Natural Trumpet
by David Blackadder.

The Trumpet is often thought of as being perhaps the most majestic, powerful instrument of all and traditionally this is often the case especially when large groups of trumpeters played together. The sound of multiple trumpets became so synonymous with the nobility that it became a status symbol in courts across Europe to have an elite group of trumpeters, not unlike having a fleet of Limousines or Ferrari’s today. This tradition continues in some countries today and you need look no further than the moment when Meghan Markle arrived at Windsor Chapel to hear the spine-tingling sound that the Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry made to understand why. 

However, there is a much more subtle, lesser-known side to the trumpet which uses the more florid, angelic quality of its upper register to symbolise the Glory of God and the Heavens. Handel’s “Eternal Source of Light Divine” followed the trumpet fanfare at the Royal Wedding as Meghan processed down the aisle and showed off just how lyrical the trumpet can be particularly when imitating the human voice.

The trumpet that I used that day is a copy of an instrument originally made in Nuremberg by Johann Carl Kodisch around 1700. It was made by Mathew Martin of Norwich Natural Trumpets and has extremely light tubing which makes it easier to play sustained passages in the high register. This technique of playing developed throughout the 17th & 18th centuries and became highly prized by composers and their patrons alike. The sound that can be achieved in the high register is not unlike that of a Woodwind instrument and the Trumpet was indeed said to be capable of being “as sweet as an Oboe” By using different articulations the best trumpeters could play very delicately and their trills were said to rival that of any Flautist of the day. Court Trumpeters were handsomely rewarded for their prodigious skill being required to play at the most important ceremonies and state occasions. 

I love to bring to light this gentler side of the Baroque Trumpet and show how it can shine perfectly well without the need to blast loudly at any point.  I remember playing my late father the first recording of the Brandenburg Concerto I ever made as a student at the Royal College of Music. His reaction was “Sounds more like a Flute than a Trumpet to me son” He didn’t realise just what a compliment that was but I knew exactly what he meant and I have always strived to achieve that same quality throughout my career.