Woe to saxophones and other wind instruments!

I've just been listening to a radio discussion about coming out of Lockdown. Someone suggested that the wearing of face masks could become compulsory at social gatherings for a time. So I started to think about the effect of this at jazz gigs.

(Editor: Scott Black, the hottest cornet player in Hong Kong, posted this photo on Facebook back in February.)

Should instruments that you blow be banned? This would be the end for saxophones of all sizes and also trumpets, cornets, trombones etc. There'd be an upsurge in music for piano, guitar, drums and bass. Would the reed players start to learn guitar instead? Would the non-reed players wear masks in sympathy with their fellow musicians, even though it didn't stopped them playing their instruments.

Would saxophonists etc contrive a way of playing whilst wearing a mask? If their whole mouth was covered except for the opening where the mouthpiece goes in, would this be practical? Would they be blowing the virus out through the aperture? Some people, naming no names, have said that worse than the virus comes out of some saxophones!

I'd hate to see this happening as there'd be no more Hexham Clap Sessions on BSH unless the drummer appeared alone.

It's amazing what random ideas pop into your head at times like these.

Ann Alex