I have in my collection a gem, The Beethoven Sextet recorded (live) 19 April 1981 with Michael Thompson and Tony Halstead, horns. There was much more to the story than that, but, that is sufficient background. In my 'notes' I stated how Civil was a poor candidate for the notorious second part and it was edited accordingly and he struggled gamely through. Last year, I shared a recording (live) of the Beethoven Sextet with Dennis Brain and Alan Civil with seven or eight members of the list. There is much more to AH than a hand horn player.

I have been inspired by this sudden chat about Tony Halstead to share a couple of thoughts, as he may have been slightly underrepresented on the list. It is a pity that you chose to refer to the tenor as 'some other guy!' He is well known as a teacher (a Professor at the Guildhall School of Music) and lecturer for British Horn Society events etc.

He was successively principal horn in the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra and the English Chamber Orchestra before specialising in the early horn. Originally a pianist, he comes from Salford and studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music where he came under the influence of the great horn player and teacher Sydney Coulston and turned to a career as a horn player.

He is also diversifying his career into conducting and harpsichord playing. Tony Halstead is now one of the world's foremost players of the early horn, playing with the Hanover Band and other London 'period instrument' groups. I was just wondering if anyone has heard of him. Anthony Halstead Has anyone ever heard of a horn player by the name of Anthony Halstead? I just bought a recording of the Britten Serenade with him playing and some other guy singing.

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