History of music in the biblical period ancient form. (see photo) The flute was commonly used for festal and mourning occasions, according to Whitcomb. "Even the poorest Hebrew was obliged to employ two flute-players to perform at his wife's funeral." The shofar (the horn of a ram) is still used for special liturgical purposes such as the Jewish New Year services in Jewish communities. As such, it is not considered a musical instrument but an instrument of theological symbolism which has been intentionally kept to its primitive character. In ancient times it was used for warning of danger, to announce the new moon or beginning of Sabbath,
Horn (instrument) opera "I trionfi del fato" (produced in 1695 in Hanover) also used horns. At about this same time the horn began to appear as a solo instrument. An anonymous "Sonata da caccia con un cornu" from before 1680 found in a manuscript in Kroměříž sets a "cor à plusieurs tours" against two violins, two violas, and basso continuo, and a "Sonata venatoria" from 1684 by Pavel Josef Vejvanovský calls for two "trombae breves", which probably also means spiral horns, though hooped horns are not out of the question. A particularly significant composition is a Concerto à 4 in B by