The vuvuzela gets a symphony

Who says the vuvuzela is a limited instrument? It now has its very own Concerto in B Flat. Sadly, the composer didn't add his name to the score, which has become an internet sensation. What do the experts make of it? Robin Holloway, professor of composition at Cambridge University, says the composition follows a distinguished tradition. "Respighi's Roman Festivals uses one- or two-note instruments to create the atmosphere of the Colosseum," he says. "It works brilliantly." Composer Michael Berkeley agrees. "The vuvuzela's ideal for conjuring up the sound of hell." But will he be using it in his own work? "I've used spoons in a composition for the National Youth Orchestra, but I've never considered a vuvuzela. If I did, I'd drown it out with some other brass. As Chaucer rightly said, 'Vile brass emanating from the Devil's arse.'"