brain was notoriously careless; his instrument for many years was a french-made piston valve horn with an impressive array of dents, and benjamin britten autographed one score "for dennis – in case he loses the other one". but sir thomas beecham described brain as a "prodigy" and noël goodin characterised him as "the genius who tamed the horn"; his old-fashioned and ill-treated instrument was the same as can be heard in many classic recordings of the time.