Mold and bacteria could grow in any brass instrument. And for most players, it wouldn't matter much, except maybe aesthetically. But for a subset of people who react to these organisms, it's no joke.

The sackbut first appeared in the 15th century, and was a prominent brass instrument during the Renaissance, baroque and early classical periods. But by the 18th century, it fell out of use.

Instruments once played by top-shelf brass players, in the CSO and elsewhere, have made their way into Hagstrom, Friedman and Batallán’s collections.