Ugly Duckling of a Tuba

[bort]

http://cgi.ebay.com/SALVATION-ARMY-3-4- ... 0467321213

[The Big Ben]

I've always thought Salvation Army instruments were pretty cool in a historical sort of way.

[SousaSaver]

Yeah, these are strange creatures. But understand this, even under many years of great use, those Salvation Army Tubas play pretty darn well. There is a Tuba player in my community who has a few of these and despite the wear to the valves and the many patches on the horns, they still play pretty darn well!

So, as strange as it looks, it could be a swan...just not a modern one.

[Donn]

I vaguely recall something about Salvation Army and high pitch, like they stuck with it for decades after the high pitch thing was over for everyone else.

[jamsav]

Thought all these Salvation Army horns had been built by Besson ?

[The Big Ben]

The Sally Ann actually has instrument construction and repair as part of their ministry. And, since they *are* British, they have that Bessonish look about them.

[The Big Ben]

The Sally Ann actually has instrument construction and repair as part of their ministry. And, since they *are* British, they have that Bessonish look about them.

...so is it "missionaries" who built these instruments...folks who took a few months to a couple of years off their regular jobs and decided to repair and build tubas for a while ?

Lots of stuff here, bloke:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Salvation_Army" target="_blank

Music is a big part of their work because, in their early days, they evangelized in the streets and were attacked by people who did not like them evangelizing in the streets. The music distracted the attention of their foes and attracted positive attention of people who wanted to hear the music.

Again, since the Sally Ann has its roots in England, the bands were of the "British Brass Band" variety and used instruments from Eb cornets to BBb tubas. They had people who made a career of manufacturing and repairing brass instruments both for the use of their own bands and for retail sale. Not sure of the time frame and if they still have the manufacturing element but they did.

[Donn]

Music is a big part of their work because, in their early days, they evangelized in the streets and were attacked by people who did not like them evangelizing in the streets. The music distracted the attention of their foes and attracted positive attention of people who wanted to hear the music.

... as memorialized in this IWW ditty, the origin of a familiar phrase

[to the tune of "In the Sweet Bye and Bye"]
The starvation army they play,
They sing and they clap and they pray
'Till they get all your coin on the drum
Then they'll tell you when you're on the bum:
Chorus:
You will eat, bye and bye,
In that glorious land above the sky;
Work and pray, live on hay,
You'll get pie in the sky when you die.

[jamsav]

The Sally Ann actually has instrument construction and repair as part of their ministry. And, since they *are* British, they have that Bessonish look about them.

Never knew that !!!
Yet the SA pro band here in the states opts to march and play with Besson Imperials ( or B& H s ) , at least last time I saw them a few yrs ago...

[Donn]

My old Pan-American Eb Giant Bass is actually an ex-Salvation Army instrument, in some sense. Their local youth band program acquired it at some point, but the kids didn't go for it so much, so it went on the auction block. I don't know this for a fact, but as their 2nd-hand business receives all kinds of musical instruments, the band programs may be able to pick through that stuff and may be loaded with interesting vintage horns.

[The Big Ben]

For those interested in a discussion of Salvationist Publishing and Salvation Army musical instruments, here's a link to a short history and description:

http://www.sacollectables.com/factory.html" target="_blank

[imperialbari]

The Sally Ann actually has instrument construction and repair as part of their ministry. And, since they *are* British, they have that Bessonish look about them.

Was true until around 1970, when they closed their factory.

When I took part in the European Championships for brass bands in Royal Albert Hall in 1978, I went to a store, where the last production supervisor of the SA factory was the repairman.

The British BBb tubas in my view were so tall because that saved making a couple of bows. This tuba furthermore displays a French trait, as it has short bow ends leading to two ferrules between the large bows.

Klaus