The Royal College of Music has recently added the steel orchestral triangle to its list of approved instruments for the top level Grade 8 exam. The move has been welcomed both by professional tutors and by parents seeking an alternative to the trombone or violin.
Once mocked for its apparent simplicity, the modern orchestral triangle is a highly challenging instrument that has now taken its place in the percussion ensemble of the Royal Philarmonic.
The 2026 Proms will feature Belgian virtuoso Franz LeGrande playing Rachmaninoff‘s Prelude in C♯ minor, Op. 3 No. 2 on his rare 19th century instrument, an extract of whose meticulously annotated score (below) has been obtained by Spoofflé.
