The purpose of this thesis is to examine the events surrounding the creation of the oboe and its rapid spread throughout Europe during the mid to late seventeenth century. The first section describes similar instruments that existed for thousands of years before the invention of the oboe. The following sections examine reasons and methods for the oboe's invention, as well as possible causes of its migration from its starting place in France to other European countries, as well as many other places around the world. I conclude that the oboe was invented to suit the needs of composers in the court of Louis XIV, and that it was brought to other countries by French performers who left France for many reasons, including to escape from the authority of composer Jean-Baptiste Lully and in some cases to promote French culture in other countries.

This project describes the process of creating an arrangement of Gustav Holst's "Second Suite in F for Military Band," to include the oboe d'amore. The oboe d'amore is a member of the oboe family which is not often used in the modern day. Also included are a score, 5 individual parts, and a digital audio file of the arrangement.