Bombard : France musical instrument

The bombard is also called talabard in the Breton language or bombarde in the French language. The bombard is a modern day conical bore double-reed musical instrument widely used to perform traditionally Breton music. The bombard is a woodwind musical instrument, it is also a member of the oboe family of musical instruments. Describing the instrument as an oboe can be misleading since it has a broader and more powerful sound that is analogous to that of the trumpet. The bombard is performed as other oboes are played, with the double reed of the instrument placed between the lips of the player. The second octave of the instrument is over-blown; achieved through increased lip and air pressure or via the use of an octave key. The musical instrument plays diatonic scale of up to two octaves, but modern day musical instrument often have added key work allowing some degree of chromaticism. Tye player of the bombard is known as ‘talabarder’ after talabard, the ancient version of the musical instrument.

source: plowshareforge.blogspo...

Traditional Breton musicians are known as ‘sonerien’ or sonneurs in French. Musicians that are playing the instrument in pairs are called ‘sonneurs de couple’. The bombards in their most traditional setting are accompanied by a bagpipe instrument that is known as biniou kozh that plays an octave above the bambard. The musical instrument calls while the biniou responds. The bombard needs so much lip pressure and breathe support that a player of the instrument can scarcely play a sustained melody line. The biniou performs the melody continuously, while the bombard takes breaks, as such bringing out the call-and-response style of the music.

In the 1^st part of the 20^th century, the number of players of the musical instrument and the biniou kozh went to minimum significantly. In the latyer part of the 40s, the creation of the Bagad, a special Breton group of bagpipes, bombards and drums, by figure like Polig Monjarret and the organization Bodadeg ar Sonerion, gave new role to the musical instrument. Most towns of Brittney now have one or many Bagadou, and they compete continually with each other in a series of yearly tournament and festivals. Now the Bagadou perform music, traditional melodies and new compositions. The large number of the players of the bombard in the Bagadou has been a key element in the successful popularization of the musical instrument. Another key factor has been the revitalization of the traditional pairing of the musical instrument and the biniou in the 1970s with the Breton cultural renewal.

 The bombard is a musical instrument that has been in constant development, with many different keys evolved and also sophisticated silver key work allowing chromatic possibilities. Milder versions in lower ranges like the ‘Piston’ of Youenn Le Bihan have been evolved for use in mixed groups. A class of professional players and producers of the instrument has emerged, and also stabdardized reeds and commonly available tutorial material. In the present day, the bombard and the biniou are performed in combination with an unlimited number of musical instruments like the voice, saxophone, the piano, the organ, the clarinet, guitar, flutes and fiddle. In the fest-noz, ensembles of all patterns, folk, rock, pop, and punk in arrangements of the traditional Breton dance tunes or in the new compositions.