wedding banquet of Cosimo I de Medici and Eleonora of Toledo at the court of Medici where it was performed on five crumhorns, a cornet and 6 singers. Who played what part is not stated. Maybe they couldn't scare up the sixth crumhorn on the spur of the moment and called in a ringer.

The Cantus is playable on the "G" alto (as all were at the time) with all holes open for the high Bb. The bass is a standard F bass. All the other parts are for tenor. This music is now published by Susato Press, Brasstown, N.C.28902, USA.

L'arboscello ballo furlano from Mainerio – MP3 file and notes from Stefan Beck's web-site (see above).

Played on MILLA®-Crumhorns by I MILLANTATORI (Joshi Obata, Wolfgang Vogel, Friedemann Schmidt, Hans-Jürgen Burggaller and Stefan Beck) Berlin. Stefan Beck's 'Milla' crumhorns have changeable bells which allow of varied timbres. A change of bells can be heard in the refrain in this performance.

Discography

Whilst there are as yet no records or CDs devoted entirely to crumhorns, many recordings of renaissance music contain tracks which feature this instrument in broken or homogenous consorts. A brief discography of such recordings has been compiled by Frank Crone here.

Details of 666 or more recordings which feature crumhorns may be found in the Recorded Recorders database.

Details of 136 or more recordings which include crumhorns are available Tod McComb's Medieval Music & Arts Foundation.

Accessories

Bruno and the Crumhorn

Dubosarsky, Ursula (1996). Bruno and the Crumhorn. A children's novel about a boy called Bruno whose overbearing Great Aunt Ilma arrives from Boston with a crumhorn which the poor lad is inveigled into playing, much to his horror. Inevitably the crumhorn is lost just before Bruno is to make his reluctant debut at a concert given by some local early music cranks. The instrument is returned by a girl called Sybil who proves a more willing pupil, but has her own secrets … A must for crumhorn afficianados from 10 to 110. Published by Penguin (1996).

Bruno & the Crumhorn
Bruno & the Crumhorn: cover

Crumhorn Earrings

Crumhorn earings in solid silver are made by Eric Moulder, 175 Buxton Road, Leek, Stafs., ST 13 6NF, UK, tel. +44 01538-385323, fax +44 1538 382204. They are the ideal present for your favourite crumhorn player -- or anybody else come to that. Why not also send harps, recorders and shawms?

Iconography

The crumhorn is well represented in historic works of art. Most of the following examples are drawn from my Recorder Iconography where further details can be found.

Further Reading

The focus here is on easily available items relating directly to the above text. Boydell (1982) gives an extensive bibliography.

Other Sites of Interest

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