Originally, the trumpets might “have been played in procession as the king came through,” said Ikram, adding that ancient Egyptian art depict trumpets being used in military, religious and ceremonial events. The trumpets were last played during a BBC broadcast on April 19, 1939 in Cairo, Egypt. Things like trumpets cracking, lights failing, and the BBC presenter’s original record of the broadcast breaking – all remind us of the fragility of relics, said Finn.