This Companion is the first book to cover so many diverse aspects of brass instruments and in such detail. It provides an overview of the history of brass instruments, and their technical and musical development. Although the greatest part of the volume is devoted to the western art music tradition, with chapters covering topics from the medieval to the contemporary periods, there are important contributions on the ancient world, non-western music, vernacular and popular traditions and the rise of jazz. Within this book are detailed descriptions of the development of individual instruments and the way that composers have written for them. Issues relating to performance practice recur as key considerations throughout this volume. Despite the breadth of its narrative, the Companion is rich in detail, with an extensive glossary and bibliography.