SF oboist dies in hospital

William Bennett, the San Francisco Symphony principal who collapsed while playing the Richard Strauss concerto on Saturday night, died today in hospital. He was 56 years old

Sad news.

[h/t Slipped Disc]

Bassoon lamp

I've often heard of "lamp-quality" bassoons, but I've never actually seen a lamp. Here's one you can buy on Etsy:

The bocal's backwards, sure, probably an artistic choice for the photo. I'm more curious about the lack of whisper key. Did it fall off, or is the horn old enough that it never had one? Regardless, this horn seems to have entered a new phase of life as a decorative object.