How many times have you read that (title of this entry) in a review or article (or on wikipedia) about the English horn? Yeah. too many times.

Several years ago I found an article that I clearly just skimmed, because I sure hadn’t noticed this:

There isn’t really anything “English” about the English horn: The instrument, a tenor oboe, takes its name from a Middle German word that meant both “English” and “angelic” – the predecessor of the English horn was thought to resemble the horns played by angels in medieval religious images.

Well … now that was news to me. But checking with wikipedia, which is never wrong (tee hee) I do read that explanation among others. Interesting.

Anyway, the article I’m quoting above is from an older CNN article about Thomas Stacy. In case you are interested.

Me? Well, Dan has often referred to the EH as “anguished horn” and I think we should just switch over to that. Works. for me!