We all have a good idea what a violin, guitar, and a piano looklike, but did you ever wonder what a sackbutt was? Have you everheard of a crumhorn? What about a dulcimer or a psaltery?The sackbut was the early version of today’s Trombone, builtmore delicately than its modern descendant, and its tone isdescribed as more mellow. The earliest written record we have ofthe sackbut was dated 1468, when it was played at the wedding ofCharles the Bold and Mary of York. It was popular during medievaland renaissance times, and Henry the VIII of England had anensemble of sackbutt players at court. Today it is still used bytrombone players who want to play medieval and renaissance musicwith an authentic sound. Modern sackbutt players include theEnglish Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble, the London Sackbutt