Pommer

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Pommer

Pommer, also known as bombard, is an old group of woodwind instruments from the shawm family. It includes alto, tenor, bass, and contrabass voices and functions similarly to the later oboe family (such as the oboe, bassoon, and related instruments). Pommers were large, powerful, double-reed instruments used in outdoor and ceremonial settings, often as part of a double-reed shawm ensemble that produced a grand, full sound.

Origin and history
The name Pommer comes from Germany and reflects its strong, projecting tone. The pommer family formed part of the shawm tradition and came in seven sizes, from high soprano to great bass. They remained popular until the mid-17th century, when the oboe family—refined in France by makers like the Philidors and Hotteterres—began to replace the louder, heavier shawms in many settings. A transitional instrument called the cromorne also persisted after the development of the oboe family.

Construction and range
Pommers are notable for their straight, non-bent tubes, with a length roughly equivalent to an organ pipe of the same pitch. The great contrabass pommer was about 9 feet (2.7 meters) long without the crook and reed. It had five finger holes and five internal keys, and its range spanned two octaves, from F below 8 feet up to C or E in the bass register. Other members of the family included the bass pommer (similar to a modern bassoon), the tenor pommer, the alto pommer (nicolo), and the high alto or Klein Alt Pommer, which lay about an octave above the tenor and resembled the cor anglais in function.

Relation to other instruments
The pommer family played a role similar to several modern and historical double-reed instruments. While it shares a purpose with the oboe, bassoon, and related instruments, the pommer represents an earlier stage in the development of double-reed woodwinds. Its use declined as the oboe family became more refined and versatile during the 17th century.

See also
- Bombard (music)
- Oboe
- Bassoon

Note: This summary reflects common information about the Pommer as a member of the double-reed, shawm tradition and its historical context.