The oboe and cor anglais are woodwind instruments with a shimmering sound that carries clearly through the orchestra. The oboe is more commonly heard in the orchestra than the cor anglais. It is at its best in the middle register and comes into its own in lyrical solos. Classical and Romantic music contains many beautiful solo passages for the oboe.
When the orchestra tunes, it is the oboe that plays the tuning note, an A. The cor anglais is a related instrument with a deeper sound.
Our orchestra has three oboists and one cor anglais player.