Festival Review
The Horn Magazine reviews the acclaimed 25th British Horn Society Festival, held in Manchester in October 2003.

Anorak Not Required
Chris Crawley meets the multi-talented Richard Bissill - leading player, horn teacher and composer (he once wrote a fanfare for the LPO on a tour bus!)

A Major Talent
Tony Catterick recalls the distinguished horn-playing career of Frank Probyn, from studying with Adolf Borsdorf in 1910 to retiring from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1957.

Putting the 'French' into horns?
Ian Wagstaff visits the well-known horn shop of l'olifant in Paris, where the range of Paxman, Alexander and Schmid instruments suggests that horns don't all have to be French.

Dream Trio
Bob Ashworth, principal horn with the orchestra of Opera North (formerly the English Northern Philharmonia), hails Dream Wanderer, the new trio for violin, horn and piano by the 75 year old Welsh composer, Alun Hoddinott. (Bob premiered the work in September 2003).

Horn Review
Steve Bell, principal horn of the BBC Concert Orchestra falls for the completely new Alexander 403S.

PLUS News, Views, Reviews and Lively Letters.

A Festival Feast
The Horn Magazine extensively previews the 25th British Horn Society Festival, and finds much to inspire and interest visitors.

Horn Doctor
Mark Almond, long one of Britain's leading young horn players, has decided after qualifying as a doctor that the horn call is too strong, and now joins the Philharmonia Orchestra as third horn.

Big Cheese in Switzerland
The Horn meets Gregory Cass, who has recently clocked up thirty years as principal horn of l'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva (and he is still only fifty!)

Education, Education, Education
Robert Parker asks why so many gifted young British horn players are now coming from private schools, rather than through the British state school system.

A Neglected Talent
John Humphries profiles York Bowen, nowadays a rather neglected composer whose output deserves attention, especially the horn sonata and the concerto for horn, strings and timpani.

Horn Review
Pat Redgard-Siler tries out the completely redesigned Yamaha 668 Mk.2.

PLUS News, Views, Reviews and Lively Letters.

The Unsung Brain
Leighton Jones profiles Alfred Brain, one of the greatest hornplayers of the legendary Brain family, and yet still relatively little-known.

Double Advantage?
Michael Thompson continues his exploration of what makes the ideal horn. He starts off with the search for the ideal sound, and ends up by persuading the famous London firm of Paxman to make an entirely new model of horn.

He Surely Will Be Missed!
Chris Crawley salutes John Pignéguy as he prepares to hang up his horn after a long career as one of the most eminent players of his generation.

Period Planning
Robert Parker reveals how to plan a recital programme when playing on period instruments.

A Rose by Any Other Name
Robert Ashworth, principal horn of Opera North, explores the exciting challenges posed by the horn parts in Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier.

Minimising Size Problems
Beatrix Taylor pleads for more use to be made of the relatively small 'kinder horn' for children who are not yet big enough to manage a full-size instrument.

Horn Review
Stephen Bell, Principal Horn of the BBC Concert Orchestra, reviews the Besson International student horn, and finds it a weighty contender.