chalumeau

[ shal-yuh-moh; French sha-ly-moh ]

noun

, plural chal·u·meaux [shal-y, uh, -, mohz, sh, a, -l, y, -, moh].

1. Music. the low register of the clarinet.
2. a 17th- or 18th-century woodwind instrument.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chalumeau¹

1705–15; < French: originally, flute made from a reed, stem of a reed; Old French chalemel < Late Latin calamellus narrow reed; calamus, -elle

Example Sentences

Clarinetist Evan Ross Solomon and pianist Tim McReynolds then performed the entire “Clarinet Sonata,” marked by a slow movement largely in the clarinet’s brooding chalumeau register.

From Washington Post

In the midst of the Venice Baroque Orchestra’s rare, rousing performance of Vivaldi’s oratorio “Juditha Triumphans” at Carnegie Hall, a one-two punch: the strumming theorbos, as delicately joyful as music gets, accompanying Ann Hallenberg in “O servi volate,” and then the chalumeau — a clarinet progenitor — weaving a milkily cooing melody, like a flute heard through a foggy morning at a harbor, as Delphine Galou sang “Veni, veni, me sequere fida.”

From New York Times

The sessions have become a belle vitrine, a “beautiful window,” on a genre of music that is only just gaining popularity in France, said David Chalumeau, a professional harmonica player who is one of the informal leaders of the Sawmill Sessions.

From New York Times

Mr. Chalumeau cites the 1984 album “Nashville ou Belleville” by the French crooner Eddy Mitchell, with its banjos and harmonica, as a key event with enormous influence on the French ear.

From New York Times

Sévère’s tone was rounded and mellow, rich in the low chalumeau register and clarion bright at the top, without becoming harsh in the small hall.

From Washington Post