Next to his Alexander is the Alexander “with adaptations by Sansone” played by his uncle Alfred, and the horn made “by Labbaye with Périnet valves by Brown” played by his father, Aubrey. Brain’s genealogy is laid out right there in the cabinet. Since 2002 the instrument has been behind glass at the Royal Academy of Music. I meet one American horn player, now retired, who remembers going in there as a young man and being asked if he’d like to “have a blow on Dennis’s horn”. For many years it stood in the window of the Paxmans shop in Covent Garden. It was retrieved from the wreckage and restored by Paxmans. His single B flat Alexander 103 was severely damaged. His death was mourned by a wife, two children and a world of admirers. No doubt poor weather, lack of sleep and his addiction to speed proved a lethal combination. An inquest was unable to establish the cause of the accident. His TR2 slid off the road in heavy rain and hit an oak. The horn mangled in the car crashĭENNIS BRAIN died in the early hours of Sunday morning, 1 September, 1957. I have in my hands the horn of Dennis Brain. That inglorious moment is described in this extract, from a chapter entitled "Without Fear of Death", alongside a consideration of Brain's impact on the musical world. I went one better than that in the course of my researches: I played Brain's horn. One man reported that as a schoolboy he'd carried Brain's horn.
Although he died in a car crash more than 50 years ago, since publication many people have written to me to say that they met him, were taught by him, saw him perform or give a school recital.
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