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A very big book that came out in late 2021, International Horn Society: The First 50 Years contains an amazingly complete look at the first 50 years of the IHS.
While largely authored by Jeffrey Snedeker, among other authors I do have two brief contributions to the book, so my review will of necessity be a bit briefer than I might otherwise present on such an important publication to the horn world. But still I wanted to be sure to highlight the publication, and encourage horn enthusiasts to check it out.
To the general, big picture first, this book was a huge undertaking, and the result is very impressive. I have also organized publications on large topics; Snedeker had many choices to make, and the result is a massive, 246-page tome – hard cover and in a large format.
The physical size and weight of the book could be viewed as a strength or a weakness, to be honest. Certainly, no reasonable reader will be wanting more detail on any topic covered, this was very thoroughly researched and produced. Hundreds of articles and sections on topics including every International Horn Symposium, the various IHS programs, etc. Illustrated with what must be thousands of photos. For an example of the content, the opening by William Melton on forerunners of the International Horn Society is a fascinating read, every student of horn history should make a special effort to read this chapter.
But it is a lot to take in, and it is a book that I believe few people will want to read in full. The book is not only large and heavy, it is also contains a lot of what might be perceived to be minutiae. It is also very much a coffee table book, not one you could ever throw in your backpack and read for fun.
In the case of my own contributions, I hope that readers might especially enjoy the article on pages 122-23 on the early years of the IHS website, a site developed originally by my Horn Matters colleague Bruce Hembd. I enjoyed writing it, and it is interesting to reflect on just how far we have come in such a short amount of time. The IHS itself started in an era with no Internet and social media, and the transitions to new technologies is a part of the story I was glad to be able to tell.
Check the IHS website for information on how to purchase! It is well worth the price and highly recommended to all interested in the development of our horn community in the past 50 plus years.
