Serpent (instrument) also appears in operatic scores by Spontini and Bellini, but it was replaced in the 19th century by a fully keyed brass instrument, the ophicleide, and later on by valved bass brass instruments such as the euphonium and tuba. After that the serpent dropped off in popularity for a period of time. Bernard Herrmann used a serpent in the scores of "White Witch Doctor" (1953) and "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (1959), as did Jerry Goldsmith in his score for "Alien" (1979). In the 1970s, instrument-maker Christopher Monk began playing, and later making Serpents, and in 1976 he
Michael Rath Trombones finished at Merton in 1981 and for the next nine years served an apprenticeship with Paxman Musical Instruments, a Covent Garden-based manufacturer of (French) horns. Himself a brass player – he began on tuba at age 11 – Rath opened his own brass instrument shop in West Yorkshire, specializing in repairs and customization. His clientele grew to include professional musicians, particularly trombonists, from throughout Europe. In 1995, British jazz trombonist Mark Nightingale asked Rath to create a bespoke instrument. Completed in 1996 after nearly two years of prototyping, this tenor instrument became the first Rath trombone. With tenor trombones in