Thank you Lawrence for your very insightful remarks on British Brass Bands.
I was invited to play Tenor in a newly established band in the Detroit area, and I did one concert with the group. I can tell everyone that the intonation on the Tenor Horn is horrendous! In this particular band, the Solo Tenor Horn player also is an accomplished hornist, and during the rehearsal we kept putting our heads together to get alternate fingerings to get as Hans describes the Tenor Horn (in English) as a shithook, lol. Now I know why he calls them that! I also can relate that the next day, my slotting was off due to the differences of the mouthpiece. It was that fact that persuaded me not to pursue playing any longer on a "shithook"! I still enjoy the sound of a British Brass Band, and I am in the process of hiring a very good one for a 65th Anniversary concert of D-Day for the city that I am priviledged to serve as a member of the city's cultural commission. Walt Lewis Walt Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry -----Original Message----- From: Lawrence Yates <yateslawre...@googlemail.com> Date: Mon, 4 May 2009 15:53:40 To: The Horn List<horn@music.memphis.edu> Subject: Re: [Hornlist] New Amsterdam Brass Band and the Tenor Horn For the pedants amongst us, I am using the term "french horn" to clarify exactly which horn I am talking about. As a rule, in England French horn players do not play in brass bands. The tenor horn is a completely different instrument, it has a different mouthpiece, a different bore, a different length and is the tenor version of the saxhorn. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the french horn, it is only slightly more related to us than is the English horn. Generally speaking there are tenor horn players and french horn players - they are rarely the same person, although many horn players started off on the tenor when they were at school (myself included but I grew up). I know that there are some players who play both, but they seem to be rare. Tenor horns do not exist in any key other than Eb and they never have more than three valves. The baritone is the baritone version of the saxhorn - it fills in the baritone line in the band and rarely has solos. It is usually used in the middle of its register. The euphonium on the other hand generally plays in the upper part of its register and often carries the melody and has frequent solos. In the hands of a master it can be a wonderfully expressive instrument. I have never heard an expressive baritone. The sound of the two instruments is quite different. The fourth valve on a euphonium adds enough tubing to extend the range down by a fourth and is usually used for this purpose, and to offer a choice of fingerings for those notes which would normally involve all three of the main valves. It is not used as an alternative side to the instrument as it is on a french horn. Cornets have a mellower sound than trumpets and are always used in brass bands, usually with a vibrato. The trumpet sound would be rather too bright. There are often solos in 19th century operas which call for cornet and rarely sound right when played on trumpet. Bands often strive to have a full set of cornets all of the same make and model, something often achieved when the band is sponsored, as many of them were in more affluent times. The British brass band is capable of wonderfully expressive playing and there are those who achieve phenomenally high standards both technically and musically. Unfortunately there are very many more whose performances will make your flesh creep and turn your milk sour. Cheers, Lawrence 2009/5/4 Steve Freides <steve.frei...@gmail.com> > Folks, I want to tell you about a fantastic brass band concert I heard > last night, and also ask a few questions. > > The group was the New Amersterdam Brass Band - their web site isn't > much, and at the moment the home page shows the info for last night's > concert: http://www.newamsterdambb.com > > To give any of you metro-NYC players an idea of the caliber of the > group, Jason Ham sat second on the euphonium and Aaron Vanderweele sat > first - I think Aaron's solo playing was the best I have ever heard on > the euphonium. The featured soloist was trumpeter Allan Vizzutti, and > he did not disappoint. The sound, the feel of listening to this group > is something I'm actually having a hard time putting into words, but > it was just fantastic. > > Of great interest to me was the instrumental makeup of the band, so I > ask your indulgence, since I am still relatively new to the world of > brass instruments, in answering a few questions. > > 1) Why were there only cornets and not trumpets? The cornets all had > the funny bend the tubing that I know is part of traditional cornet > design although I also know that not all cornets are now made that > way. > > 2) There were both euphoniums and baritones. The group totalled about > 30 players, and had the above-mentioned two euphonium players plus two > baritones (played by Emilee Bennett and Barry Morrison, neither name > familiar to me). I found this article on the difference between the > two instruments: http://www.dwerden.com/eu-articles-bareuph.cfm - and > that seems to cover the issue pretty well, but I would appreciate > knowing one more thing - does someone who really knows the difference > between these two instruments write differently for them? I"m > guessing, based on what I've read, that a baritone might play slightly > higher and/or lighter parts. > > Is the 4th valve something like the thumb trigger of a double French > Horn? (And, if so, what pitch does it take the instrument up or down > into?) > > 3) There were no French Horns, but something called a Tenor Horn > which seemed, more or less, to play in French Horn register. A bit > more online research and I learn that this is also known as an Alto > horn - I have been given Alto horn parts to play, especially marches > when playing in a band. Is this the instrument a French Horn player > would play in such a band? I imagine it's a bit of a transition to > make, as it's fingered right-handed. > > The alto/tenor horn appears to be an Eb instrument - do they make > these in F, too? And do they make 4-valve models? > > Thanks much in advance. > > -S- > _______________________________________________ > post: horn@music.memphis.edu > unsubscribe or set options at > http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/yateslawrence%40googlemail.com > -- Lawrenceyates.co.uk _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/lewhorn9%40yahoo.com
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