An instrument with a rich history, the recorder dates back to medieval times. Recorder consorts featuring the entire family of "fipple flutes" (sopranino to contrabass) were a common feature of Renaissance musical life.


In England, Henry VIII was skilled in music and owned 76 recorders at the time of his death in 1547. In the Low Countries, the instrument was in common use in town bands; an inventory of the Antwerp civic band in 1531 included 28 recorders. The French court of Louis XIV employed leading recorder players of the day as well as notable instrument makers like the Hotteterre family (well-known in the late 1600s and early 1700s). Descriptions and drawings by Fray Juan Bermudo in Declaration de instrumentos (1549 and 1555) show that the recorder was known in Spain as well.


During the Baroque era, the recorder figured significantly in the music of composers such as G. F. Handel, Henry Purcell, G. P. Telemann and J. S. Bach. Primarily a chamber instrument, the soft-spoken recorder became less popular as great concert halls were built during the 19th century. However, the 20th century has seen a revival of its popularity. Many people are attracted to it as a relatively inexpensive, very portable instrument that fits easily in either briefcase or backpack. The ARS has played an integral part in the current return of interest in the recorder and in early music in general. Its participation has been significant in all aspects: encouraging performance of recorder music written by contemporary composers as well as of early music on historical instruments; offering information on educational to professional topics; and supporting the movement from grass-roots to international. 


"In its 20th-century revival the recorder has been cultivated on three levels: as a school instrument, among amateurs, and as an instrument in its own right....In the USA the recorder movement has been fostered by the American Recorder Society...and the [then] quarterly publication American Recorder." --from the article on "Recorder" in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians