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Cohan performed on an 18th-century transverse flute, and the chance to hear this music on an instrument from Bach’s time in this intimate acoustic was worthwhile.

But although the transverse flute was evidently known to the Greeks and Romans, it did not find the same favour as the reed instruments known as auloi.

From Agricola onwards transverse flutes formed a complete family, said to comprise the discant, the alto and tenor, and the bass— respectively.

We have no evidence of the survival of the transverse flute after the fall of the Roman empire until it filtered through from Byzantine sources during the early middle ages.