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Music Amuses Did you know that the Beatles scored the PICCOLO TRUMPET in one of their songs? The piccolo trumpet is the smallest of the trumpet family. It sounds an octave above the regular trumpet and an octave above its written music. The piccolo trumpet in D is also known as the Bach trumpet, and was invented around 1890 by the Belgian instrument-maker Victor Mahillon for use in the high trumpet parts of music by J. S. Bach and G. F. Handel. Although the piccolo trumpet features more in baroque music, its first use in popular music in modern times is thought to have occurred in a distinctive David Mason solo in the Beatles' definitive recording of the song "Penny Lane". Paul McCartney – a founding member of the Beatles - was inspired to use the instrument after hearing Mason's performance in a BBC radio broadcast of Bach’s Brandenburg concerto No. 2. McCartney asked Sir George Martin - producer of the Beatles’ records - what the "tremendously high" trumpet was. Sir George said it was a piccolo trumpet or "Bach trumpet". Eventually the Beatles' work was recorded by Mason using a B-flat piccolo trumpet. Use of the instrument is now commonplace in many musical genres. Maurice Andre, Wynton Marsalis and Hakan Hardenberger are among the leading exponents of the piccolo trumpet. On 2 October at the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall, renowned trumpet player Allen Vizzutti will perform on the piccolo trumpet alongside other CCOHK soloists in Bach’s Brandenburg concerto No. 2 in a concert entitled Sound the Trumpet. Don’t miss this unique event!
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