Was it like a modern oboe ot bassoon? Are they still made and played?
Anyone have a link to some good recordings of medieval music?
It was nothing like an oboe or bassoon, as the sound was produced not with a double reed but with a cup mouthpiece like that on modern brass instruments. The sound was closer to that of a tuba.
This Wikipedia page has a sound sample:
Oh, and as Professor Schickele points out, it was called the “serpent” because it could play all the scales. 
I know someone who plays one at Ren Faire. It sounds like a tuba.
I believe Sigmagirl’s husband owns a couple of serpents (IIR our Jeopardy audition together correctly). Calling Sigmagirl!!!
This site also has a sound sample. It does sound a bit like a bassoon, but that has nothing to do with the way the sound is produced.
There’s also the Serpent website, which is pretty thorough.
I played one once - the sound may be produced in the same manner, but it’s nothing like a tuba. [Ahnold voice] It’s not a tuba![/Ahnold voice]
Personally, I would have described the sound as not so much a tuba as a fart in a ten gallon drum. But anyway…
Too bad it is so rare.
I think it would be a big hit playing Evening music, or at garden parties.
In the Big Apple, of course.
I believe it is used in one of the songs from The Piano’s soundtrack… the one they play whenever the Maori come on screen. It’s the deep instrument keeping the beat.
Present!
He owns one, and several of his friends own them. I personally believe that if it sounds as if a diseased cow is dying at your back door, you’re playing it right, but I keep my opinions to myself.
Actually, I don’t keep my opinions to myself. Which probably is the reason my husband doesn’t play his often. We’ve been to several serpent recitals, and our friends have gotten quite good. There are few YouTube videos with serpent playing; these: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QEwfxOM0Rs&feature=related and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe78WSn9Fws are pretty terrible.
This is the one you want to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMwTv4hfQv8
I can tell you that the great Hungarian tubist Roland Szentpali has acquired a serpent and is learning it; if you’ve heard him play, you’ll want to hear more. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GrS0Lx-8zM&feature=related
If you have Spotify, search for a song called “Fjorton år tror jag visst att jag var” played by Jan Johansson. It’s from an album called “Musik genom fyra sekler”.