Christopher Monk facts for kids
Christopher Monk (born 1921, died 1991) was an English expert in old music. He played and even made musical instruments. He helped bring back interest in old wind instruments like the cornett and serpent. He was part of a movement to play old music exactly how it was played long ago.
Monk's Early Life and Learning
Christopher Monk studied history at the University of Oxford. He also learned to play the trumpet from a teacher named George Eskdale.
Bringing Old Instruments Back to Life
While working as a teacher, Christopher built his first cornett in 1955. He became a leader in making copies of these old instruments and playing them. He became very skilled at playing the cornett parts in a famous old piece of music. This was Vespers of 1610 by the Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi. Many people thought these parts were too hard to play, but Christopher mastered them!
In the 1960s, Christopher became interested in the serpent. He liked its unusual shape. In 1967, he started a group called the London Serpent Trio. He played with two other English musicians, Andrew van der Beek and Alan Lumsden. They performed old and new music all over Europe and North America. Some of their performances were serious, and some were quite funny!
In 1968, Christopher found a new way to make cornetts and serpents. He used a special mix of wood and resin. This was much cheaper than carving them from wood and covering them with leather. Thousands of these instruments were made this way. This helped more people learn about and play these unique old instruments.
Christopher Monk started his own company, Christopher Monk Instruments. This company continued to make cornetts and serpents. After he passed away in 1991, his friend and fellow cornett player, Jeremy West, took over the workshop.
In 1995, a group called the Historic Brass Society created an award in Christopher's honor. It's called The Christopher Monk Award. It celebrates people who have made big contributions to studying or playing brass instruments throughout history.
