Music Exhibit at the Horniman Musuem

Overview

The music exhibit at the Horniman Museum covers many different eras of music throughout the years. There are many rows of old instruments that have been used during royal times and examples of how instruments have evolved. The exhibit it split up into a few different sections, including the evolution of the instrument shape and sound, different instruments used during different times, and different instruments used in different areas of the world.

Evolution of Instruments

The display on the back wall shows how instruments have evolved in Europe with woodwind and brass instruments. The instruments range from the 18th century to present day. Instruments are usually divided into two categories, woodwind and brass. Woodwind instruments, like the clarinet and saxophone families use a reed. This reed is what creates the sound when air passes through it. The vibrations are then transferred to the instrument where beautiful sounds come out. With brass instruments, like the trumpet, trombone, and french horn families, musicians use a mouth piece made of metal to create vibrations with their lips. These vibrations are transferred into the instrument, usually made of brass, and then use different values or slides to create the different sounds.
There is also an interactive display that visitors can use. On the huge wall of instruments, some instruments are labeled with the color red, while most others are labeled with blue. The red labeled instruments are special because they can be used on the interactive display. Visitors can pick between different red labeled instruments and hear the sound each one creates while reading a small history about the instrument.

Seasonal Round: Haslemere Festival

In the 1927 the Haslemere Festival in Surrey was founded and took place in the mid of July. It highlighted musical performances from the 16th to 18th centuries. The festival was founded by Arnold Dolmetsch, who as dedicated to reviving early music. He also was a avid instrument maker and also collected many of these historical instruments. In the image were some of the instruments he made and collected.