Italian Artistry
Alessio Allegrini led the formidable line-up at the 2008 BHS Festival in Birmingham. The Horn Player has a special interview with him, a full report and a special colour centrefold.

In Praise of Alternative Fingerings
William Salaman provides a comprehensive guide to the many alternative horn fingerings and discusses their merits.

Use Your Transversus Abdominis!
Ralph Hall emphasises the role of the diaphragm in correct breathing and thus in correct horn playing.

Attack is the Best Defence
Bob Ashworth explores the importance of tonguing and a clean attack in properly starting a note and giving security.

The German Legacy
BHS Historian, Tony Catterick, continues his article on the influence on the UK horn playing scene of two now often overlooked German players, Franz Paersch and in particular his son Otto.

The The British Horn Player Abroad
Chris Bishop reports from South Africa.

Plus comprehensive news, readers' letters, views and CD reviews from the world of British horn playing.

Promenade Concert Diary
Chris Larkin and the other members of the BBC Symphony Orchestra horn section take the Horn Player backstage during the 2008 season at London's Royal Albert Hall.

The Art of Bel Corno
Bob Ashworth advocates studying voice production and singing as a preparation for producing a beautiful horn sound.

The Art of Bel Corno (continued)
Ralph Hall discusses the importance of a player's physiognomy in tone production.

The Forgotten Connection
BHS Historian, Tony Catterick, reveals the influence on the UK horn playing scene of two now often overlooked German players, Franz Paersch and his son Otto.

A Brown Study
John Humphries relates the history of the distinguished British horn makers W. Brown & Sons, described (in 1893!) as "old-fashioned".

The Large Influence of a Small Country
John Humphries and Jeroen Billiet describe the influence of the Belgian school of horn playing.

Sue and Freddie Walding
Sue Wright tells the Horn Player about her parents, after whom the Sue and Fredding Walding Bursary is named.

Plus comprehensive news, views and CD reviews from the world of British horn playing.

The Russian Horn Bands
Paul Sawbridge recounts the fascinating history of the horn bands in which the players used different length instruments to play just a single note of a chord.

The Search for the Holy Grail
Jonathan Stoneman reveals the interesting results of his researches into what makes the perfect mouthpiece .

Winging It
Christopher Owen continues his look at a horn player's life in the Royal Air Force.

The Next Generation
The Horn Player meets the young players at the West Bristol Music Centre Horn School.

A Horn Allergy
Jasper Rees talks to Lisa Donati about her severe allergy to nickel, frequently used in horns and mouthpieces, and how she had a special nickel-free model specially built.

Horn Pilgrimage
John Brownlee describes a pilgrimage to the renowned horn maker, Kruspe, which now makes just fifteen horns a year.

Plus comprehensive news, views and CD reviews from the world of British horn playing.