rom
the city’s financial records it is difficult to determine which
instruments the City Pipers played. The purchase of curved
wooden horns and trumpets is mentioned and also four flutes
presented by the Duke of Buren in 1538. These flutes were silver
mounted by the city in honour of the duke. Banners made for shawms (wooden wind instruments) were also made.
The financial
records of the “Illustre Lieve Vrouwe Broederschap”[Illustrious
Virgin Mary Brotherhood] of 1528 mention the use of a zink
[wooden wind instrument]. The City Pipers probably had such an
instrument at their disposal. A trumpet is listed as well. This
instrument was more suitable for adorning liturgical ceremonies,
because of its clear tone. There is also a cornet and a
bassoon. In that period the City Pipers did not use any stringed
instruments..
Most musicians often played more than
one instrument. Dependening on the character of their
performance the City Pipers selected their instruments. When
giving signalling sounds from the town gates they used other
instruments than when accompanying a choir in Saint John’s
cathedral.
In ‘s-Hertogenbosch no illustrations are found representing
town musicians. However, in the various paintings of Hieronymus
Bosch you can see some instruments. Hieronymus Bosch was a
member of the “Illustre Lieve Vrouwe Broederschap”. The City
Pipers regularly played music during the Brotherhood meals and
they also played in the Brotherhood band.
The musical instruments the City Pipers
play are replicas of medieval instruments preserved in European
museums. They are two medieval shwams, two shepherd’s shawms), a
dulcian, one alto sackbut, two tenor sackbuts and one bass
renaissance sackbut.
