I'm no authority on brass instruments, IB. The comment about the French horn being an English hunting horn with valves was something told to me over coffee one evening by a French horn player in the Seattle Symphony. He also told me about the English "horn" sailing under false colors. He had a whole list of little verbal anomalies like that having to do with music.

By the way, regarding recorder players, how about Michala Petri? This piece starts kind of slow, but about a minute into it, she shifts gears.

Yes, WAV, we can agree on that. It is, indeed, better to learn both ways.

And Little Hawk, I don't want WAV to crawl away and hang himself. That plays hell with one's ability to sing, and all along I've been trying to jar him into taking a bit of advice and learn how. When it comes to singing, hanging oneself is a bit unproductive (although I could make a list of singers who. . . .).

And Chongo Chimp and William Shatner? Well, if it comes to music (which is what I was talking about, but I am a true Renaissance man, so my range of knowledge verges on the universal), I have yet to hear a chimpanzee who could sing for sour owl jowls, and I've heard Shatner's record! I suffered for a time from post-traumatic stress syndrome, but I'm stronger now and fully prepared, so—bring 'em on!!

Don Firth