The oboe is a double reed instrument which could trace its ancestor to the ancient "aulos" of 480-470 B.C., and is a direct descendent of the "shawm" of the 17th century.

The oboe consists of a conical pipe with a double reed fixed to the blowing end, and has a unique tone which is slightly nasal, but highly expressive.

The English horn is similar to the oboe in mechanism, but different from the oboe in size (it is 6 inches longer), in its pear-shaped bell and the bent metal tube extending from the top end of the instrument to hold the reed tube. The reeds are also larger than those of the oboes. The English horn produces a 'pastoral', slightly quaint and nasal quality.