Books › A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments recently exhibited at the Royal Military Exhibition, London, 1890 …, 1891 › scan 25
Scan 25
A descriptive catalogue of the musical instruments recently exhibited at the Royal Military Exhibition, London, 1890 …, 1891
6 lines. Read by computer on 1 October 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1(Cantigas de Santa Maria). Instruments of this kind were, in the time of Praetorius, used in sets of two or three, and are mentioned later by Mersenne. Essentially of Provençal origin, the use of the pipe and tabor spread rapidly, and was carried into England by bands of travelling minstrels. Many references to, and some illustrations of, the use of these instruments are given by Strutt in his Sports and Pastimes, and it is only within the last fifty years that the pipe and tabor have ceased to be in common use. The peculiarity of the tabor-pipe is that it has but three finger-holes, two in front and one behind, all being placed very near the end furthest from the mouthpiece. The instrument speaks, therefore, in the upper harmonic octave, the fundamental sounds being impossible to produce. This will be better understood by the help of the following scale, which gives the various sounds produced with the same fingering; since the fundamental d'' was impossible to produce, the instrument took d''' as its pitch. Allowing for the more recent rise in pitch, it became nearly our d'''b. The notation, here given, therefore sounded two octaves higher:—
3The tabor-pipe is held in the left hand, and the finger-holes are stopped by the thumb and two first fingers; and by the best players an occasional use is made of the little finger, which is employed to half cover the mouth of the pipe. The tabor is beaten by means of a short stick; both stick and tabor being held in the right hand.
5The capability of the tabor-pipe was very great, and there were even virtuosi who could produce wonderful effects. Such a performer, named John Price, is mentioned by Mersenne, who states that he heard him ascend to the compass of a twenty-second upon this instrument! The pipe and tabor have been occasionally introduced into the orchestra; and in the comic opera, "Aline, reine de Golconde," composed by Berton, and first performed in 1803, a singularly beautiful effect has been thus produced.
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