Bombard

The bombard, also known as talabard or ar vombard in the Breton language or bombarde in French, is a popular contemporary conical bore double reed instrument widely used to play traditional Breton music. The bombard is a woodwind instrument; the reed is held between the lips. It plays a diatonic scale over two octaves.

The bombard is a member of the oboe  family. Describing it as an oboe, however, can be misleading since it has a broader and very powerful sound, somewhat resembling a trumpet. It is played as oboes are played, with the double reed placed between the lips; the second octave is achieved with increased lip and air pressure or through the use of an octave key. Bombards in their most traditional setting are accompanied by a bagpipe called a biniou kozh ("ancient bagpipe"), which plays an octave above the bombard. The two players are referred to as Sonerion (in Breton) or sonneurs de couple (in French). A bombard player is known as a talabarder. The bombard calls, and the biniou responds. The bombard requires so much lip pressure and breath support that a talabarder  can rarely play a sustained melody line. The biniou plays the melody continuously, while the bombard takes breaks, establishing the call-and-response pattern. Prior to World War I, a given pair of Soners would typically cover all of the weddings, funerals, and other social occasions within a given territory, which would be jealously guarded from other performers. This duet of bombard and pipes, also occasionally accompanied by a drummer in past centuries, has been practiced for at least 500 years in Brittany in an unbroken tradition and must be considered the heart and soul of this instrument's place in Breton culture.