johnsamuelpike

If there is no English Horn, sometimes an oboe d'amore (in A) might work, as it can get a couple of notes lower than the common oboe (lowest concert pitch=G# under middle C), and is an effective compromise between the tones of the two more widely-used aerophones (listen to Bach's concerto BWV 1055 [I strongly recommend the Douglas Boyd performance--first movement], or the "Et in Spiritum" from J. S. Bach's Mass in B Minor). The instrument has a bocal, similar to English Horn. Also, it really isn't too terribly expensive to rent these instruments for a specific concert date if you're really "going for the gold" with a performance.