The trumpet is one of the oldest known instruments, descending from animal horns or shells used for signalling over great distances. This clarity of tone has been prized by composers through the ages, with brilliance and virtuosity a feature of works by Albinoni and Bach, and Handel’s regal Water Music composed to sound superb in the open air. The invention of the keyed trumpet enhanced the instrument’s lyrical, expressive qualities which were fully exploited by Hummel and Haydn, while its macho character was used to full effect in Bizet’s Toreador Song.