The Crumhorn Controversy

It is said that Munrow was inspired to take up early music by seeing a crumhorn in a room occupied by Thurston Dart.....However.....


David Griffith who has a tribute site to David Munrow revealed on the forum the following..


.....According to correspondence I have received, the crumhorn may have in fact belonged to another Cambridge contemporary, John Moore. Here's what he had to say on the oft-quoted crumhorn on the wall inspiration for Munrow:

"I remember David bursting on the Cambridge music scene- I was at Jesus and he straight away threw himself with terrific energy into our musical activities. I believe on one occasion there was a Purcell production with scantily clad nymphs who we intended should be frolicing in the college grounds.The day of the production it rained and the performance had to be moved to the chapel, which caused a mild stir amongst the audience. David and I were asked by Laurence Picken to do an evening for the Asian Music circle (which also interested itself in traditional music from other parts of the world). David brought along some of his collection of Peruvian instruments while I talked about my trip recording the hurdy-gurdy.I seem to recall that he was then a competent if not exceptional recorder player and he was, I think, involved in a Miracle play we put on (where I played a couple of notes on a mediaeval harp borrowed from Thurston Dart). I'm not sure whether the crumhorn he saw was on Thurston Dart's wall as I don't recall Dart having one. I did have one hanging on my wall which I remember David seizing and blowing a lot more successfully than I could."