September Horn of the Month
The Horn of the Month, September 2015, is a Bb cornet made by F. Besson- London. A sturdy un-lacquered brass cornet, it was one of my earliest “finds” for my collection of instruments. This instrument was found at a “yard sale” on Long Island, New York around 1970 by my mother. Along with the cornet was a copy of “The World’s Greatest Cornet Solos by Levy-Hartmann-Arban and other Eminent Composers” published by Oliver Ditson Company, Boston”. Both objects were wonderful summer finds, as I was then studying the trumpet with Mr. James Burke of the Goldman Band.
The inscription on the bell of the cornet reads in 10 lines- Approuvé/Par/N. DUHEM/25 (image of medals) of honour/ FB (script)/F. BESSON/ BREVETÉE/198.EUSTON ROAD/LONDON/ (symbol- five pointed star). The valves are Périnet piston valves, three of them (valves are in the standard configuration: whole step, half step, step and a half). The lead pipe section is removable to change the key of the cornet; no tuning shanks were present at the time of purchase; nor was there a case or mouthpiece. (A shank was later made by the Giardinelli Company in New York City). The valve casings and bottom valve caps are numbered 4, 5, and 6. On the 2nd valve appears the following inscription: a “P” above- F BESSON/ symbol- five pointed star/ BREVETEE enclosed in an ovoid circle and below that, the serial number of the instrument 12133. The Galpin Society Journal article listed below marks serial #11939 as being constructed in March 1871 and #12273 for July 1871. That would imply that our featured instrument may have been made in April or May of 1871.

Besson ‘Cornets No. 8’ Stock Book 1868 - Apr 1873
. Serial numbers 9009-14395 (+ some earlier)
1868 - 31 Mar 1871: serial numbers 9009-11885 in delivery date order
31 Mar 1871 - Apr 1873: serial numbers 11886-14395 in serial number order
Taken from www.vintagecornets.com

In 1858 Gustave Besson began making instruments at 198 Euston Road, London. The Besson firm remained a family business run by Gustave’s wife Florentine and later by his daughter Marthe until 1895 when the London factory was sold into British ownership. From 1877 to 1895 both the Paris and London branches of the firm were managed by Marthe Josephine Besson.
“Statistics from the 1890 stock book shows the variety of brass instruments made by Besson.
Instruments included Eb soprano cornets (92); cornets in C (17); cornets in Bb (1084); trombones in C (1), trombones in Bb (229); euphoniums in C (3);euphoniums in Bb (297); bombardons in E (180) and bombardons in Bb (105)” (www.vintagecornets.com). These instruments were generally sold to brass bands, military bands and some private instrumentalists.
I like to play this cornet because it has a beautiful sound. But since it does not have adjustable slides for intonation, I don’t use it for public performances. I like the sounds of old cornets in general because they have such individual voices. Their musical character seems special and I believe it helps me to prepare my role as a soloist, to be an individual with a different perspective and a wider range of timbre in my musical palette.
b. barrie

The Galpin Society Journal LIX, pp.43-75; Arnold Myers and Niles Eldredge – The Brasswind Production of Marthe Besson’s London Factory
http://www.vintagecornets.com/English_Besson.pdf
Horniman Museum – brass instrument collection
http://www.horniman.ac.uk/collections/musical-instruments
The Cornet Compendium – history and development of the cornet
http://www.angelfire.com/music2/thecornetcompendium/
A Brief History of the Piston-valved Cornet
http://www.pocketcornets.com/cornet_paper.pdf

For fun:
Echo cornet in C, F. Besson & Co, London, c 1875.
Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900), 'Tit Willow' song, from The Mikado (1884-85), played by Crispian Steele-Perkins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPwlafkbvdY