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I am playing the Gregson Tuba Concerto with orchestra in a couple of months and have been busy practicing. Initially I started on my Melton Eb, but after a while decided the tone of my PT-20 4/4 CC was more appropriate and as it has a secure high register to use that.

I am shortly going away for a week orchestral playing and have decided to use my 6/4 Neptune CC and Eb for the works programmed. But, I want to continue practice of the Gregson while away, particular as my first run through with orchestra is only a couple days after my return. However, I can hardly travel with third tuba!

I thereby got thinking, I wonder if I could continue my practice using the Neptune while away - after all it is a CC?

This evening I decided to test how well I could play the Gregson on the Neptune. I started through and was soon amazed. I was convinced I was playing it BETTER than I have previously managed on either the Eb, or 4/4. The pitching was secure including the high register, it had more impact, seemed to require less effort and being the Neptune the sound was tremendous with me being able to make more of the music with greater dynamic contrasts.

I tried a second time later in the evening to clarify my first impressions and it worked equally well again.

So what started out as just a casual trial has meant I am now seriously considering if I should perform the concerto using the BAT, as ridiculous as that may sound!

So my question is - Has anyone here played the Gregson in concert on a 6/4 CC? If so how did it work out?

Thanks.

I have also played the Gregson on a Large CC. I performed it on a Large Cerveny, and found that I was able to play the work with what I felt was more control. It may be personal preference but I have always enjoyed playing big horn.

the elephant wrote:I only ever have trouble getting the E above middle C (piano) to want to respond in a trustworthy manner.

The place I slipped trying my Neptune for the Gregson was hitting that E coming down from the high G in the last movement. But when I tried playing using 1+2 instead of open for the E it worked.

Dave Zerkel played the first movement on Mike Lynch's Lyon & Healy BAT with the Eastman tuba-euph ensemble playing the accompaniment. As always, Dave sounded like a million bucks.

Johnathan,
You & I heard Mr Pokorny play the Finzi Bagatelles to great effect on a (borrowed-on-the-day) 2165 in London last year. Don't think anyone would argue with the clarity or timbral qualities there.
Mr Jacobs preferred to use the big York in performances of the VW as I understand it.
So it CAN be done (if you can play like a CSO Principal!) and if it works - it works...
You'd also get the brilliant visual impact with the audience. People don't expect to hear 'music' from such a monster of an instrument either. If you can pull it off you'd get macho points with the ladies!!
Mal

I did the gregson on my 20J. Didnt have any problems and it sounded great on the recording.

the elephant wrote:our surprise seems to stem from a general pigeonholing of our horns into certain types of situations through too much talking about them and not enough playing of them

AMEN!

BAT's can be great fun. I used my huge Martin bellfront BBb on my senior undergrad recital for a Marcello sonata, and it worked great - especially on the fast movements.
My last year there Phil Smith came and played the Jim Curnow trumpet virtuoso showpiece "Concertpiece" with our symphonic band. The director liked it so much he wanted to take it on the road for our Spring tour. He asked the trumpet players to audition to play it. I volunteered to audition as well. They all backed down and I played it on the big Martin for our tour. The bellfront was actually quite an asset when playing in different auditoriums and churches, because you didn't have to worry about the acoustics of live vs. dead rooms. Like they say, "There's no replacement for displacement."

I use my BAT almost exclusively in all work, which includes a very large amount of quintet playing. I have also done Czrardas on it on a couple of occasions with great success. In fact the couple of times that I have picked up an Eb or even 4/4 BBb in quintet the group says that they miss the presence that the 6/4 provides.