Just say "no" to crumhorns

For some reason the crumhorn seems to have stuck in the general imagination as the go-to example of an early instrument. It is surprisingly common when I tell people I play medieval music to be asked some variant of "oh, do you mean like on the crumhorn?" or when actually performing to be asked (referring to the instrument in my hand) "is that a crumhorn"? This happens rather more often when I am playing shawm than when playing harp, but has occurred for a surprising variety of instruments. I think it is probably a British phenomena, though it would be interesting to know if this occurs elsewhere.

Why, why, why? Okay, so it is not reasonable to expect the average member of the public to make a distinction between renaissance and medieval music (though it might be better if more people did, food for a later discussion) and to know that this particular 'early' instrument was not actually around in the middle ages. In fact as far as I can tell these is no evidence for any wind-cap double reed in the middle ages. But why do they always pick crumhorn rather than some other early instrument?

Perhaps it is because the crumhorn is particularly distinct in sound and appearance from any modern instrument. If we are playing harp, fiddle and lute, they are not hard to recognise as variants on current instruments; the same for drums and bagpipes; and even the resemblance of shawm to oboe is easy to grasp once pointed out. But that exposes the exact problem with the crumhorn - the reason it doesn't look or sound like anything before or since is because it is not actually a practical or useful instrument: the distinctive shape is awkward to make without actually contributing to the sound; it is very limited in range and dynamic; is extremely difficult to play in tune; and produces a sound that does not fit well in mixed ensemble nor is enjoyable to hear in a group or on its own for more than the most limited duration. Basically I have never heard anything played on crumhorn(s) that would not sound much better on some other instrument.

The crumhorn was popularised (in the UK at least) in the mid-20th century early music revival. In particular it played a role as the 'next' and 'more exotic' instrument for recorder players; theoretically an 'easy' transition to obtain a more 'unique' early sound. In that sense it was perhaps replaying exactly the role it occupied in the early 16th century, i.e., a novelty for the amateur wind consort. A novelty that happily died a quick death at the time - so why does it linger on today...?