Sousa's important quote about the Sousaphone
Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 4:26 pm
Dear fellow-TubeNetters,
I had the opportunity to see and play the so-called "Original Sousaphone" up at Interlochen last week, and this piqued my interest in Sousaphone history. I did a bit of research this week and, just for fun, put my findings in an article that has been graciously posted on the "Sousa Central" blog; link is http://sousacentral.blogspot.com/2012/0 ... phone.html. I'd love to hear your thoughts on what I wrote there.
Central to the conclusions in my article is a very important quote by Sousa on page 8 of The Christian Science Monitor of August 30, 1922. But in poking around the TubeNet archives, as well as elsewhere on the internet, I have discovered that most everyone who refers to that quote has the date wrong, as well as a few typos in the quote itself.
So, having accessed the article through the CSM archives, here is the full quote (again, from August 30, 1922, not May, as many people have posted), from the article titled "Sousaphone Seen as Possible Substitute for Upright Tuba," which features a photo of William Bell standing alongside his Conn Sousaphone:
"The Sousaphone received its name through a suggestion made by me to J. W. Pepper, the instrument manufacturer of Philadelphia, fully 30 odd years ago. At that time, the United states Marine Band, of Washington, D. C., of which I was conductor, used a double B-flat bass tuba of circular form known as a 'Helicon.' It was all right enough for street-parade work, but its tone was apt to shoot ahead too prominently and explosively to suit me for concert performances, so I spoke to Mr. Pepper relative to constructing a bass instrument in which the bell would turn upwards and be adjustable for concert purposes. He built one, and grateful to me for the suggestion, called it a Sousaphone. It was immediately taken up by other instrument makers, and is today manufactured in its greatest degree of perfection by the C. G. Conn Company, of Elkhart, Ind."
Shortly after this comment, Sousa reveals this, which I hadn't ever seen quoted anywhere:
"From one Sousaphone in use in my band during its earliest days, I gradually eliminated the upright E-flat and double B-flat tubas, and use at the present five double B-flat Sousaphones. . . . It is my belief, when properly played, that the Sousaphone tone mingles with better effect with the tones of other instruments, string and brass, than is the case with the ordinary bass instruments."
Interestingly, this CSM article is a response to Edgard Varese's concern regarding a "lack of foundation in the modern symphony orchestra," and suggests that Sousa perhaps had gotten it right in using Sousaphones in his ensemble!
I had the opportunity to see and play the so-called "Original Sousaphone" up at Interlochen last week, and this piqued my interest in Sousaphone history. I did a bit of research this week and, just for fun, put my findings in an article that has been graciously posted on the "Sousa Central" blog; link is http://sousacentral.blogspot.com/2012/0 ... phone.html. I'd love to hear your thoughts on what I wrote there.
Central to the conclusions in my article is a very important quote by Sousa on page 8 of The Christian Science Monitor of August 30, 1922. But in poking around the TubeNet archives, as well as elsewhere on the internet, I have discovered that most everyone who refers to that quote has the date wrong, as well as a few typos in the quote itself.
So, having accessed the article through the CSM archives, here is the full quote (again, from August 30, 1922, not May, as many people have posted), from the article titled "Sousaphone Seen as Possible Substitute for Upright Tuba," which features a photo of William Bell standing alongside his Conn Sousaphone:
"The Sousaphone received its name through a suggestion made by me to J. W. Pepper, the instrument manufacturer of Philadelphia, fully 30 odd years ago. At that time, the United states Marine Band, of Washington, D. C., of which I was conductor, used a double B-flat bass tuba of circular form known as a 'Helicon.' It was all right enough for street-parade work, but its tone was apt to shoot ahead too prominently and explosively to suit me for concert performances, so I spoke to Mr. Pepper relative to constructing a bass instrument in which the bell would turn upwards and be adjustable for concert purposes. He built one, and grateful to me for the suggestion, called it a Sousaphone. It was immediately taken up by other instrument makers, and is today manufactured in its greatest degree of perfection by the C. G. Conn Company, of Elkhart, Ind."
Shortly after this comment, Sousa reveals this, which I hadn't ever seen quoted anywhere:
"From one Sousaphone in use in my band during its earliest days, I gradually eliminated the upright E-flat and double B-flat tubas, and use at the present five double B-flat Sousaphones. . . . It is my belief, when properly played, that the Sousaphone tone mingles with better effect with the tones of other instruments, string and brass, than is the case with the ordinary bass instruments."
Interestingly, this CSM article is a response to Edgard Varese's concern regarding a "lack of foundation in the modern symphony orchestra," and suggests that Sousa perhaps had gotten it right in using Sousaphones in his ensemble!
