H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES was pleased to appoint MR. KÖHLER a Juror at
the International Inventions Exhibition, 1885, Military Band Instrument
Section, Jury R.
THE COACH-HORN:
WHAT TO BLOW
and
HOW TO BLOW IT
Some time ago I rather thoughtlessly remarked to a subaltern in the
Guards that I had a notion of writing some instructions about blowing a
Coach-horn, together with a few proper sounds appropriate to the road.
The said officer mentioned this to his friends, who in turn told theirs;
and since then I have been besieged with inquiries as to when the work
would appear; and therefore, although immersed in far more important
business, still from a desire to be as good as my word—to say nothing of
promised subscriptions, and anticipated profits—I have at last made up
my mind to “appear in print.”
A very worthy friend of mine, of no particular talent (although he can
sound a Coach-horn right well, and drives his own four-in-hand), once
asked me to play something on the violin, and when I had done so, he
observed, “Ah, I learnt the fiddle when I was young, and should have
played very nicely indeed, if I had taken the trouble.”
This sagacious remark applies not only to fiddle-playing, but to every
other undertaking in this world, including even the proper sounding of a
Coach-horn.
Some persons can sound a horn almost by instinct from early childhood,
others experience an insurmountable difficulty; and fabulous sums have
been offered to me by certain persons, whose names I suppress for
obvious reasons, if I could only make them blow as well as myself. The
truth is, _they won’t take the trouble_.
Now I could sound a Horn at the early age of seven, and so can my son at
a similar time of life (much to the annoyance of his mother,
by-the-bye); but this precocity of talent may, perhaps, be accounted for
by the fact that my father, my grandfather, and even my grandfather’s
uncle were _bona fide_ makers of Coach-horns, and I am, further, a
practical disciple of Hiram of Tyre, who, I may remark, without
incurring any penalties, was the first artificer in metals in the days
of King Solomon (1 Kings vii. 14).
My principal object is to teach my readers—my gentle readers, I believe
is the correct term—how to sound a Horn; but I have added a number of
preludes in which I have been obliged to use musical notes, and I
believe they will be found a useful addition to these remarks, inasmuch
as they comprise easy calls, or soundings, familiar even to horses as
well as to coachmen, and therefore especially appropriate to the road.
[Illustration: A vintage illustration of 'The Beaufort' hunting horn,
showing it fully extended into a long, straight, conical brass
instrument.]
Before proceeding with my instructions, a description of a Coach-horn,
and the difference between that and a Post-horn, may not be out of
place, the former being nowadays used exclusively for a four-in-hand;
although it should be borne in mind that the latter was really the
recognised signal Horn used by all the guards on the fast Coaches which
carried the mails fifty years ago. Hence the name “Post-horn.”
A Coach-horn should always be straight and made of copper, with
German-silver or real silver mouthpiece and mountings, and the bell
should be funnel-shaped, and not curved outwards like an ordinary
trumpet-bell.
[Illustration: A vintage illustration of 'The Beaufort' hunting horn,
showing it in a telescoped or shortened state with a straight, conical
brass body.]
Although a strictly legitimate Coach-horn should be made in one entire
piece of metal, still there has recently been introduced a “Telescope”
Coach-horn, made with a joint ferrule in the middle, which allows the
top half to slide inside the lower portion of the Horn, without actually
falling out—something after the style of the portable metal drinking
cups. From actual experience, I can safely say that the tone and ease in
blowing are not in the least affected by this innovation—which, indeed,
I consider an improvement—for Coach-horns when thus “telescoped” are not
nearly so liable to get bent or injured, and are more easily packed and
carried about.
[Illustration: A vintage line drawing of a long, straight coach horn
labeled 'The Heavy Mail', featuring a slender, segmented body that
flares out slightly at the bell.]
A Coach-horn ought really not to exceed thirty-six inches in length, or
else the peculiar ring or note (musicians would call it the _timbre_) of
the true Coach-horn becomes lost, and merges into that more resembling
the field-bugle used in the army.
I am, however, aware that in the present age, when so much is done for
the sake of show and appearance, even to the sacrifice of utility and
comfort, many fairly good Coach-horns are used measuring forty-six
inches, and even more; and I can further account for such long Horns
being adopted, not merely for show, but because more can be done upon
them, as we say; that is, it is easier to blow, not the same notes, but
the same number of notes upon them. There is no accounting for taste,
and as some people like to hear the Coach-horn sounded as William
Simmons played his little bugle in “Martin Chuzzlewit,” “who, whenever
the conversation flagged, played the first half of a great many tunes,
and regularly broke down in the second,” then I will admit that for
playing “Buy a Broom” and other airs _very imperfectly_, a four-foot
Coach-horn will answer the purpose; although for all the old-fashioned
coaching calls, I still maintain that a shorter Horn is to be preferred.
My opinion has been confirmed by all the authorities whom I have
consulted upon the subject; gentlemen, I may remark, belonging to a
generation now almost gone by, who remember the days before the
iron-horse made its appearance and wrought such changes amongst us; when
nothing longer than the “yard of tin” was used on a Mail Coach, although
the old key-bugle was reserved, by such few guards as could play it, for
occasionally playing the simple and popular airs of the day.
[Illustration: A vintage line drawing of a long, straight, and slender
brass horn or trumpet with multiple joined segments, flaring out
significantly at the bell.]
Now the Post, or, as it is now so often called, the Tandem-horn, differs
from the above, inasmuch as it is of a much smaller calibre or bore,
being only twenty-eight or thirty-two inches in length, and made always
of brass instead of copper. The bell, unlike that of the Coach-horn,
should be trumpet-shaped, for the tone is materially affected thereby;
and a well-curved bell will yield a sound far more appropriate to a pair
of horses, tandem fashion, than a funnel-shaped bell.
[Illustration: A vintage illustration of a compact, looped brass bugle
horn with a coiled tube and a flared bell.]
A proper Post-horn ought also to be made with a slide, to elongate it if
necessary, for tuning purposes; for it is often effectively used in the
orchestra as a musical instrument; for instance, in Kœnig’s unrivalled
“Post-horn” gallop, also in the more modern “Down the Road” and the “New
Derby” gallops, etc. It need not necessarily be straight, but may be
coiled up so as to be carried in the pocket, in which shape it is
handier for use in a dog-cart or gig.
Having thus described the two kinds of Horns used for coaching purposes,
I will now proceed with my