Trevor Herbert was born in south Wales. He played trombone with many leading London orchestras and chamber and period instrument groups before joining the staff of the Open University, where he is now Professor of Music. He has published prolifically on the history, repertoire and performance cultures of brass instruments. He is also the author of numerous articles for the world's leading reference works. Helen Barlow was born in India and grew up in south Wales. She is a Research Fellow in Music at the Open University (UK), and her work focuses on literature and iconography as sources for music history. In addition to her published papers, she has written entries for several major reference works including the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
The meticulous and exhaustive research, enormous depth of experience, and exemplary clarity informing Herbert and Barlow's account turn the British aristocracy and even royalty from philistines into diachronic patrons of music... A magnificent achievement. --CHOMBEC News