Hautbois de Poitou

Hautbois de Poitou Renaissance reedcap shawm of France. It had a conical bore, 6 single fingerholes, 1 double finger-hole, and a rear thumbhole. Our only source for data is Mersenne, who lists 3 sizes: dessus in D, taille in G, and basse (in G?), the last doubled back on itself like a bassoon and furnished with an open key protected by a *fontanelle. Together with the *cornemuse de Poitou these instrs. formed a consort that was represented in the Grande Écurie du Roi of Louis XIV for a while…